Recycle an old wooden French door

An old wooden French door finds a new life as a multi-use hub for family memories and everyday needs.

A few dedicated hours over a couple of weekends is all it takes to create this fabulous upcycled project. Day one – trawl the wreckers’ yards until you find an old French door still boasting its glass panes. Day two – get your hands dirty sanding, painting and revitalising.

You will need:

• An old French door or window with glass panes
• A collection of favourite family photos
• Sandpaper
• Painter’s tape
• Paintbrush
• Paint scraper
• Resene Lustacryl waterborne enamel paint in colours of your choice. We used Resene Black White, Resene Triple Tea and Resene Turbo
• Hooks for hanging items
• Long screws and power drill for mounting

Method:
1. Sand the door to get a smooth surface. If the door is basically bare timber, use Resene Quick Dry to prime it.

2. Paint your base colour all over the door. We used Resene Lustacryl waterborne enamel paint in Resene Black White. Allow to dry, then add another coat.

3. When base coat is fully dry, mask off the frame of each window pane with painter’s tape.

4. Paint inside the frames in your chosen colours. We used Resene Turbo and Resene Triple Tea on random frames, leaving some in Resene Black White. You’ll need 2-3 coats on each.

5. Carefully remove tape then use a paint scraper to scratch away any paint splatters on the glass.

6. Clean both sides of the glass panes.

7. Measure your glass panes and your photos, cut to fit. Put your photos in place and secure with tape.

8. Attach hooks for hanging bags, hats and jackets.

9. To mount the door we used two very long screws and a leveller and drilled the screws through the wall into the studs. The door is quite heavy, so do it right and enlist help from family and friends!

Styling and photography: Alanna Dennis
 

Colours we used:

Resene Black White BUY THE TESTPOT HERE	Resene Triple Tea BUY THE TESTPOT HERE
Resene Turbo BUY THE TESTPOT HERE

Visit your local Resene ColorShop, phone 0800 RESENE (737 363) or :