When my sister brought me on to the Topsail Beach condo renovation, she had a laundry list of DIY projects she wanted me to complete. One of them was dressing up the hollow flat doors with moulding panels. She showed me a pin that led to One Life to Love’s DIY beadboard panel doors. After seeing the photo, I knew it would be a great DIY upgrade to make. But, we decided to use real beadboard (instead of beadboard wallpaper) because it had to hold up to the stress of being a rental.
To Begin:
Start by measuring and marking the doors to determine the size of your panels.
Draw lines 5″ in from the top and two sides of your door. Draw the bottom line 6″ up from the bottom. Finally, leave 5″ between the top and bottom panels.
When marking your doors, use a pencil and level to draw your lines.
After we had our panel measurements, Caitlin and I headed to Lowe’s. But, she refused to push me in the cart (party pooper!)
We pulled some 4′ x 8′ beadboard panels and took them to the lumber cutting area. We gave the Lowe’s employer our measurements and asked him to cut the boards for us. While he cut our beadboard, Caitlin and I gathered the rest of our supplies.
Materials:
- Beadboard panels
- Moulding to frame panels
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- Level
- Construction glue
- Latex paintable caulk
- Finish nailer
- 1 1/4″ finish nails
- Painter’s tape
- Hand saw
- Miter box
- Eye protection
- Hearing protection
- Plastic wood putty
- Putty knife
- Sanding block
Instructions:
Assess the condition of your door. If there are chips or dings, you need to fix them before proceeding.
Apply wood putty and allow it to dry.
After dry, sand the putty smooth.
Time to apply the beadboard panels. Squeeze construction glue onto the back of the beadboard panels.
Set the panels on the door and double check the level and plumb of the panel.
Press the panel firmly to spread the glue. Use the finish nailer to secure the panel around the perimeter.
Attach the lower panel next.
To trim the panel, measure and cut your trim molding to fit around the panel.
Set your top piece in place and secure it with the finish nailer.
Set the side pieces in place. Use painter’s tape to hold the corners tightly. Use more tape to secure the side piece if necessary.
Attach the side molding with finish nails.
Attach the opposite side and the bottom molding pieces. Putty the nail holes and caulk the seams. Then prime and paint the doors.
Ooolala. How about that transformation?!
The newly paneled doors make a huge difference in the look of the condo.
It’s all in the details.
Like what you see? Take the tour of the entire Topsail Beach Condo Renovation for more upgrade ideas.
Great job on the door-looks great! We’re looking to upgrade our plain, rough looking 1950’s hollow core doors as well. We painted a few, but they seemed to swell and scratch off the paint on the edge that closes. Any tips to avoid this?
this looks amazing! can i ask what paint you used for the door?
Thanks for the inspiration on this! I tried the same thing on my doors, minus the beadboard (just because I didn’t think it matched the era of my house). The results are fantastic — so much better than I expected! I’m just finishing up the last of five doors and it makes such an amazing difference in my hallway. It has been a lot of work, but so worth it!
What did you do in place of bead board?
Hi, awesome tutorial. Are the measurement the same for bathroom doors and closet doors? Thank you
I think you need to visually judge that for yourself. It depends on the width of your closet doors, but bathroom doors should be fine at the same.
What kind of paint did you use?
Hi, do you do this on both sides or just the side that people see from outside the space? Thank you
We only did it on the side that faces the living areas. But, you can do both if you like.
Looks fantastic Brittany! An easy step-by-step guide! Keep up the good work!
Exactly what type of trim did you use? Haven’t seemed to find any in the big box stores.
I’m not sure of the names, and I know trim moulding varies based on area. I’d recommend pulling a bunch of small trim to see if any work for your doors.
My husband also, he would have a house full of wood if I let him. Wood EVERYTHING!! YUCK!!
Did you do the flooring as well?
No, I didn’t.