Antiqued Closet Doors

I have two small closets in the “hallway” leading to the bathroom. One houses my stacking washer and dryer, and the other will hold my vacuum, brooms, and assorted storage. Unfortunately, they were framed oddly, and neither was the right size for premade doors.

I decided that French doors would look good and not take up too much room when open (it’s a tiny space where these doors open and I didn’t want them to hit each other). We started with bifold doors and took them apart. Then Marc shortened them, notched the bottoms to accommodate the baseboards, and shaved a little off of each side to fit the space.

Because I live on a vineyard, I was excited to use my new Grapes Mould from Iron Orchid Designs to create grape leaves and tendrils. I added two leaves on the top of each door and one in the middle near where the handle would be. I used a discontinued air dry clay and Titebond glue to hold them in place.

I let the mould castings dry overnight and then I used DAP Plastic Wood (which Marc says smells just like powerbait) to fill in any cracks.

I painted the doors with two coats of Ecru paint in Cashmere finish from Sherwin Williams, which I had left over from the ceiling in my great room.

Next came the magic! I used Rust-Oleum Chalked Decorative Glaze in Aged Glaze to give the doors an antique look. The glaze settles into the cracks and around the mouldings and makes all the details pop. Just brush it on a small area at a time, and wipe off the extra with a shop towel.

I used my favorite Fleur de Lis handles from Wild West Hardware again. They look great with the grape leaves and add another little French touch to my cottage.

We used new hinges on the outer sides to hang the doors and added cabinet door magnets to hold them closed.

When I first measured these doorways and realized how oddly shaped they were, I thought I would have to make curtains for them, and I really didn’t want to do that. Thanks to Marcus I didn’t have to. Once again, Best Brother in Law EVER!