Furnishing and redesigning the apartment includes repairing or replacing the doors. They are without a doubt the face of the room or apartment and make the first impression when you visit. If the purchase of new doors is not currently planned, here is the solution. Depending on the material, old doors can be beautified, repaired or simply decorated in a more friendly way.
Add accents with paint or foil
When modernizing and renovating, cost-effective solutions can be an advantage. Especially if an expensive new purchase is not planned. The low effort and high quality also play an important role here. All in all, you can of course have difficulties, but with a few helpful tips the task can be achieved. Above all, the material from which the respective door is made is crucial.
A wooden door can be renovated at any time. You can change their color, apply a different wood stain and basically treat the surface in a variety of ways. The situation is different with laminate doors. The plastic surface is water-repellent and does not accept the paint that is subsequently applied. A new coating is recommended, especially if there are damaged areas. Another option would be to put self-adhesive film on it, but this is a temporary solution.
Another thing to consider is whether it is a rental property or not. In a condominium you can do and change anything as you please. If you live under rent, you are not allowed to make any major changes to the apartment. The interior doors can be spruced up, but they cannot be painted or covered. The tenant should leave the apartment in the same condition as it was when moving in. Or you can discuss the possible renovation with the landlord and conclude an additional contract.
Repainting old doors: instructions and tips
With little tricks, old doors create completely new impressions. Before you start renovation, the door should be pretreated. It is best to remove it from its usual place, lift it from its hinge and place it on a stable surface. This makes handling easier and prevents possible damage. All fittings must be removed.
Prepare the door
If there are several scratches, dents and similar things on the door surface, these should be repaired. This can be achieved with a special ready-made filler for wood. The unevenness is filled and repaired using a spatula. After the filled areas have dried thoroughly, they are treated with sandpaper and smoothed.
The entire door surface and especially the edges should be sanded with sandpaper. You are welcome to use a suitable grinding machine if one is available. However, this can only be used to treat the flat areas and the depressions and details have to be worked on by hand. Finally, take 240 grit sandpaper and sand the entire door surface. Afterwards, it should be cleaned of grease residues with alcohol.
Apply paint
Last but not least, a varnish color is applied. A white base coat is usually applied in matt or gloss. When choosing the right color, we recommend opting for light tones. They appear more positive and friendly and therefore ensure a comfortable welcome. Changing the color is less suitable for use on doors in rental apartments. Regardless of whether they are glossy or matt, even old doors shine in a new shine.
When painting with the desired paint color, start from the corners and edges. These are first painted with a brush and then the rest of the door surface is worked on with a paint roller. For optimal results, apply a base coat of white and then the desired color. This means that the desired color is the desired nuance and intensity. A colored background usually appears as an undertone and changes the effect of the paint color.
Before painting, we recommend covering the door frame or just the door surface with painter's tape so that the edges stay nice and clean. If you work with several or different colors, high-quality painter's tape is required. The cheap ones absorb the paint and are then very difficult to remove, leaving no clean edges.
Chalkboard paint doors for the children's room
Door frames and door surfaces can be designed differently. This makes the door a design accent in the apartment or room. With interior doors you can experiment with playful designs and use the door surface as a kind of canvas. In the children's room, unusual effects and ideas are always very well received. It is imaginative to color the inside of the door with blackboard paint and thus give the children the opportunity to design it with chalk as they wish.
Design sliding doors with stripes
Sliding doors in particular are suitable for playful designs. The door handle or door latch is often missing and often fits in perfectly with the wall design. These are quickly converted into a movable image. Perhaps not very creative, but very stylish, geometric figures and stripes look. This is where a good painter’s tape comes in handy. If you would prefer neutral colors in a simple, elegant interior, you should use vertical stripes in light gray and white.
Geometric shapes
Geometric patterns are very popular for wallpaper and wall decoration. They are also relatively easy to get to. It's best to choose two or three colors, for example two neutrals and one intense shade, and use the third sparingly. The image above is a good example. The herringbone pattern in gray and white looks inconspicuous but still interesting and the bright red door edge sets the accent.
Black and white patterns
Beautifying an old door isn't just possible with a new colored coat of paint. The version with foil is particularly suitable for unsightly doors in rental apartments. Today, foils are available in many colors and variations. You can even order a printed film of your own design or at least choose the image yourself. The best thing about it – the film is easy to remove at any time. Simply heat the surface with a hairdryer and peel off the film gradually.
Decorate with colored tape
Any interior door can be creatively designed in a similar way using colored adhesive tape. Minimalist and effective, more according to the motto: 'More is less', you can choose a beautiful color and use it to describe playful shapes. Alternatively, you can attach colored stripes to the inner and outer edges and create a big effect with very little effort.
If you want to cover a larger area of the door with foil, it is advisable to spray the door with glass cleaner beforehand and carefully apply the foil piece by piece. Alternatively, you can achieve the same effect with a mixture of water and detergent. Above all, it is important that the door surface is moist, as this makes it easier to apply the film and prevents bubbles.
If you want to achieve certain shapes and figures with the adhesive tape, it is recommended to make a preliminary drawing on the door surface. Using a ruler and chalk or pencil, you determine the correct position of each figure and place the self-adhesive particles on it.
To bring more color into the room, we recommend using washi tape. In office supplies you can find great versions with playful patterns or in beautiful colors that put you in a good mood. Alternatively, there are also a variety of stickers that are easy to apply. This creates beautiful motifs and only covers individual areas of the door. Dots, stripes, geometric figures and large fonts can be quickly made yourself.
When gluing the door surface, only one requirement is very important - the surface must be flat. Damaged doors can possibly be filled, but only if the door is wooden. Another option is to repair it with decorative panels. The interior door is covered with light MDF or chipboard with a decorative layer and fixed to the door surface. It works on the principle of wooden laminates. The decorative layer is usually made of paper and is foiled with a matt or glossy finish. This protects them from moisture and makes the image more durable.
Spice up old doors with paper
Old doors can be temporarily beautified by adding decorations to them. This is decorated depending on the season or festively and thus creates a better atmosphere. Patterns and photos can be beautiful motifs for door decoration. Homemade wreaths made of paper, artificial flowers or small objects are eye-catching and can be made by anyone with a little creativity. Here we present this beautiful spring idea for colorful flowers made of paper. These can be attached to the door surface with double-sided adhesive tape. These will certainly put you in a good mood when you enter the room.
