Weekend Project: Get Creative With Old Windows and Doors
Roll up your sleeves and say hello to one-of-a-kind style – these DIY projects are about to make your house a home
If your house is lacking soul, a sense of history could be the missing ingredient. Old windows and doors, and even shutters and mirrors, can be re-used in all sorts of ways to give your interiors character and that lived-in feel that makes a home feel comfortable. These easy projects will have you scouring the streets for cast-offs you can repurpose in less time than it takes to say TGIF.
Make a … work of art
Botanical prints like these work wonderfully framed behind an old window, but any collection of prints within a theme could work just as well.
Botanical prints like these work wonderfully framed behind an old window, but any collection of prints within a theme could work just as well.
Make a … headboard
Old shutters or doors propped up behind a bed can frame it beautifully. Opt for chalk paint in an antique-inspired shade such as ‘Paris Grey’, ‘French Linen’ or ‘Duck Egg Blue’ … or whatever colour works best in the space. The brilliant thing about chalk paint is that it sticks to just about anything without too much surface preparation. It will even cover coats of oil-based paint without a worry – no sanding required!
More: A Dozen Inspiring Alternatives to a Traditional Headboard
Old shutters or doors propped up behind a bed can frame it beautifully. Opt for chalk paint in an antique-inspired shade such as ‘Paris Grey’, ‘French Linen’ or ‘Duck Egg Blue’ … or whatever colour works best in the space. The brilliant thing about chalk paint is that it sticks to just about anything without too much surface preparation. It will even cover coats of oil-based paint without a worry – no sanding required!
More: A Dozen Inspiring Alternatives to a Traditional Headboard
Or scrape off some of the old paint but leave a little behind for a rustic and utterly charming headboard effect.
Sisters sharing a room will love these headboards. Made from old shutters, they’re easy to personalise using letters and decorative additions – and could just as easily be adapted for boys.
Make a … backdrop
Windows as lovely as these deserve to take pride of place, even as a display. All they may need is a good scrub to have them looking fresh and vibrant again. If they’re looking a little worse for wear, choose a shade of chalk paint you love and take the time to tape up each window pane before getting started – painter’s tape may be a pain to apply to such small areas, but you’ll get a far tidier result.
Windows as lovely as these deserve to take pride of place, even as a display. All they may need is a good scrub to have them looking fresh and vibrant again. If they’re looking a little worse for wear, choose a shade of chalk paint you love and take the time to tape up each window pane before getting started – painter’s tape may be a pain to apply to such small areas, but you’ll get a far tidier result.
This ornate window frame sits pretty in a bedroom setting. The more worn the original paint, the more character an old door or window tends to add, so don’t rush to repaint a piece before you’ve lived with it a while.
Make a … coffee table
Adding industrial-style steel pipe legs to an old door creates quite the conversation starter. Finding the right door will be the most challenging part of this DIY job.
Adding industrial-style steel pipe legs to an old door creates quite the conversation starter. Finding the right door will be the most challenging part of this DIY job.
Make a … cabinet
If you’re handy with a hammer, or would like to be, strap on your tool belt and get to work. This country cabinet has been cobbled together with scrap wood and an old window. The beauty of making rustic, country-style furniture is that no-one will notice if it’s not quite perfect.
If you’re handy with a hammer, or would like to be, strap on your tool belt and get to work. This country cabinet has been cobbled together with scrap wood and an old window. The beauty of making rustic, country-style furniture is that no-one will notice if it’s not quite perfect.
Make a … pin board
An antique mirror frame is too beautiful to go to waste, so why not turn it into something you can use. When you’ve removed the mirror, use a jigsaw to cut chipboard into the right shape – tracing the shape onto the board first will make life easier. Then simply cover with hessian, or any other fabric, and secure in place with screws. You may have to use a drill first if you find the screws resist going into the frame.
TELL US
Have you turned an old window or door into something fabulous? Share your high-res photos in the comments section below.
MORE
How to Nurture Your Creative Side at Home
20 DIY Projects That Will Turn You Into a Pro
How to Update an Old Chest of Drawers
An antique mirror frame is too beautiful to go to waste, so why not turn it into something you can use. When you’ve removed the mirror, use a jigsaw to cut chipboard into the right shape – tracing the shape onto the board first will make life easier. Then simply cover with hessian, or any other fabric, and secure in place with screws. You may have to use a drill first if you find the screws resist going into the frame.
TELL US
Have you turned an old window or door into something fabulous? Share your high-res photos in the comments section below.
MORE
How to Nurture Your Creative Side at Home
20 DIY Projects That Will Turn You Into a Pro
How to Update an Old Chest of Drawers
What could be more inspiring than a little Dr Seuss wisdom in the morning? This old door has been given a new purpose with a simple lick of blackboard paint.
See more brilliant ways to use blackboard paint