How You Can Upcycle Your Old Door Into A Beautiful Countertop

Old doors possess a sense of age and charm not often found in an era of prefab hollow core doors. They are usually composed of solid wood, so they're perfect for all sorts of upcycling and repurposing projects, with DIYers making everything from stunning coffee tables to clever storage ideas with old doors. Another great use for these beautiful old pieces is to use them to create stunning and innovative countertops for whatever space you'd like, be that a kitchen or office. This DIY can easily create extra storage space in the kitchen, workbenches in a garage or shed, or a DIY desk for your home office. 

You may have some old doors from a remodel languishing in your house. You can also find them in places like flea markets, antique stores, and architectural salvage shops. Craigslist and Facebook marketplaces are also great places to look for those who are wanting to unload old doors cheaply, sometimes even free. Great varieties include wood interior doors from older homes, construction grade temporary doors, or metal fire doors with a solid wood core. With a few modifications, you can turn any door into an amazing counter that is as beautiful as it is functional. 

You can use many different approaches for creating a counter from an old door. Begin by removing hardware and hinges. This gives you a chance to upgrade the finish by sanding, staining, or adding a few coats of paint to match your décor. You can fill in imperfections and nail holes, or leave some of them as is, like the door knob hole, which is useful for running cords easily through the countertop. This is also a great chance to fill any cracks, divots, or imperfections before you apply a coat of paint or any other type of finish.

Many of these old doors feature carving, inlays, and recessed or raised panels. You can highlight these as part of your counter design, or add additional wood to create a flat surface. For counters in a kitchen or bar space, you can also add a plate of glass to the top to create a flat surface. For a narrower counter, use one side of a set of bi-fold doors or shuttered doors, or you can easily cut down a full-sized door to your desired width and length.

For this DIY, you can also add an old door cut down to size over an existing set of cabinets or build a new surface by using the door as a framework. Add a simple frame of 2 by 2 foot or 2 by 4 foot boards attached with L-brackets to create a narrow counter that you can add other kinds of shelves, like metal chrome or plastic bins and baskets to a curtained space underneath. You can also mount doors with hinges to the wall and use fold down legs or suspension cables/chains for a great narrow counter that disappears when you want it to. For a cool bar counter, use a set of solid wood core fire doors and upcycle the outer metal for the front of the bar.

For an easy DIY with no building, a battered door makes a great simple work counter when placed atop two sawhorses. Old doors can also be used to create an easy laundry folding counter with two freestanding laundry bins or small bureaus placed underneath to create the perfect height for working. You can even place them across your washer and dryer if they are the same height.