Give Your Closet Door A Makeover By Revamping It Into A Functional Shelving Unit

After changing the doors in your latest closet remodel, your old bifold doors may not seem to have many other uses around the home. But before you relegate them to the scrap heap, you can consider at least one creative repurposing opportunity that will add storage benefits in almost any room. If you have an unused corner and a set of closet doors, here's a perfect opportunity to create an attractive shelf in the fewest steps possible. Whether louvered or paneled, a folding door adds a cleanly textured backing to an upright shelving unit. YouTube channel Pink Sawdust LLC demonstrated this clever hack using a few wood pieces, a bifold door, screws, and paint to build a tall display area for pictures, plants, and accessories.

After removing the door and folding it to a 90-degree angle, you'll have a frame to hold multiple shelves made of spare boards. Measure the door widths and cut the boards into squares to match. Leave them as is, or do as Pink Sawdust LLC suggests and round the corners by cutting the shape with a jigsaw or band saw. Position the shelves at the desired height, making sure to keep them level. Pre-drill holes going through the door panel frames and into the shelves, then install screws to hold them in place. You're then ready to stain or paint the wood, secure the shelf in a corner, and decorate your shelves with your favorite accessories.

Typically standing 80 or 96 inches tall, bifold closet doors will fit comfortably practically anywhere you need while leaving room for overhead storage. Plus, you can tweak the design to better suit your home's interior style. One way to adjust the final look is to remove the hinges and bring the panels together for a tighter corner connection. You can cut a narrow wood strip as blocking in the corner to screw the panels in place. Corner braces like these WINKER shelf brackets attached to the outside can also fix the panels to each other while staying hidden against the wall. For the shelves, you can swap the hidden screws for decorative brackets. A decorative support adds a classy traditional touch to elevate the DIY project and make a statement.

Regardless of the minor details, this DIY unit won't be complete without an attractive finish to the folding door and shelves. Before assembly, sand the door and shelf surfaces to clear away any existing finish and create a consistent texture for you to apply stain. If you want to paint it, lightly sand the unit and prime the surfaces. Pink Sawdust LLC finished their project by DIYing a distressed painted look, but you can use any color and pattern combo to suit unique styles ranging from rustic to modern. With so many options for this effortless DIY, there's no reason to get rid of your leftover panels when you're ready for an alternative to your builder-grade bifold closet doors.