Hey Friends!

Do you love barn doors?  How about furniture with a beachy vibe?  Well, I’ve got a really fun and easy DIY project to share with you today!

I talked my husband into making a barn door to replace the one to our laundry room.  I took the old door, which was just a standard white door, and repurposed it to be used as a barn door.  Actually, it could be used as many things, but a barn door is what I had in mind when I started. ( I couldn’t use the door I painted because I needed it a little wider to cover up the trim.)

 

 

Here’s what you need:

• door (if you don’t have an old one, you can find them at flea markets, craigslist, etc. for cheap)
• cleaner for door
• damp rag/sponge
• Bondo
• primer
• 3-4 disposable brushes ( I used inexpensive chip brushes)
• 2-3 beachy paint colors including white (flat latex or chalk paint)
• sea sponge
• styrofoam plate
• small piece of wood
• orbital sander
• clear top coat

 

First thing you need to do is remove the door knobs and the hinges and clean the door well.  I used TSP diluted with water (using a spray bottle, I filled it half full with TSP and the other half with water)  and a little sponge from the dollar tree.  After cleaning, wipe down again with a damp rag removing any leftover solution.

Next, you’ll want to fill any holes with Bondo body filler.  (You can find this in the automotive department at Walmart.)  You’ll want to follow the directions on the can, mixing the filler with the cream included.  Filling each hole, especially where the door knob was, may take 2 or more applications. It dries extremely fast so you’ll need to work quickly.  Once dry, sand smooth.

You can also quickly sand the entire door to remove any rough spots and peeling paint and just to weather it some. (optional)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now you’re ready to prime! (Priming can also be optional, especially if you use a chalk or clay based paint.)  I’ve just always primed and it’s still hard for me not to; however, many chalk paint experts swear that you don’t have to prime before using their products.  I used a chalk paint that I made myself as the base, which you can get my recipe here, and DIY paint in the colors Old 57 and Vintage Linen.  DIY paint, by Debi’s Design Diaries, is a clay based paint and this was my first time trying it.  It’s similar to chalk paint, but it’s much more pigmented and takes just a little longer to dry.  I really enjoyed using it and it was perfect for this project because it sands really well while keeping the awesome color! 

So, after I primed,  I painted on my base coat, not worrying about getting complete coverage.  The color is Velvet Rope by Behr.  This beautiful blue color has been a favorite color of mine lately!  (Again, my chalk paint recipe, along with a Color Chart, can be downloaded here.) Next, pour a little of the blue paint on a styrofoam plate and get your sea sponge.  Dip the sea sponge into the paint and dab the door in various areas, then let dry.  The sea sponge gives some unique texture which will show up later when you sand all the colors at the end.

After my blue was dry, I brushed on the Aqua color (Old 57), and a lighter Aqua color (Old 57 mixed with a little Vintage Linen), not covering the blue all together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now I want to add a little white to the mix, so I got a little square piece of wood (left over from one of my projects) and rubbed it on the concrete a little to scuff it up!  If you don’t have a piece of wood, a little cardboard box or something similar would work just as well.  I poured the white (Vintage Linen) on a styrofoam plate and lightly dipped the wood into the paint. I scraped a little off if it had a lot on, and then rubbed or scraped it on the door going in the direction of the grain. See all that yummy texture?!

 

 

 

 

 

You can stop here if you like this look!  I really liked it, but I decided to sand it all over to blend the colors a little more and bring out some of that gorgeous blue in the background . You can sand a little, or a lot, depending on how weathered you want it to look.

 

 

 

The last thing I did was seal it with a top coat from Rustoleum.  I applied two coats using my Paint Pixie brush because I wanted a smooth finish!

 

 

 

 

I would love to hear what you think of this project!  Have you ever painted a door or even a piece of furniture with this technique?  I just loved it!  I definitely plan on doing it again on more doors and also a piece of furniture.

 

 

 

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THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING!  BE BACK SOON!!

Joanie