8 Unique Ways To Turn An Old Door Into A Storage Shelf

Is there anyone out there who couldn't use more storage space? Shelving is a storage solution everyone could use more of, but how do you elevate it beyond a particleboard bookcase from a big-box store? A vintage door could be the answer, and there are multiple unique ways to convert an old door into a storage shelf or shelving unit. Old doors are a gold mine for DIYers because they offer a wealth of building material for projects ranging from plant shelving units to bookshelves. 

If you're itching to build a shelving project from an old door but don't have one you can use, consider an architectural salvage store or a Habitat for Humanity ReStore, where you can get a great deal and support Habitat for Humanity's cause. One caution if you're using a very old painted door: the paint may contain lead, so you may want to test it and take protective measures when painting over it.

You can build custom shelving from several kinds of doors, from cheap hollow-core interior doors to bi-fold doors, to doors with window panes and antique exterior doors that ooze with character and beauty, as you'll see in the collection that follows.

Celebrate and support your green thumb by adding shelves to a vintage door you've painted and perhaps distressed. This cheery piece would make a unique potting storage area, either indoors or outdoors, for houseplants. For this transformation, use 24-inch-long, 1-inch-by-12-inch pine boards as shelves on your vintage door. Consider chalk paint for the door; you can enhance the antique look by applying patches of color under the main color, then sanding so bits of the underpaint show through. Paint the shelves and screw them into the door using L brackets.

Turn an old door into a gorgeous entryway statement piece with shoe storage. This design begins by building the box for the door's bottom. Use MDF or wood to build a rectangular box the width of the door. Add a vertical center divider, a back for the box, and a horizontal divider on one side of the box. Purchase a cushion for the top, or make one by stapling fabric around a piece of foam. Add hanging hooks to the top of the door, attach the box to the bottom, and paint or stain the unit.

Brighten up a bare corner in your home with an old, dated bi-fold door reimagined as a charming shelving unit; we've also seen them made from regular doors. Start with four 11-by-11-inch wooden squares for shelves, and use a jigsaw to cut a curve into them; you can leave them square or make them triangular, if you prefer. Pre-drill screw holes in the door and screw the shelves in place. Give the unit the paint treatment you want and arrange decor items on the shelves.

Did you know that old hollow-core doors make amazing floating shelves that are super easy to install? Begin by attaching a pre-drilled 1-by-2-inch board to the wall as a cleat for the shelves, using lag screws. Cut your hollow-core door into 9-inch-wide pieces the length of your planned shelving. Apply a strong adhesive to the cleat, then mount a hollow-core shelf piece on it and tap it into place with a rubber mallet. Secure the shelf to the wall with finish nails, and apply caulk along the joint where the shelf meets the wall.

It's not uncommon to repurpose an old door into a stylish DIY bookshelf, and you can make it uniquely your own by, for example, making a tall, multi-shelved bookcase with significant capacity for books and other items. To build this stately unit, cut your vintage door vertically in half and use the two halves as side pieces for a large rectangular box with a top and bottom, and wood planks for the backing. After adding supports for the shelves and installing the shelves, frame the front with molding for a finished look. Paint or stain as you desire.

Unlike other door conversions in this collection, this one does not involve using an old door that has been removed; instead, it adds storage to an old interior door that is no longer meant to function as a door. This transformation is a simple matter of framing out shelving on top of the existing door. First, build your desired shelving unit from wood and attach it to the door. Then use four framing pieces for top, bottom, and sides to frame the shelving. Paint the shelving to complement the room, and load it with objects.

Take an old door with window panes and transform it into a unique piece that provides storage for decor, plants, books, and artwork. Remove the panes to turn each opening into a shelf. This makeover is similar to ladder-style shelving in that, just as ladder rungs must be extended to provide enough surface area to hold the display items, the horizontal crossbars in the door need to be extended or replaced. Leave the door's finish as is for a vintage look, or paint it if you prefer. 

Although smaller than other transformations in this collection, this shelving unit is made from two old, almost identical panel doors with five horizontal panels. Cut two panels from one door for the side pieces. For the top, bottom, and shelf, consider wood pieces about 2-½ inches thick. Attach the top and bottom pieces of wood to the side panels, and use three of the second door's panels for the back piece. Insert the shelf piece. Paint the unit if you'd like, perhaps highlighting the panels.