Turn An Old Set Of Antique Doors Into A Rustic And Fashionable Room Divider

Room dividers can transform spaces within your home. They create a boundary, allowing you to better define parts of your house as being related to specific activities. They can also hide an unsightly radiator in your garage, cover a laundry space, or block sunlight. You can purchase a room divider in stores, or you can make your own out of some old doors to lend the space a rustic aesthetic. Place this vintage solution in any room in your house to divide the space and add visual interest.

If you go the DIY route, this project should take an afternoon to complete. The hard part is usually finding the doors. You can visit a local thrift store or a recycling facility or check Facebook Marketplace to find the right ones; you'll need at least three doors. Next, you'll need a few tools and materials, including four hinges, a power drill, screws, a paint scraper, a tarp, a brush, sandpaper, a spray bottle, a heat gun, and a lead-safe paint stripper.

It's important to be aware of lead exposure before bringing home any vintage items. With old doors, you should assume that the paint contains lead, a toxic heavy metal and a carcinogen that is harmful to both adults and children when breathed in, ingested, or absorbed through the skin. That's why you'll also need goggles, gloves, and a respirator with P100 filters. You should also review lead-safety practices for DIYers from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Even if you're pretty certain that your doors do not have lead paint, use a D-Lead Paint Test Kit before you start your project to make sure.

When prepping your old doors, you should work outside to prevent inhaling the paint dust. Place a tarp under the table you plan to place the door on, then brush the wood with paint stripper and scrape or sand the paint away. You can also try using your heat gun to lift the more stubborn paint from the door's surface. Use your spray bottle to spray the door with water and ensure any lead dust stays moist, which will keep it from dispersing into the air. Avoid touching your mouth or eyes while working on this project.

Once you're finished, spray the door down with a hose to remove any dirt, fold the tarp, and take it to an approved lead-disposal site. Also, be sure to wash your clothes in a load by themselves. 

You can repaint these doors once you're finished removing the old paint, but they will keep a more rustic appearance if you don't. The last step is the simplest. Screw two hinges onto both sides of one of the doors and attach the other two doors. There are plenty of ways to add some additional character to this old room divider. You can paint interesting designs on it, attach fabric, or hang plants or a mirror from it.

If you decide to decorate your room divider anew, you have plenty of options. First, pick out your paint. Vibrant colors will offer more of a fun atmosphere, while darker colors create a more serious, academic feel. If you choose oil-based or acrylic paint, you can use your screen outdoors. You can also use a wood stain. 

You can also use some stencils from your local crafts store. Tape the stencils to the doors and paint over them to create your design. If you prefer to make the art yourself, ditch the stencils altogether. Instead, break out some brushes and paint street-style murals of your favorite musicians or artists. 

You can also add a little atmosphere to your screen by fastening string lights to it using staples. If you enjoy woodworking, you can trace designs on the doors and carve into them. If you're interested in something a little less permanent, you can cover your screen with decorative butcher paper like teachers do for their classroom doors.