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FINALLY! Ok so my new goal is to finish projects in a timely manner from now on lol!
We originally had those sliding mirror doors and they were TERRIBLE! They literally came off the tracks every time we would open the doors and eventually they completely broke. I knew I wanted to make our own but I didn’t feel like there were a ton of options for this closet. Example: I really wanted one of those sliding barn style doors (more modern/cottage style though, not the look of an actual barn door). The problem was there isn’t enough space on either side for the door to slide over and allow us to have the entire closet open at once.
I searched Pinterest and found the CUTEST bifold doors from Lily Ardor. I was so inspired and loved how simple they looked. Mine are built slightly different and my measurements were also adjusted.
If at any time my instructions don’t make sense-feel free to shoot me an email or message me on Instagram for a quicker response here.
Supplies list:
Wood: no specific width, we used 1X2’s and 1X4’s, you could use all 1X2’s or whatever you prefer really!
Paint: Iron Ore by Sherwin Williams
Paint brushes (I love purdy brushes but honestly I usually go with a cheaper brand)
First you need to determine the size of your closet. Measure the width and height of your closet and divide it into 2 or 4 (depending on the size of your closet). Then subtract ½ of an inch from each panel’s width, and about 1 inch from the height. Originally we subtracted ¾ of an inch for the height but Brandon had to cut it down more once we tried installing them. The bottom will need space so the panels are scratching against the floors. Each panel has a top and bottom layer allowing the frames to be sturdier (Is studier a word? It sounds wrong lol more sturdy? That sounds weird too) Anyway, Brandon drew a picture to allow us to visually see what we were going to do. Heres the mock up of ONE panel, because remember there is a top and bottom. These were our original measurements, however, we ended up needing to adjust later because they were too long, which is why I recommend taking off an inch vertically. When choosing your wood, you could potentially use different sizes. I believe Lily Ardor used 1 X 2’s, we used 1 X 1 ½ for the sides (I think they’re supposed to be 1X2’s, measurements are wrong at home improvements stores sometimes), top pieces are 1 X 4’s and bottom pieces are 1 X 3’s after cutting them down. You can use 1 X 2’s for all pieces, I think we just had scrap wood and used what we had.
Here are a couple photos up close showing how we attached the top and bottom panels. You could use wood filler before painting to give the doors a seamless look but I like the cottage style imperfect look. Is that even a style? No idea lol
We used wood glue and a nail gun to attach the top and bottom of each panel. I’ll have a highlight saved on my Instagram where you can see these panels a bit closer to have a better idea of how they’re put together.
I am terrible at progress photos lately but here is a screenshot of the panels before I painted them.
I used “Iron Ore” in flat by Sherwin Williams because I wanted more of a graphite look rather than a true black. I also went with “flat” because I didn’t want any sheen on them. Then I attached this burlap in the color “white” with a hand held staple gun. You can find this burlap here, it was super inexpensive. The main advice I can give when attaching burlap is to staple the top and bottom first (pull tight) and then staple the sides. After the first two you get the hang of it. Then cut off excess burlap of course.
This is the track we used and we ended up needing three of them (our closet door opening is really wide). Brandon had to cut off a little bit of one to have all three fit. There are a ton of videos on youtube on how to install these, I am no expert and it was all Brandon when it came to installing the tracks. Message me on Instagram if you have any trouble and I’ll have Brandon explain how he did it! I also painted the tracks with the iron ore paint because they were white and looked awful LOL. Painting them allowed the tracks to appear hidden.
That’s it! Custom, affordable closet doors that won’t break the bank! I truly believe you can use any home design ideas as inspo and make something similar yourself for a fraction of the price.