Take a Seat – Upcycle an unwanted door into a pride-of-place hallway statement
Every entrance way or mudroom can benefit from a place to hang coats, tidy away shoes, and perch while kicking off gumboots. Upcycling an old door is a great starting point for creating a hallway bench and shelf that’s both functional and full of character.
This is a project that’s easy to adapt. It could easily be a handy addition for a spare room or even a fancy feature piece in the garden shed for hanging tools and storing boots. An old door gives you a solid base to work from. You can add storage underneath or above depending on your needs.
Before you start, make sure your donor door is the right size for the job. Solid external doors are ideal because they’re more durable and take fixings well, but this particular project uses a hollow-core internal door, which works just fine with a little care.
TIP: If you’re using a hollow door, take care not to over-tighten screws. They can indent more easily than with a solid wood door, so use shorter fixings where needed and consider reinforcing key areas with timber blocks inside the frame.
Finish your bench with a coat of paint, a timber seat, and hooks for hanging coats or bags. You’ll have a custom-made piece that not only adds storage and seating but brings new life to something that might have otherwise gone to waste.
How to make a Hallway Bench Seat from an Old Door
This project requires
- door
- 1 x 30x900x2100mm Laminated clear panel
- 2 x 1.2m 65×18 RAD pine
- assorted Screws (65mm+)
- 2 x Fretwork pine designs
- coat hooks
Method
Step 1: Determine the desired depth and height of your intended bench seat. Cut laminated clear panel into 2 x equal pieces which will become the solid upright sides. In this instance, sides were 600mm high.
Lay the door horizontally on a flat surface. Position both upright sides to ensure lower edges are flush with the bottom of the door. If desired, the sides may be indented somewhat, for aesthetics. Offer up lengths of radiata pine to act as armrests. Measure and cut 2 x equal armrests, sanding edges to remove burrs.
Step 2: Measure the distance between the two upright sides to determine the width of seat and lower shelf. Cut remaining laminated clear panel into 2 x equal pieces. These lengths will become the seat and the lower shelf.
Place seat and lower shelf in desired height position. The lower shelf may be flush with the bottom of the door or, you may choose to raise its height if desired and cut a kickboard to size. In this instance, the seat was 430mm high and lower shelf 100mm from the floor. Don’t affix them in place just yet…especially if you want to stain or paint them (as it’s easier to stain/paint them first).
TIP: To avoid tricky cutting in and to result in a tidy paint finish, paint or stain all individual pieces, particularly inward facing surfaces, before assembly.
Step 3: So with the seat placed in position but not affixed, position fretwork at desired height at the top of the door and cut a remaining piece of laminated clear panel to size to create a single upper shelf.
Cut a single slat of remaining radiata to form the base on which the coat hooks will be affixed.
Step 4: Once you have all the elements cut, it’s time to paint or stain (if that is the look you are going for). If painting, use a waterborne-primer undercoat then finish with 2-3 coats of topcoat.
This project has used Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel tinted to Double Tea for bench seat sides, upper shelf, fretwork and coat rack; and tinted to Quarter Alabaster for the door itself. To add contrast, Resene Colorwood natural wood stain interior tinted to Deep Oak was used for the bench seat and lower shelf.
Step 5: Square up, clamp then screw together all elements of the painted bench seat (excluding armrests): sides, seat, lower shelf and kickboard (if using). Doing this in isolation BEFORE affixing to the door helps avoid any paint scratch marks. Affix with screws generously from all three outward facing sides.
Fill any screw holes in the outward facing surfaces with filler then sand and paint.
Step 6: Position the assembled bench seat onto the lower part of the door and screw generously from the back of the door.
Affix the armrests squarely in place with screws. Fill, sand and touch-up paint as required.
Step 7: To secure the upper shelf, generously screw shelf from behind the door, and fretwork from both above and behind.
To secure the coat rack in place use screws for solid doors, or a decorative bolt if using a hollow door. Position then screw the coat hooks to desired spacing.
As seen in NZ Lifestyle Block Magazine, written by me!
