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Repurposed Bi-fold Doors Bookcase

ByGail Wilson Published on Updated on
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How to make a bookcase out of repurposed bi-fold doors.

Blue-Roof-Cabin-bi-fold-door-bookcase

repurposed bi-fold doors bookcase

Hi, I’m Mimi from the Blue Roof Cabin Blog. I am so happy Gail allowed me to guest post on MRL today. Gail’s blog is my favorite! I love a good repurpose, don’t you?

Repurposed Bi-fold Doors

bi-fold-door

I started with two bi-fold wood doors I picked up at the Restore.

routered channel

After removing all the hinges and handles, I first routered a channel into the doors for the back to fit into. I used 1/4″ pine beadboard boards for the back—you know, the kind that comes wrapped up in packages at the big home stores.

To determine the width of my bookcase, I cut the tongue off one of the beadboard boards and dry-fitted them all together. I measured and subtracted for the channels and cut my 1 x 4s accordingly.

Pocket Hole Joinery

pocket holes
bottom shelf

I attached a 1 x 4 to the bottom front similarly.

another view

Attach The Back of the Bookcase

repurposed bifold door

Then, I attached the bead board to the back with glue and nails.

shelf

I made the shelves by gluing and clamping together 1 x pine board. I had to notch out the back corner of each shelf with my jigsaw. The shelves were all secured to the bookcase with glue and nails.

Secure Shelves for Bi-fold Doors Bookcase

door shelf

I wanted more shelves than there were 1 x 4’s so I used 3/8″ x 2″ trim to support the additional shelves. I glued and nailed them to the edges of the bi-fold doors and through the bead board back.

Add Trim to Bookcase

top crown

I decided to router the edge of the top board for the top of the bookshelf to continue the crown molding look. I like big crowns.

crown

Because bi-fold doors are designed with a gap between the crown and the middle part of the top, I filled it by gluing and nailing a 1/4″ dowel to the door. Don’t you think it ties in with the bead of the bead board?

more crown

I finished the edges of the shelves off with some trim I picked up at the Restore.

It’s Time to Paint the Bi-Fold Door Bookcase

shelf support

I started by priming the whole cabinet with oil-based primer for the paint finish because the bi-fold doors appeared to have been sealed with oil-based poly. How did I know? I could tell by their lovely yellowness.

So, I decided to do a two-tone and try a new technique I have seen around the blogosphere. I used a flat latex Robin’s Egg Blue color for the inside. For the outside, I tried the vaseline technique to get a chippy look.

chippy

The first coat was a layer of dark brown latex. Once that dried, I randomly touched areas I wanted to look “chippy” with the vaseline. The paint won’t stick to where you put the Vaseline. I didn’t go overboard with it because I didn’t want it to look like a spotted cow.

distressed finish

Since I liked the look, I’m so used to sanding to distress that I started sanding and then sanding over the whole thing with my palm sander. I like how the finish turned out, so I finished the entire thing with clear acrylic satin. I have been using chalk paint so much lately that it was fun to play with good old latex again.

Repurposed Bi-fold Door Bookcase

bi-fold door bookcase

This bi-fold door bookcase turned out tall.

bookcase

There you have it. If you like this post, I’d love for you to stop by my blog and check out some of my other re-purpose projects like:

Kitchen Island from a Salvaged Door

Salvaged Door into Dining Room Banquette

If you’re not into doors, check out my project gallery for furniture makeovers, re-upholstery projects, and more.

Thanks for reading!

Mimi, you know I love a great door repurpose! I’m also a fan of the Habitat for Humanity ReStore! I love this bookcase; the color is perfect!
gail

See More Door Project Ideas Here

Bookcase made with armoire doors

 

Gail Wilson is the author and mastermind behind My Repurposed Life. She is obsessed with finding potential in unexpected places and believes that with a little hard work and imagination, any old thing can be made useful again, including herself!
Gail reinvented herself during a midlife crisis and has found purpose again. She hopes you will find new ideas for old things and pick up a few tools along the way.

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