DIY Sliding Closet door: Teen bedroom design idea
Bye bye Bifolds! Here’s how we added functional style to our Teen’s bedroom makeover with this DIY Sliding closet door.
Now I don’t know about you but I can’t stand bifold closet doors. They squeak, they break off the track and they pinch fingers. And did I mention they are builder boring?
I had barely whispered “I wish we could add a sliding closet door” and my handy hubby was already planning what tools he would need. (And by “need” I mean “finally have an excuse to buy”).
The DIY sliding closet door design:
I recommend to begin by gathering inspiration images on Pinterest that suit your style. For us, the sliding closet door design had to incorporate our son’s love of trains. It also had to work with the colour scheme of his recent teen bedroom makeover.
Pro tip:
For a sliding closet door, ensure that you have enough space on the side it will open on. This will ensure easy access to everything in the closet. (and also won’t knock the art off the wall 😉
The DIY Process: Sketch to build
To start with, there out the countless design and build tutorials online, catering to all different levels of DIY experience. Furthermore, choosing something that suits your abilities will help ensure a successful project.
Once I had sketched out the design for our project, we researched DIY sliding closet door tutorials on Youtube. Supply list in hand, it was off to Home Depot for some wood and bolts. (I get almost as excited to go to a home improvement store as I do to my favourite decor shop lol)
Since I prefer to keep all of my fingers intact, I leave the cutting and construction to my husband, while I focus on design and finishing. First, he built a simple rectangular wood frame. Secondly, he attached tongue and groove pine boards across the back of the frame. Thirdly, he added the middle cross piece from the design.
See details on How to build a barn-style door here.
Next, I gave everything a light sanding with 150 grit before adding 2 coats of stain.
Frequently Asked Question:
Using supplies I already had on hand, I mixed a custom stain (½ brown ½ grey) for the door and header to work with the recently installed hardwood flooring. You can find water-based stains in a variety of colours any home improvement or paint store.
Attaching the sliding closet door hardware
For extra strength and safety, a long header board was added across the top of the closet and secured directly into the studs with black lag bolts. This way the Sliding Door hardware could be attached to the header board and support the weight of the door properly.
Sliding closet door finishing details
Starting with a clear vision of a “train freight car door” helped guide my overall design choices.
Because I wanted a “boxcar” door handle, I found a black Industrial Towel Bar and turning it sideways. (Being able to repurpose décor is a handy way to create a unique look).
To complete the project we added a couple of adjustable door floor guides to keep the door flush with the wall.
This was our first (but not last) DIY sliding closet door project and I am incredibly happy with how it turned out.
From start to finish, this was an achievable weekend DIY that added a dose of personality to an otherwise plain wall. In the end, it took all of a few hours on a Saturday morning and was definitely worth learning this new skill.
Soon, it will be time to do some organizing in that out of control teen closet, but for now I can simply close that big beautiful sliding door and walk away.
Check out these other diy-closet-door-ideas.
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