One of the latest decorating trends we have fallen in love with at the Millwork Outlet is repurposing doors into headboards. We have had more than a couple of customers search our warehouses for a door they can turn into a do-it-yourself headboard. Creating a door headboard is not only fun, it can also help you save some money. Door stores often buy their doors by the pallet load. Certain size doors are more popular than others so as the best sizes start to sell out, the stores get stuck with sizes they can't sell. You can often get the left over doors at VERY reduced prices. Below are my  favorite examples of these door headboard materpieces. I choose these examples not only for their orginality, but also because these just happen to be made out of doors we currently have for sale in our surplus warehouses!

Four Panel Door Headboard 
This is one of my favorite examples because the designer obviously appreciated the history of the door. The designer turned the door into a woork of art and challenged the idea of what a traditional headboard should look like. Made from two four panel doors, this headboard is truly a statement piece. In this application the doors were left their original size. The tall ceiling height in this house allows these doors to remain the standard 80". However, a similar look could be accomplished by cutting off the bottom panel and not extending all the way to the floor. The best part about this design? Millwork Outlet's hemlock four panel doors are on sale for only $99 each. For $200 and a bucket of paint you could create a VERY cool custom headboard!

Five Panel Door Headboard
The five panel door is probably the most popular door for designing headboards. The five equal panels allow the door to be turned on it's side which means you can use them in rooms with shorter ceilings and you only need one door for each bed. We especially like this one because the designer used antique door knobs to highlight the vintage look.

Shaker Door with Stair Spindles
This designer took the door headboard to a new level by adding stair spindles on the top. New, stair spindles can get pretty spendy, but people often replace broken stair spindles or whole stair systems so you may be able to find used ones on Craigslist or through your local building materials outlet store. At the Millwork Outlet we are currently closing out our three panel shaker doors, which is another style door that looks great horizontally, and our red oak spindles. If you get the stair spindles with the turn at the top and bottom you could get two sections out of each spindle.

Arch Top Two Panel Door Headboard
Now, I am fully aware that this bed was probably NOT made out of actual doors, but since we have such a GREAT deal on our two panel arch top doors I wanted to include  this picture. I searched the internet high and low for an example of a headboard using an arch top door and could only come up with this. So, if you decide to try the two panel arch top headboard and you post it online, you would be the first!  It seems to me that you could replicate this bed using two panel arch top doors and probably save a whole lot of money. Right now our two panel arch top doors are only $45 each!

Designing new closet spaces can be a perpelxing endeavor. It's not easy trying to figure out how you are going to fit all your favorite outfits in such a tiny space. When it comes to picking out closet shelving, drawers and containers it seems like there are a million and one choices. In fact, there are entire stores like the Container Shop in Bellevue, WA devouted to selling bins and containers to orgnaize your closet space. Luckily, when it comes to your doors there are far fewer choices.

Bypass Doors:
Bypass doors are a great option for small spaces or for extra wide closets. Bypass doors do not require extra space to open because they slide over one another and multiple doors can slide on a single track. Often times bypass doors are made of steel and have a full mirror on one side, however almost any door can be made into a bypass door. The downfall of bypass doors is that only one side can open at a time which means you cannot access your full closet. Bypass doors are typically your least expensive option, however there is a huge range in the quality of bypass doors and hardware. The more heavy duty the door and track are the better. I would highly recommend using a track that is mounted above the doors, rather than a floor track. A bypass door that slips off its track everytime there is someting stuck in the track can get incredibly annoying.

Bifold Doors: 
One of the most popular closet door configurations is the bifold door. Bifold doors are made up of two small doors that are hinged in the middle. They operate on a track installed at the top of the door opening. Bifold doors are great for rooms where there is not enough room for double swinging doors. Bifold doors allow the entire closet space to open, unlike bypass doors.

Double Doors:
If you have the space, double doors are a great choice as closet doors. Like bifold doors, double doors open up the entire closet. The best part of using double doors is the durability. Rather than relying on a track system double doors are built on a full jamb and are attached with three heavy duty hinges. Because closet doors get a considerable amount of use each day, we highly reccommend this option if the space is available. Double doors also provide additional storage if you attach a shoe or Hanging Purse Rack to the back of the door.

When choosing doors for your home, consideration should be given to how different wood tones and surfaces compliment one another. Lately, I have noticed a trend I like to call the "Matchy Matchy" trend. The Matchy Matchy trend is born from the idea that all wood species should match in your home. Lately, I have been getting calls for birch and hickory doors because customers are trying to match their birch and hickory cabinets. In my opinion this is a huge mistake for two reasons.

The first is that too much of a good thing can quickly turn into a very bad thing. Think of it like a Hawaiian shirt. You can get away with wearing your favorite Hawaiian shirt and some khaki pants, but wearing your favorite Hawaiian shirt with Hawaiian pants, socks and hat is just wrong and the awesomeness of your favorite Hawaiian shirt gets lost amongst the rest of your Hawaiian attire. Doors are similar. Too much of one wood species in one room can be just plain wrong. Instead of overwhelming a room with too much of one type of wood, make your cabinets or doors a focal point by using contrasting accents.

The second reason to steer away from getting too Matchy Matchy is that it can get expensive. Doors are most commonly made from MDF, Hemlock, Mahogany, Pine or Knotty Alder. Once you start veering away from these basic choices, the prices and lead times start to climb.

The picture to the left works to highlight this point. Notice how the beautiful two panel arch top stained doors pop out at you because they are trimmed out with painted moulding. Had the homeowner decided to go with matching moulding to trim out his/her doors the door wouldn't pop quite like it does against the bright white moulding. Another benefit of using painted moulding is the cost savings. Paint grade moulding is almost always cheaper than stain grade moulding and by using paint grade moulding, the homeowner can also use paint grade door jambs, which can be a huge savings when ordering multiple doors.