revive your living room with paint your own doors
Mellissa and Kenny, husband-and-wife DIY duo behind My Kind of Bliss renovate their living room using our raw board Paint Your Own Doors
Watch the mini masterclass above to be guided through the process, and scroll down to read all the tips and tricks you need to get started!
“What we love about these doors is that you can literally choose any colour you like and can curate your dream palette, which is amazing if you have a specific shade or tone in mind like we did. We loved how the kitchen turned out, so we wanted to continue the same look through to our living room.” says Melissa.
Mellissa and Kenny chose to use the same paint they used in their kitchen for the wall cabinets.
“We think it works really well with the kaboodle american oak benchtops, and also allows us to create a cohesive look and feel – who doesn’t want that.” says Mellissa.
Mellissa and Kenny are fitting the back wall of their living room with wall cabinets, base cabinets and pantry cabinet to create a gorgeous built-in look, but also create a tonne of storage.
When it comes to assembling cabinetry, Mellissa and Kenny have learnt a few tricks along the way. Check them out below!
Make sure you use a good wood glue for added strength and be sure to wipe away any excess as you go
Look for the countersunk holes when assembling, they will always face outwards
Each time you add the next panel, loosely place all of the screws in the predrilled holes. It helps to hold it in place while drilling
Assembling is a lot quicker/easier if you have a friend to help. Once all the cabinets are assembled, it’s time to paint the raw board doors
Mellissa and Kenny used a spay gun rather than a paint brush to paint the doors in their kitchen. They preferred the finish and it also saved some time, so they decided to do it again with the doors in the living room.
Here are a few tips from the DIY duo around how to use a spray gun like a pro!
Tip 1:
"All spray guns are different (depending on what you're willing to spend!), so it's important to do a few test runs to make sure you've got the right settings and paint consistency for the best results. Test on some cardboard or old scrap timber until you're happy with the result - if you've got a nice even spread and no splatter then you're on the right track."
Tip 2:
"Preparation is key - give the doors a very light sand before you begin, and use a primer as the first coat. If there are any imperfections between coats (eg. splatter from the gun, or uneven spraying) you can always give it a light sand before applying the next coat."
Tip 3:
"Make sure each coat is completely dry before applying the next one - the drying time will obviously vary based on the temperate/time of year. The amount of coats required will also vary depending on the spray gun you use. The cheaper varieties may not be as powerful and will therefore require more coats."
Once the paint on the doors had completely dried, it was time to attach them to the cabinets. This is not a quick DIY project, as there is a bit of preparation involved, but Mellissa and Kenny managed to complete this project over a few weekends!
We hope this has inspired you to upgrade the storage in your living room and has also opened your eyes to the versatility of our paint your own door range.
Remember you can still use a traditional paintbrush and roller too. Jump over to our instruction guide for a full list of recommended tools.