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Home HOMES DIY

French-panelled wardrobe doors

Cover mirrored doors with French panelling. You’ll create an appealing nook to sit and reflect on a job well done.
Wardrobe doorsBetter Homes and Gardens

Have you had enough of the big mirrors on your wardrobe doors? When they aren’t doing you any favours first thing in the morning, cover them up with the look of gorgeous French panelling. Très chic!

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Gather your supplies
• 2440 x 1220 x 3mm plywood (1 sheet per door)
• 2400 x 23 x 8mm pine moulding, quantity to suit


You’ll also need
Measuring tape; detergent; power saw; straightedge; clamps; fine-grit sandpaper; sanding block; handsaw; mitre box; pencil; ruler; Selleys Liquid Nails High Strength; painter’s tape; paint tray; paintbrush; mini-roller, Acrylic Primer and sealer, Paint (Colour of choice)


Note

Adjust quantities to suit the clearance between doors and number of doors.

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Here’s how

Before (Credit: Better Homes and Gardens)

STEP 1 Before removing doors from tracks, measure clearance between doors when opening and closing. If total thickness of plywood plus moulding specified is too thick, choose a thinner moulding to suit your measurements. Carefully remove doors from track, 1 at a time, taking note of which door went where. Removal of doors typically involves holding 1 door on its long sides, lifting it up into top rail and angling bottom of door towards you, removing it from track. Lay door flat in a safe work spot. Repeat for all doors.


STEP 2 To ensure mirrored face of each door is free of oils or cleaning products, wash each with a solution of water mild detergent, washing frames of each door, too. Let dry.

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STEP 3 Measure mirrored face of each door and transfer measurements to plywood. Measurements may vary per door, so measure and mark up each individually. Cut ply to size using a power saw along a clamped straightedge. Lightly sand all surfaces using sandpaper wrapped around sanding block. Wipe away dust.


STEP 4 Decide on size of rectangle panels expressed on face of each door with mitre joined pine moulding. Ours have an external measurement of 840 x 1600mm (top rectangles) and 840 x 500mm (bottom rectangles). Using handsaw and mitre box, cut moulding with 45º corners for mitre joins to suit your measurements. Sand the cut edges. 

(Credit: Better Homes and Gardens)

Step 5 Measure and use pencil and ruler to mark up face of ply sheets with centred rectangles to indicate the locations of moulding.

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(Credit: Better Homes and Gardens)

Step 6 Working 1 cut length at a time, apply Selleys Liquid Nails to back of moulding and fix each length in position on ply, keeping corners square.

(Credit: Better Homes and Gardens)

Step 7 Use strips of tape to hold moulding. Let dry.

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(Credit: Better Homes and Gardens)

STEP 8 Pour acyrlic primer and sealer into paint tray and use brush and mini-roller to paint front face and edges of all panels. Wash painting tools and let panels dry.

(Credit: Better Homes and Gardens)

STEP 9 Use brush and miniroller to apply 2–3 coats of paint colour of choice to front face and edges of all panels. Let dry after each coat.

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Step 10 Following product instructions, apply Selleys Liquid Nails to face of 1 mirrored door and fit corresponding panel on top. Apply weight (such as a few stacks of books placed on clean rags to prevent scuffing) across face of panel to ensure a good bond. Repeat for each mirrored door. Leave to dry.


STEP 11 While doors are out of tracks, use a vacuum to remove debris from tracks. Insert doors into tracks using the reverse procedure to their removal, taking care to return doors to their correct locations. Beginning with the door you removed last, hold 1 door on long sides, lift it up into the top track, push the bottom in towards the track and lower door into bottom track. Repeat for remaining door/s.

(Credit: Better Homes and Gardens)
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