Do you have flat panel doors in your home? Did you know that you can spruce them up by simply adding molding to them? At the Airbnb that I am designing a few of the doors had no panels and looked really plain, and so to make them look better I decided to add some molding! Let me show you how to add molding to a flat panel door and make it look like a million bucks!
This is what some of the doors looked like before.
I am all for DIY projects like this Ikea Alex Drawer Hack I did my adding trim molding to the drawer fronts. This project is a fun weekend DIY project that will have your interior doors looking brand new!
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What you’ll need:
- Molding/trim
- Measuring tape
- Pencil
- Level
- Wood Glue
- Brad nailer
- Wood filler
- Sandpaper
- Miter Shear
- Caulk
- Primer
- Painter’s tape
- Paint
Step 1: Measure & Mark Design
For my design I chose to go with creating two boxes. You can also add a third one in the middle to make three boxes. Using a measuring tape, I measured 4 inches from the edges of the door, 5 inches from the top and bottom, and 6 inches in between the boxes.
I marked my measurements right on the door using a pencil.
You can purchase any molding design you’d like. I went with this pine base cap from Home Depot. It measures 9/16in X 1in.
Step 2: Measure & Cut Molding
Once I had my design planned out, I measured the trim and started cutting.
I made the cuts using this miter shear that I recently purchased for this project.
And cut the corners of the moulding at a 45 degree angle.
This was my first time using this miter shear. I found it super easy to use on the wood trim that was made of soft wood. Some of the trim was tricky to cut because the wood was harder, but overall this miter shear was easy to use and convenient. I love how easy it is to carry around.
You can also use a mitre box or a miter saw to cut your molding.
Step 3: Glue & Nail Trim to Door
Using wood glue, I applied the trim to the door and taped it using painters tape to keep it in place.
I used a level to make sure the trim was nice and leveled before nailing it in.
I then used a brad nailer to nail and secure the trim in place.
Step 4: Fill Nail Holes & Caulk
Using wood filler I filled in the nail holes and sanded it smooth. Then to get a nice finish I filled in any gaps with caulk.
Step 5: Prime & Paint
Finally, the last step to add molding to a flat panel door is to prime and paint. All the walls, trim and doors were going to get painted in the Airbnb so I didn’t paint first. I don’t think it matters if you paint before or after adding the molding.
If your doors are the wooden no panel doors like the ones we worked on. I would recommend priming first then painting or at least getting a really good paint and primer all in one paint. These doors tend to soak up a lot of paint and you can see all of the wood grain.
If you want a more smooth finish then prime before painting.
Such a great update for doors you already have! This is such a sustainable approach to totally new-looking doors, not to mention new doors can be EXPENSIVE!
Thank you Jess! Yes they can be expensive, especially when you have to buy multiple 🫠.
About how much did each door cost?
Hi! I did 3 doors and spent around $50 for each.
I love what you did with the door! My living room is very bland and I don’t know what to do with it. I love my paint color but don’t know where to go from there. I was wondering if you give tips when pictures are sent to you.
I also heard you on “Yo Quiero Dinero” and decided to check you out. Pa’lante!
Hi Wendy! Thank you so much! I do E-designs that are done virtually where clients send me pictures of their space and I design it for them. If this is something you’d like send me an email but if you just have a quick specific question and need help I don’t mind at all 😊 Send me a message and I’ll be happy to help!
Hi, did you add the trim to both sides of the door?
Hi! I did not but if you budget and time allows and recommend to do both sides.
So I live in a modular home and we purchased it 7 years ago and they put the standard I swear they feel like plastic doors in this house hopefully you know the kind of doors I’m talking about, do you think the door design would work with them?? It would be so awesome if it would I have been trying to figure out a way to spruce them up since we moved in! Let me know your thoughts I sure would appreciate it
Hi Kim! I think the door design would work! Just make sure to use a really good glue. I like to use Titebond.
I would love to know what colour/paint brand you used for this door…beautiful!!
Hi Denise! Thank you! The color is Black Magic by Sherwin Williams in a semi gloss finish.
Did you need to sand the doors?
Hi! No I did not. You can lightly sand then prime and paint after adding the molding but I did not think sanding was necessary. Only sanded the nail holes that were filled.
Do you think you could use PVC instead of wood trim? Only asking because my husband came home with pvc so now I’m researching!
Hi Ashley! Yes you can use PVC, just be sure to lightly sand the pvc to remove the shine before priming and painting.
Hey I love this look! I’m wanting to do this in my new home once we move in! Do you recommend sanding the doors at all or does the primer work over a already finished laminate type door? My new doors are very slick and smooth and I’m nervous just priming and painting won’t do the trick, any advice??
Hi Lindsey! Thank you! Congratulations on your new home! I do recommend sanding the doors a little. You don’t have to go crazy, just sand enough to remove the finish but be careful not to sand too much since it doesn’t sound like actual wood. You can use a sanding sponge thats about 120grit and sand it by hand. This will help the primer and paint bond well.
Thanks for posting this project, I’m going to try it on my doors. The only question I have is what size brads did you use?
Hi! Thank you. I would have to double check but I believe it was 18 gauge with 5/8inch brad nails
We have much the same doors and trim as yours. My problem is…..there is SO much brown trim in the house! Is there any way to coordinate the brown with a freshly painted door? It is literally everywhere!
Hi! Yes give the doors a fresh coat of paint, something light, and see how you feel. That should break up all the brown in the house
Hi!
Would you mind providing the dimensions of the trim you used? I purchased the ones you listed and they are tiny and look funny on the doors. I’ve gone to both our homedepot and can’t find something close to what you used.
Thank you
Hi! I’m heading to Home Depot tomorrow to find the exact one I used and I’ll let you know.
Hi Courtney! I went to Home Depot and found the trim I used. I updated it on the blog as well. It’s a pine base cap and measures 9/16inch X 1inch. Hope this helps!
The doors came out amazing! What size was trim on the door you posted, just to get an idea?
The doors came out amazing! What was the size & length that you cut the trim for your door?
Hi! I can’t remember the exact size of the trim I cut but the door size is a standard size and I’ve added a diagram of where I put it on the door. Hope that helps!