A:

I know first hand just how expensive all new doors can be. Over time, we’ve been replacing all the doors (interior and exterior) in our home and yikes that adds up quick! Especially exterior doors. $1,000 for a single door isn’t unheard of, but somehow we’ve managed to replace all our doors on a budget including our $200 exterior wood door.

Since we’re focussing on budget friendly doors for this post, I think today’s lesson will be about proving that inexpensive doors can be beautiful and that there are ways to make standard doors look custom.

First off, I always prefer solid core over hollow core doors. The weight of the door when it swings holds a lot of value in quality and overall feel and it’s always worth paying a little extra for solid core doors.

Second, I most often find myself drawn to panel doors (aka shaker doors). Either one panel (which is essentially just a border around the edge of the door) or 2-5 panel doors. We chose these budget friendly 5 panel doors for our home from Menards and love the look of them! (Since Menards is a regional store, here’s the same style from Home Depot – with the jam or without.)

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What I like about panel doors is that they can easily fit with a variety of home styles. They naturally have a craftsman look so they work in craftsman homes and interiors with shaker cabinetry. But because of their simplicity, they also fare well in modern homes. Spray paint them white with a glossy enamel finish and they feel sleek and modern.

Or, add some decorative trim along the inside of the panels and paint it all one color to create more of a traditional feel. Jenna Sue did this with her shaker closet doors and the same concept can be done on interior doors!

Paint single panel doors black and add brass or brushed nickel handles and you’ve got a luxe modern, traditional door.

The point is, panel doors are incredibly versatile and relatively inexpensive.

Outside of shaker doors, there are a lot of other door styles I like too. This is where a beautiful coat of paint and a high quality door knob can make most any budget friendly door look custom and expensive.

A soft arch on a door feels charming and cottagy when painted (or even stained) a rich color. Take Chris Loves Julia’s doors for example.

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Or maybe you like straight lines better. A two panel door with beveled trim is the perfect balance between simplicity and class. Paint the door the same color as your walls to get a dramatic monochromatic look.

Maybe you have flat front doors. I’d argue that adding box trim and painting it the same color as the door is an excellent upgrade. Jyll’s door below is a perfect example of that!

I think my point is – while a lot of budget friendly doors may look seemingly unexciting on paper or online, it’s more about the paint color and a quality door knob that makes it look custom. A rich satin or semi-gloss paint color paired with brass, nickel, or chrome handles can make any standard or semi-custom door feel high end.

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