Repurposed Bi-Fold Doors (Duck Egg Blue Chalk Paint)

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Bi-fold doors or really big shutters? How about repurposed bi-fold doors?!

Repurposed Bi-fold Doors into Shutters-Duck Egg Blue Chalk Paint - artsychicksrule.com #cottagedecor #bifolddoors #bifolddoorsrepurposed #diyshutters #repurposedprojects #duckeggblue

Yep, repurposed bi-fold doors…into shutters!

Repurposed Bi-fold Doors into Shutters-Duck Egg Blue Chalk Paint - artsychicksrule.com #cottagedecor #bifolddoors #bifolddoorsrepurposed #diyshutters #repurposedprojects #duckeggblue

So fun.

Repurposed Bi-fold Doors into Shutters-Duck Egg Blue Chalk Paint - artsychicksrule.com #cottagedecor #bifolddoors #bifolddoorsrepurposed #diyshutters #repurposedprojects #duckeggblue

See? Bi-fold doors. One of my thrift store finds at $5 each. (a little peek of the wall before ‘faux’ Board & Batten we put up recently) I had originally planned to use them in my shop as a decorative partition between mine and the other space beside me.
That didn’t work out so I put them out onto my screened porch for the time being….on each side of the french doors.
I thought, hmmm, they look good there.
I had planned to use them in that “room” but decided to bring them in and use them in the family room on either side of the french doors instead.

I LOVE how they look there.

I wanted them to have a “weathered” look so decided to paint them with spray paint underneath…off white. I planned to use Duck Egg Blue over that.
I would then take a wet rag and wipe away the Duck Egg for a worn, weathered look.

That was the plan anyway. ;)

Here is my attempt at spray painting them with off white spray paint:

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Yea, no…that didn’t work out like I imagined so…..and I really don’t love spray paint fumes and it was taking a ridiculous amount of product (and time) to get these covered well.

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So I used some Sherwin Williams paint (it’s not yellow…it just looks yellow in the can in this photo)  I had on hand to get a better coverage (and quicker!) than I was with the spray paint.

Next came the Duck Egg Chalk Paint.
Annie Sloan Chalk Paints have mostly great coverage but I’m telling ya, some just have AWESOME coverage.
Duck Egg Blue is one of them.
And it’s one of my favorite colors.

I just LOVE it!

Repurposed Bi-fold Doors into Shutters-Duck Egg Blue Chalk Paint - artsychicksrule.com #cottagedecor #bifolddoors #bifolddoorsrepurposed #diyshutters #repurposedprojects #duckeggblue

Painted ….and wiping away with a wet cloth.

Repurposed Bi-fold Doors into Shutters-Duck Egg Blue Chalk Paint - artsychicksrule.com #cottagedecor #bifolddoors #bifolddoorsrepurposed #diyshutters #repurposedprojects #duckeggblue

Repurposed Bi-fold Doors into Shutters-Duck Egg Blue Chalk Paint - artsychicksrule.com #cottagedecor #bifolddoors #bifolddoorsrepurposed #diyshutters #repurposedprojects #duckeggblue

This method works really well because the latex underneath stays put and the wet cloth gives a different look than the typical distressing with sandpaper or sand block.
Same method I used on my Milk Can in this post here.

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Sorry for the color variation. Some of these pictures were taken with a different camera.

Want to know about 26 other chalk style paints?
I’ve got the low down for you right here! >>> 26 Types of Chalk Style Paint For Furniture

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I sealed these with polycrylic. No way I was waxing all of those louvers. ;)

I really didn’t want to seal them at all. I was really liking the “chalky” weathered look they had but in the end I was worried they’d get marked up with kids going in and out those french doors.

And my repurposed bi-fold doors complete. (but not in place)

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Here is a shot with them in place….more to come when I do my Family Room reveal. ;)
*You can read about the triple paint technique I used on this Chalk Painted blue armoire here.

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I used and LOVE 3m Strips to adhere them to the wall so they’d stay in place.
You can find them here>>> 3m Adhesive Velcro Strips

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BEACH sign tutorial here. 

Loving my “new” repurposed bi-fold doors here.

Repurposed Bi-fold Doors into Shutters-Duck Egg Blue Chalk Paint - artsychicksrule.com #cottagedecor #bifolddoors #bifolddoorsrepurposed #diyshutters #repurposedprojects #duckeggblue

Want to see even more ideas on simple updates with Chalk Paint (that aren’t furniture??) 
Check out this post, here!

Aren’t they just great?
I love them so much that when I came across these (there’s 2) recently I snatched them up…..$3 from the ReStore.

Repurposed Bi-fold Doors into Shutters-Duck Egg Blue Chalk Paint - artsychicksrule.com #cottagedecor #bifolddoors #bifolddoorsrepurposed #diyshutters #repurposedprojects #duckeggblue

I wasn’t sure what I’d do with them but I know now. ;) They are going to go on either side of the above wall gallery. (this is another room, my Study)
I’m unsure on what color I’ll paint them yet but I do have a few ideas rolling around my head.
And yes, if you read my blog, that is a new paint color on the wall behind my Aubusson Blue Dresser, as well as some new styling on the wall above and on top of the dresser.
That would be my Chalk Painted lamp shade and mirror/frames in the photo above.

AND…..here is a sneak peek of some other things I’ve been working on.

Repurposed Bi-fold Doors into Shutters-Duck Egg Blue Chalk Paint - artsychicksrule.com #cottagedecor #bifolddoors #bifolddoorsrepurposed #diyshutters #repurposedprojects #duckeggblue

The drawer sitting on the counter is from my island and is painted in Duck Egg Blue Chalk Paint.  And I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!

Check out the paint effect…washed look. Wait til I tell you how I did that. (super crazy simple, and one of those “happy surprises” that just happen sometimes)
*You can read about the Duck Egg Blue island here.

And the cabinets on the bottom are painted in a blend of Old White & Pure White Chalk Paint.
And I painted them twice in ONE week.
Yes, yes I did. The first blend had too much Old White (too yellow). So I re-blended and went at it again!
*You can read about the kitchen cabinet makeover here.

Much better.

These are the original cabinets (circa 1978) in the kitchen and were flat fronted dark walnut when we moved in. Instead of ripping them out we added decorative trim to the door fronts to dress them up and I painted them a color called “Milk Paint” and added Ralph Lauren glaze in Tea Stain 9 years ago. They were great and looked fabulous with my “Darkish, Tuscan, Italian” theme I had for years. But after awhile they just started looking “dirty” to me so I decided to forgo any glaze/aging on these for a crisp, clean look. Loving it!

The island we actually built from 3 ready made cabinets from Lowe’s…retrofitting (removing doors, moving drawer to the bottom and adding a second drawer) the middle one for the microwave when we removed walls and remodeled the kitchen again a few years ago.

We are working on replacing the counter top in here (second time) to wood. (and sink…my IKEA Farmhouse sink awaits it’s lovely spot)

Still working out the details as the gorgeous Walnut butcher block is unfortunately out of the budget with everything else we have going on.
So be sure to stay around and see what very cost effective alternative we come up with! ;)

So yes, lots going on around here!

Many, many projects. (too many? yes but always the case)
How about you? Do you have any fun projects going on right now?

I talked about how furniture is not the only thing you can paint with Chalk Paint in this post, here.
Be sure to check in next week to see how I CHALK PAINTED these porch pillows! (yep, I did!)

UPDATE!!! See them now, here!

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Other projects mentioned in this post:


39 Comments

    1. Thanks Sonya :) Painting my cabinets twice….ha, yes, only me! ;) Things like that happen quite a lot around here.

    1. Thanks so much Krista! Oh how cool you have the same shutter doors…and free!! Perfect! I can’t wait to get the little ones done and up now!

    1. Thanks Christy! :) I think we have another project we are going to do with these….excited about it! Hubby actually came up with the idea. Can’t wait to share!

  1. great minds think alike! I just painted some old doors I had in similar colors and sold them last weekend! I can’t wait to see what else you are doing in your kitchen. I just love kitchen makeovers, even better if they are done on a tight budget. Creativity is the secret ingredient in fabulousness!

    1. Oh yes Abby, it’s a gorgeous color. I’m a little hooked ;) I just painted the other smaller “shutters” yesterday…also with Duck Egg but blended with Pure White to make it faint in color. Gorgeous!

  2. Gorgeous, can’t wait to see your family room, you’re an inspiration!!

    KEEP IT UP
    Cheers

  3. Love the shutters! I have yet to paint anything with my can of Duck Egg I bought on our Lucketts trip. I know what I want to paint with it…just haven’t gotten there yet! Can’t wait to see the rest of the room! For your cabinets, did you use a poly or wax to finish them? That’s a huge project on my wish list!
    XO,
    Christy

    1. Thanks Christy :) Oh you need to open that can!!lol I just used it again on the other, smaller shutters. (mixed with white to lighten it though) On my kitchen cabinets, I used Poly. I just didn’t want the look of wax on those plus knew they’d be handled a lot. AND even though I love the look of the wax pieces I do, the thought of waxing all of those was a little daunting. ;)

  4. Love that Duck Egg blue you picked. I did something similar with some bi-fold/shutter doors and turned them into a headboard. They are pure white but I rather like the color that you picked. So relaxing looking.

    1. Thanks Audra, it’s one of my favorite colors. Yes, I agree, it is a very tranquil color. Thanks so much for stopping by :)

    1. Thanks Denyse! I don’t mind small things here and there with spray paint…but something like this, no way! ;)

  5. Nancy!!! Oh how I wish I held on to our bi-fold doors because what you did with yours is amazing! WOW!!! I can not wait to see that kitchen girl!!! Seriously! I hope you are well and that your summer is off to a great start!!!

    1. Hey Nicole :) I can’t wait for the kitchen to be done too! ;) lol…..still trying to decide what to do about the counters. Several ideas but have not pinned one down yet.

    1. Thanks Amy! I love using things in ways which they were not meant! ;) Yes, and that Duck Egg is a gorgeous color.

  6. Hello: Why does no one ever say it is exhausting waxing all the objects, furniture or not. I worked on a simple dresser and had to stop because my shoulder hurt so much. Am I doing something wrong or is there something I don’t know!!!! Love your ideas and Duck Egg also. Janice

  7. Wow! Talk about a transformation – those shutter doors look amazing in that color! Not an altogether easy project either as shutters can be tricky to paint. Chalk paint is such a hot trend right now and we love all the creative tips and sugestions we see for it. Great post!

  8. Love your work! I’m dying to try Annie Sloan chalk paint, but cannot find a retailer near me. Is there any other way to buy her chalk paint other than local retailers. Thanks!

    1. Hi Emily :) Thanks so much! You can order the Chalk Paint online. That’s actually what I’ve been doing (but I buy in fairly large quantities when I do) and it’s not so bad. I have always ordered from Robyn Story Designs (they are in Florida and I’m in VA) and they have flat rate shipping, ship incredibly fast every single time and are just wonderful! Nancy

  9. Hi Nancy,
    I love your site and love these shutters. I just started chalk painting and have been sanding to distress. I see that you say you used a wet cloth on the shutters. Do you wipe when the paint is still wet or dry?

    1. Hi there….Thanks! You could probably do it either way. By the time I was done painting the paint was dry. I did an undercoat on these shutters that I didn’t want “sanded” through to the wood so that is why I used the wet distressing method for these. So many different things you can do! :) Good luck…I am sure you will enjoy using Chalk Paint.
      Nancy

  10. Nancy, how cleaver! I passed up on 2 bi-fold doors at a yard sale for $1 each! At the time I couldn’t think about what to do with them. Plus, for some crazy reason I went a the yard sale in our small car! What was I thinking!! First, when you see something great and inexpensive…buy it! Even if you that no worldly idea what you could do with it. Creativity will happen later. Second, don’t go to a yard sale in a small car. Pinnng! ~Jeanette

  11. great minds think alike! I just painted some old doors I had in similar colors and sold them last weekend! I canā€™t wait to see what else you are doing in your kitchen. I just love kitchen makeovers, even better if they are done on a tight budget. Creativity is the secret ingredient in fabulousness!

    1. Oh yes, I just love those “shutters”! They are great in that space.
      And I’m getting ready to makeover my Dining Room (on a budget)…so excited! :)
      I totally agree about creativity!
      xo
      Nancy

  12. these look great!! love the look. I just got 2 pairs myself (my mom had them in her basement taking up space lol) .. Im still deciding on color for mine :)

    1. Thanks and oh how fun! I just love them. They are especially great with a coastal decor.
      Have fun!! :)
      Nancy

    1. Yep! But… we don’t often use that switch as it goes to the overhead fan on the screened porch AND you can easily slip your hand from behind or even move the shutter to get to it if needed. :)

  13. OMG the blue is so awesome. I look forward to everyone of your projects. You are a great inspiration & so so talented.

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