I'm a DIY whizz and gave my cupboard doors a glow

Sep 09, 2023

A DIY whizz has revealed how she gave her boring cupboards a modern glow-up on the cheap - and people can't believe how luxe they look.

Lilly shared a step-by-step guide, revealing how she used leftover paint and budget cane sheets to transform her bog-standard wardrobe doors.

And now her TikTok followers are vowing to try the same thing in their own homes, after being stunned that it only set her back £12 ($15).

Known online as @thefurnituredoctor, she regularly shares interior design ideas and budget DIY hacks with her 16,800 followers.

In a new reel, she said: "What do you think of this DIY bifold door transformation?!

"I love the way they came out, especially for the little amount of money I was able to do it for.

"And yes - you can see through the closet doors. Not ideal - but it's not like the ReStore had options for caning!

"I still can't believe I was even able to find any, let alone for $7.

"Anyways... how I transformed my bifold doors for under $15.

"Removed doors and scuff sanded with 120 grit.

"Used a circular saw (can even use a [electric] jig saw or hand saw) to cut the slats of the bifold door in half.

"Manually removed all of the slats which was actually really easy + fast! This left me with just a frame for doors.

"Painted using Sherwin-Wiliams in Urban Bronze - leftover paint from my slat wall project!

"I found solid wood trim at the ReStore for $1 per eight-foot piece. I cut the trim to size using my circular saw.

"I applied Gorilla Glue wood glue onto the back of the wood trim and placed it inside of the frames to hide the holes where the slats were. You can also use a brad nailer to reinforce!

"I was going to just put in wood filler, but I quickly realized how much wood filler that would require and the cost of it... so that option was a no from me!

"Cut the cane to size, then soaked in warm bath water for a few hours. This allowed the cane to be more pliable & easier to work with.

"I was lucky to find a massive roll of this open box cane about 4ish months ago at my local ReStore for $7!

"A find of a lifetime. If you can't find a deal like this and don't want to shell out the $$ for regular cane, you can use fabric!

"I used an upholstery stapler (you can also use a crown stapler) to attach the cane to the backs of the doors.

"I then flipped the doors back over, painted the trim in Urban Bronze, then painted the cane in Ash by Fusion Mineral Paint to add subtle contrast.

"The hardest part of this project was honestly putting the doors back on the hinges and getting them to open/close correctly!"

She also shared that she swapped out the original handles for a much more modern faux brushed brass.

Shoppers can pick up a similar shade of paint from various retailers, including Dunelm, with prices starting at around £18.

Natural cane or rattan webbing can also be bought online on sites like eBay for as little as £3.79.

Fans loved her DIY idea, with the step-by-step guide gaining more than 1,500 likes and 64,600 views.

In the comments, TikTokkers shared their reactions, with one writing: "Love love LOVE!!!!"

"These turned out so awesome! Still reeling that you found that much cane for $7," commented another.

A third added: "Very smart. Better ventilation also."

Someone else put: "That's the coolest transformation I've seen!"

Although not all were convinced, with another adding: "I don't like you can see through it. I hide messes in closets."