What a brilliant idea! So creative, I love it.

Great project! That table is beautiful, and I can envision so many wonderful options!

I am in love. This is gorgeous!

these posts are like right inside my brain today. always wanted a door table and i am having some serious issues managing my jewelry collection. i wanted to buy and old medicine cabinet, line it with paper and install hooks etc to make a jewelry storage unit (yes i have that much jewelry) but i cant manage to pull it all together….when i lived in san miguel de allende i rented a room that had the most beautiful old door as a headboard, wish i had taken a picture.

This is by far my favorite DIY project… possibly ever? I’ve always wanted to do something with old doors, especially after my friend “collected” them to made a bookcase. Lately I’ve been toying with the idea of making a computer desk using old doors, but I think I have to learn more about power tools first.

Oh my God could this blog possibly be any better.

No, it can’t.

This is amazing — I too love the idea of a door for a table — this is beautiful!

Thank you for all your comments.
I’m happy you are enjoying this project! Grace, thanks for posting.

I am so glad to see that someone actually went and did this! A few years back when I didn’t have a dining room table I thought about doing a recycled door table, but ended up with a used table from a friend and the project never happened. The wall paper was an innovative touch as well. I had just been envisioning a nice woodgrain and an antique door plate.

Oh, wow. I wish I had the space to do this right now! I’ll just have to keep it in reserve.

Absolutely spectacular!
Just ingenious. I am passing this on my friends that have craved a bigger & interesting table or maybe to use as a desk. Thanks Julia & Grace!

Great, great table Julia! This is amazing. I’ve been thinking all day about making one of my own now, and I’m hoping you can answer two things that are killing me. What’d you do with the door knob hole? And did you put anything down to make the glass stay put? This is genius. Well done.

Mike

How much did the glass cost for the top?

What a great idea! The table is styled beautifully as well.

Hi Mike,
The door knob hole is still there, covered up by the glass. The glass just sits right on top of the door. I’ve had no issues with the glass sliding out of place at all (it’s heavy so that helps). In fact, when I have to slide the glass away to swap the decorative paper, it’s a two person job. But if you’re worreid about the glass sliding out you can use very thin rubber “feet” between the door an and glass, one at each corner or as you see fit. Hope that helps. Julia

Tommy,
The glass was about $75, the door $50, the legs $20. For those in NYC or major cities, these “old/salvaged” doors and glass can get very pricey (i’ve seen some doors there for $500+!!!). So check out a salvage yard and glass place outside the city. Hope that helps. Julia

How did you paint this door. It is amazing.

I love this table!

I created “door tables” a few months ago with two antique doors I found on the street (I still can’t believe anyone wanted to throw them away). Ikea is a great resource for table legs, and if you don’t have any problems with creating dust, you can sand the doors down with a belt sander.

The hardest part was carrying the doors up the stairs to my apartment by myself :)

Hi Deb,
The table/door is not painted.
Just cleaned up and polished with a wood cleaner. It’s a solid chestnut wood door with the decorative paper. No painting involved. Julia

I’ve even taken those cheap Core Doors and made tables out of them on the quick for large parties when extra seating was needed. You can have seating for 10 for under $30. Once they’re covered with a table cloth no one is the wiser as to what is underneath.

Beautiful! Does anyone know where I can find chairs like that?

Hey im new to the site, but my brother is getting married in about six months and I wanted to make this and matching living room furniture for his new house, could someone tell me where to get IKEA table legs from? Thanks

Alex,
Here is are some legs from IKEA that you can purchase online:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/range/10368/11845?filter=online

The Vika Fintorp (27.5″ high) is a nice one:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50115522

Julia

This is so neat! We couldn’t agree on a dining room table, but when we saw this, we both fell in love. I just went to a Samford and Son kind-of place and got a door like this for $25! This is going to be our weekend project. Thanks so much for such a good idea!

The trouble with making tables is attaching the legs. I just happen to of designed a range that screw onto the underside of just about anyrthing, including old doors.
See http://www.tablemaker.co.nz

does it make any difference if it is a five glass panel door ?

We are fortunate to have a “Habitat for Humanity” store in our city. They have and take just about anything that has to do with a home. My daughter got a beautiful chandelier for $25. They have doors, cupboards, fixtures and fittings. Check your area for one or contact your local “Habitat for Humanity.”

So I’ve aquired a great 5-panel door and have the table legs, but custom glass work is SO expensive!! Does anyone have any ideas about where/how to acquire a large rectangle of glass for this project? or perhaps an affordable sub? thanks!

Great idea! I’ve been shopping for a new dining room table for a while now and can’t find anything I like. Thanks to your inspiration I’m heading off to our local non-profit building material warehouse in Pittsburgh– construction junction– to find a door this weekend!

Headed to my local Habitat for Humanity this week.

I have a long church pew I’ll use as seating on one side, and maybe find a bench later on.

What’s worse is I have a piece of salvaged wood from downtown, but it’s not quite long enough to match the pew. Pretty skinny too.

How can incorporate using wood legs to the door? Any idea where to find high back leather chairs that aren’t too bulky?

I wish it would have mentioned on ways to make the door knob hole look good – and not sloppy!

That looks great. You could use wallpaper, even the woven grass kind, to cover the panels and the hole for the doorknob and have a textural contrast. I have seen this done before with a beautiful old door.

I was wondering the size of the legs?? I went Lowes for the legs and they had so many I really didn’t know so I went back the instructions but I don’t see a size on the legs, if you could let me know I really appreciate it. Thanks for the great idea.

Josie,
Size, as in height? A comfortable dining table height is about 29″ to 30″ high from the floor to the top of the table. Our table/door is 1.75″ thick so the legs are 28.25″. Size, as in thickness? The legs we used legs are about 1.5″ diameter, but that would depend on the weight of the door. Hope that hepls.

Just curious on where the chairs came from? and the glass? custom glass is very expenisve as menitioned before! i am awe struck by this table!

Great tables, whats sort of wood is it in the first photo if you dont mind me asking?

Very smart idea! I love the wallpaper inserts, too!

Hi! I am soon to be moving out of my 1921 Craftsman home into a townhouse, and decided to use one of my doors to build a table — take a little piece of the old house into our new home. I’ve got it built and it’s VERY WOBBLY. Did you do something to stabilize? My door is the same 5-panel style as yours, and same length (80″). I used tapered wood legs from Lowe’s (four of them) and am considering a third set in the middle, but it’s so wobbly I don’t even know if that will help. Any and all suggestions are GREATLY APPRECIATED! I love this project so much!