8.18.2012

screen door transformation

Hi, Friends of Bella Nest! I'd like to introduce you to this old screen door I bought at my favorite antique store.  She was old and super stinky when I found her buried in the middle of other old and stinky doors. Thinking I just might be able to do something with her, I paid $10 and walked out the door.


...thus began the long process to transform her...

First I tried to clean the screen by scrubbing with bleach, but because it's so old, it wouldn't come clean. 
So I had to rip it all out. 


You're thinking this might be an easy job considering that the screen should be rotted and easy to tear and you are right, but the screen fragments were left all the way around each panel. It was very hard to pull them out, even with pliers. I worked on it one day. My husband worked on it another. We both worked on it another day. We each had a pair of pliers and we'd tug on the sides of the door messing the other one up. "I almost had that!" He'd yell. We'd throw in the towel for the day after it was getting too dark to see. This went on for a several weeks! 

Finally every piece of the screen was out and now I had to decide if I wanted to keep it chippy or not. I wanted to get the smell out, so I scrubbed it down with bleach and as the old paint started to fall off, there it was...disgusting mold. I used paint remover to try get all the paint off. {Ok, so the brand I used was aweful. I won't tell you the name of it, but it was a spray and it just didn't work.) So I brought our Mr. DeWalt and sanded and sanded and sanded some more. 

Now we are around day 120 of this project (no, seriously!) and now that I was pretty sure all the mold was gone, it was time to prime with Kilz. After a few coats of that, I painted a couple coats of a blue I made by mixing different colors. I love the color, but once I brought it in I realized, 
it's the same color as my living room walls! 
That's a big woops on my part, but it will look great once we are moved and the walls are neutral. 

Here she is today:


I started to cover the openings with chicken wire, but decided to go with fabric instead. With all the chicken wire projects I have under my belt, it's time for something different! I gave her functionality by using twine to hold my sepia colored pictures. The twine is held on with tacks that I covered with a variety of vintage, pearl white buttons. 



This faux glass knob was a perfect touch.




I hope you enjoyed reading about my old screen door adventure. 
Although it took me a long time to finish her, it was worth it. I think. ;)

 Take care, Dolls!

20 comments:

  1. Hi Holly! I've been missin you! The screen looks great. Don't you wonder about yourself when you get stuck in project purgatory? I know I do! No wonder you liked that color you mixed up so much....it is pretty though.

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  2. How fun is this! See Holly this is why I love you! Buried alive this poor screen needed some Holly Love- and Check you out! You buffed and bedazzled her right up and she is Gorgeous!!

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  3. How cute is that! (I think I say that a lot when you make something).

    ~Bliss~

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  4. It's beautiful Holly! I love it! It has our matching fabric on it too....love that fabric (I have the yellow).

    Have a great weekend!
    --Katie

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  5. Love Love Love this. What a great transformation.

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  6. Holly - great job on this monster of a project. I think I would have given up and used it outside! Love the photo idea! I am your newest Linky follower. Came over from your comment on my post.

    Distressed Donna Down Home

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  7. Ooooo! This is SOOOO pretty! Great job! :)

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  8. I am loving this! Thank you for sharing at our
    Pinteresting Party!

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  9. Great find and great transformation!
    xx

    Anne

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  10. Hi, Holly! I'm doing good. How about you? Are you all settled in now? I'm in the middle of a move too, so you know the craziness going on over here! Thank you for coming by to see me! I'll swing by your place real soon. :)

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  11. I'm looking forward to seeing this in your new place!

    Sharon

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  12. Hi Holly! I love your screen door! What a wonderful way to share your photos and I love the color. The vignette you put together is very pretty also. I'd love for you to share at my party Totally Transformed Tuesday. Thanks for sharing and I hope to see you there. :-) Peggy http://pjhdesignsoneofakind.blogspot.com

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  13. Love it! What a great transformation! Traci

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  14. I do love your screen door's transformation. The fabric with the bird design is beautiful.

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  15. Thank you, Amy! I'm so glad you stopped by!

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Thank you so much for your sweet comment! I can't wait to read it! :0)