The entry hallway or bedroom often comes with large closet doors that are most often utilitarian in design. While it’s great for hiding all the clothes, bedding, and other storage items you might have, white doors can be an eyesore. This is especially true if you’ve painted the walls your favorite color and decorated the closet with photos and artwork. Your closet doors can seem to cut off space and draw unwanted attention.
For these reasons, you’ll probably want to make those doors go away, or at least make them look a lot less imposing than they do now. Whether your closet doors are stark white, wood veneer, or any other color or finish, it’s an easy project to make them fade into the background using paint and a little creativity.
Blend Them Into The Wall: Paint the closet doors the same color as the surrounding wall to make them disappear. You’ll have a continuous spread of pleasing color in your room, rather than one color that stops and starts abruptly. If your cabinet doors are framed with molding, be sure to paint the molding as well, otherwise the contrasting color will stand out.
If you have painted your walls in stripes, paint the cabinet doors with the same stripes. If you’ve stamped a pattern on the walls, continue on your closet doors. If you have wood paneled walls, you can create faux wood grain effects on your doors with enamel and a wood grain tool. Staining wood cabinet doors is another option to darken them so they blend in with dark colored walls.
Reflect colors and artwork in the space – your closet doors don’t need to be a single block of color. In fact, they might stand out more if the rest of your bedroom is covered in bold, bright patterns, for example. If you have a large piece of art displayed on the wall opposite your closet, try mirroring the colors and shapes that appear in the piece on your closet doors. Use painter’s tape to help create straight lines and geometric designs, or paint a picture with your hands free.
Give Them The Look Of Furniture: With the variety of faux-finish painting techniques out there, you can give your cabinet doors a custom look. Consider creating a similar finish to the other furniture in your room, so your closet appears to be just one piece in an ensemble. Use the appropriate paint tools, techniques, and colors to create the look of dark mahogany or light bamboo wood. Add matching knobs and trim to enhance the look.
Mimic the look of fabric – Contemporary homes tend to incorporate natural fabrics and various textures into their design, and you can mimic the look of these materials on your closet doors. For example, if you have linen blinds that cover the windows, paint the closet door with a faux linen finish. Other finishes, such as faux grass cloth and faux leather, can make these doors blend in seamlessly with your décor.