Making Plywood Cool

By amycurbly

Our plywood-covered door is driving me crazy. It looks too raw and isn't incorporated into our home visually. I'd like to give it some character and interest. The plywood is currently covered in polyurethane but the grain could work with a modern-style finish, but I'm not sure what to do. I would love to hear any ideas on how to make it cool.

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February 13, 2007

4 comments | 528 views |

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About: We bought a 1937 Cape Cod with an entire floor devoted to wood paneling and...

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vincechan

February 20, 2007

If you want it to be REALLY modern and contemporary, you can put out some large markers and let friends write whatever they want on it. You might be surprised at the expressions and talents your friends have.

I had the same kind of door in a place I lived at before and that's what we did. My biggest regret is that all the pictures we have of the door are covered up my the people standing in front of it.

amycurbly

February 14, 2007

Great ideas! The door opens up into our living room, which has a healthy dose of knotty pine paneling and raisin-colored walls. (You can see a picture of it in my pictures area.) The paneling isn't going anywhere soon (my husband loves it) so I'm thinking that modern design might work on the plywood.

Keter

February 13, 2007

Yeah, that grain is WILD! I would recommend sanding well, and maybe degrease around where the latch is...it looks like it has some dirt/oils around there that will interfere with any finish you apply.

It looks like you have an unfinished doorframe to deal with, too.

I'm wondering if you might get an interesting effect by laying the door flat and applying a gel stain thickly, then quickly combing through it with something like a tile adhesive trowel, working lengthwise with wavy lines to exaggerate the grain and add interest to the areas that are not so "extreme." Consider top-coating your finish with clear polyurethane (available in gloss or matte finishes) if the door sees a lot of use or extreme conditions, like exposure to moisture. Also consider sealing the cut edges of the plywood well to lengthen the life by preventing delamination.

I'd do something with that latch, too...while you have it off, consider giving it a special finish, too. If it has an interesting oxidized finish you like, consider treating it with boiled linseed oil (way stinky, figure on leaving it in a garage for a week!), or steel wool it and spray paint with one of the metallic or "hammered" finishes. A coat of non-yellowing spray spar varnish over anything but copper paint will make the finish last a lot longer (it will dissolve copper paint -- use a spray acrylic to cover copper).

Cracker

February 13, 2007

Hard to tell what the rest of the room looks like, but sanding and staining could be cool. Alternatively, you could have veneer cut for it and make it look like any wood you want - cherry, etc.