DIY Hollow Core Door Upgrade 

Been a contractor for 31 years and I've to say I am thoroughly impressed with your ideas and especially your skill level and knowledge of using tools.

I stumbled upon this video and was amazed at how a simple project could make such a significant difference. The host's clear explanations and creative ideas, like adding molding and a fresh coat of paint, turn ordinary doors into eye-catching features. It's a must-watch for those seeking a quick and affordable way to elevate their home decor.

Another great project for a DIYer. I am watching your projects for a while now. I thing the hardest part of these projects is to find a courage in yourself and make the first step to do it! You have that courage Melissa no doubt! You are so capable woman! Great job! 👍

Wish I had a cutting bench like yours cos I’d do that to my doors in a heartbeat. Thanks for the video 😊

I think the doors are absolutely cottage-y, super WIN! I love when things can be re-used, upcycled and re-purposed. Keep up the good work.

Amazing transformation. The doors look great. Your workmanship and creative designs are spot on. DIY Princess

They look really good! What a great idea to transform them and inexpensive. Nicely done!

that's a great idea! the hollow core is outdated but lightweight, your upgrade makes them attractive again without a big expense of new doors! great job!!

You did a great job! I had done the same thing to our hollow core sliding doors on our closets. I like your use of Bondo to fill in surface defects. I used wood filler, but your method is most likely stronger. I also like your plaster filler trick! While you used a table saw for cutting the grooves, I used a circular saw and a metal guide. Both give the same results. Hats off to you for a job well done!

After watching a few of your video's, I think I need you at my house for a few weeks. You have given me a few gr8 Idea's especially with your Flooring video.. Thank you Melissa

Unique door idea, lake house has new life with every thoughtful project. You should be so proud!!

Clever. Stylish. Timeless……Nice job!

I just added Door skin strips and when I say I, I mean my husband added. I painted and helped clamp. It gave us so much more character.🌻

Wow! That is just amazing. I adore how you can show people what imagination can do. ❤

Very creative idea Melissa. It works in your style house. The cream coloured paint brightens up the hall way as well. Good for you!

Looks great

The doors look great. I think you should upgrade to black knobs or levers to match your black railing.

You're amazing, well done....

Thank you for this! I have a small 1960s duplex with just the bathroom and all 3 bedrooms on the 2nd level. So it's a landing with doors, doors, doors all around. I want to keep mid-century and this is so much better than raised panel doors. But a little more interest. I'm excited to try it!

It’s amazing what you’ve done to them. I wood glued cheap wooden frames on my hollow core doors and painted the whole door white. Big improvement too.

well, i did not expect there to be such good content. usually when someone says "upcycle" they do a shitty paint job, try to fix it, cry and then tell everyone its shabby chiq and they did it on purpose. these doors look so good, i am tempted to ruin my doors now xD

Yup, matches perfectly.

Beautiful and so resourceful! They are perfect!

I've been wanting to do something like this to my doors for a while! Looks good.

So smart! They turned out great!

love this idea!!! and nothing went to the dump which is amazing!!

A great DIY video. But the voice over… Man! ASMR could be a side gig. Love your voice!

Looks beautiful! Very inspiring. Thank you.

We are missing you.

and simple is so gorgeous❤

A tracksaw is defiantly a good tool to get for things like this. You made the tablesaw work but large awkward panels is risky. Great end result, nice to see older stuff get redone with a fresh look.

I'n not a big fan of either Hollow Core doors or painting wood that has descent grain but this is just RIGHT!! I think the brown is close enough to leave. The "Juice just isn't worth the squeeze" to try to match them better.

I knew you would figure it out. I’m so glad you came up with something that you loved. They do look really nice:)

It turned out very nice, congratulations.

I really like the doors. You were right, the brown accent did highlight the trim, Very nice...

Wow Melissa they turned out great really brightened things up nicely done.

Looks good. Thanks for sharing.

You go girl! This turned out awesome and such a great idea and 💯 to the reuse of material

Amazing transformation looks very nice clever idea great job enjoyed watching and thank you for sharing

awesome! weve been thinking of doing that to our doors too, what a perfect video thank you!

I was wondering from your last video how the trim would be. Accenting the grooves with brown totally made it work. Very beautiful!

Great job on doors, that’s a lot of work😊

Very nice. Great job.

Looks amazing!

Hi I am new to your channel and I have to say that you have done a fantastic job ❤

Looks great and timings is perfect. Have been thinking about doing something similar to make panel doors using a router with a track. Was not sure if the shallow groove would be deep enough but your doors turned out great.

Beautiful job ❤

Great work on the grooves Mel! I wouldn't have thought of it! Thanks for inspiring! All the best, mike from Barcelona

OUTSTANDING ; o .....

Doors and door knobs are so expensive. Great idea!

Impressive! 👍

Nice.

Beautiful, very warm attractive addition

Great job on the doors, they look great. Your not only a talented DIYer your also an attractive woman

What a great economic idea !!!👍😎

Wow, I was skeptical, but it turned out great.

That's awesome

you are awesome! 😀

Very well done. I have a 4 bedroom houseful of these same kind of doors that I have been trying to decide how to refinish, and this gives me another idea. Right now they are all stained and varnished to match all of the original real wood woodwork, but it was done in the late 70s, and is dark and dated looking now. I am seriously thinking of taking down every piece of woodwork one room at a time and strip and restain it something like a red mahogany color, but not sure what to do with the doors. Those very thin door panels might be a problem trying to take them down to bare wood. I'm thinking of just sanding them enough to scuff the original finish and then paint them all white and replace all of the hardware with oil rubbed bronze look finish.

Ooof should have left them they are beautiful

Wow Melissa, those doors look amazing. The doors have bothered me since you first purchased house. The inlays look amazing. I thought you’d put in a gold or copper line but the ink looks just fine.

Wowowowow😮

Do you plan on painting the door trim in the future?

Melissa, I'm really enjoying your channel and content! I love how detailed and well explained you make your full process. What would you think about also giving a budget for those improvements? I mean ballpark, that would be awesome to udnerstand what one have to consider if they want to do something similar! but again, awesome vid!

Your so talented and beautiful Melossa, your husband is a very lucky man

This is excellent content and creative ideas but at the end of the day you have a hollow door. In my opinion adding great value to you home is replacing these hollow doors with 6 panel solid pine doors with new handles from one of your big box stores. For for an average house the budget would be in the $3.5 -$4.5K range for 10-12 doors, handles, poly, and brushes. Add at least $750 or more to buy the more select grain Southern pine from more lumber builders retailers.

Can you provide a link to the portable scaffold? It appears around the 2:43 mark in the video.

How is your fence holding up so far? I just finished rewatching your fence video as I'm preparing to diy my own next spring.

They came out amazing what a great job you did repurposing them! But because you asked I don’t feel the white goes with your other colors. I pictured them being a darker color maybe even the same color of your walls or a shade darker. I think they take away from the beautiful color of your kitchen cabinets.🤷🏻‍♀️

Where did you buy the support for the miter saw that turns into a ladder and a transport cart?

I'm so glad you explained why you didn't use tape before cutting so the "DIY police" don't come for you ha

would have looked better with white door frames.

what brand and model is the cordless paint sprayer

I've been a very long time fan of your work Melissa, but these doors don't do it for me. The trim also needs to be painted, it just looks unfinished.

W

❤❤❤👍👍👍👍

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

Why no new videos? I hope things are okay.

hmmm.

👍🏻😍💣

I like the hostess better.

You should wear a mask while sanding. The dust is bad for you.

why, though, why

you're so gorgeous

Not worth the work. Can do the same with paneling already finished

I'm not a tablesaw expert or anything, but your technique looks needlessly dangerous with your hand right over the blade like that...

Kurwa, dramat.

Wow, they look so good! My house had the same doors, and I just ended up replacing a bunch... After replacing some of those doors, I realized that it's almost impossible to find a 6-panel door with the same exact measurements as the old door. Five out of six of those doors needed the framing replaced as well, to make the new doors fit/work properly. The new door that uses the existing framing looks ridiculous. I ended up just painting some of the old doors, but it feels & looks cheap. In conclusion to this already way-too-long comment, I have decided that I should just buy a table saw, and a paint sprayer. Also, to make this super long comment even longer, I think you should know that this video has given me ideas on ways to implement your method to make faux 6-panel-esque doors, using a router. Also, my apologies to anyone who has actually read this entire comment. 🪛🚪 📐✏🪚🖌