Basement Update: New Interior Doors

I am here today with another installment in the basement update series. This week we are talking about updating the interior doors and hardware in the basement from golden oak slabs to painted raised two-panel doors.

If you have missed any of the other posts in the series, here is what you missed.

BEFORE

Here is what the doors looked like before we started the basement update. Hollow core slab doors in golden oak and polished brass door hardware.

A few years ago we swapped out the door slabs only upstairs. When we went to price door slabs again, the price was significantly higher. We priced out what a new framed door would cost to compare pricing. It turned out that a new framed door was less than a slab door prepped.

We ended up going the framed door direction, this is where things start to snowball. In order to replace the door and frame, we had to remove the door casing around the doors. Which now meant we would have to purchase new moldings around the doors as well. And don’t forget that means molding on BOTH sides of the door. That is five pieces of casing per door. Then what do you do about the closet doors in the bedrooms? Leave the molding alone or switch that out as well? We decided to switch the casing around the two closets. Then what about the windows? The windows are where I stopped.

Since we had to purchase new casing for the doors, I wanted to go more substantial as we had done in the entryway. The existing molding was 2 1/4″ wide the new molding is now 3 1/4″ wide. The larger molding definitely makes a statement!

PROGRESS PHOTO

Here is an in-progress photo of the new door installed with the new casing molding. We decided to paint the doors after they were installed. They took three coats of paint. For the door molding, we applied two coats of paint before it was installed. After the molding was installed, we filled the nail holes and added a bead of silicone at the edges then added the final coat of paint.

HARDWARE FINISH SELECTION

The rest of the house has a satin nickel finish for the door hinges and handles. I could have gone with that in the basement to continue the same finish throughout the house. I have been drawn to satin brass finishes for years now. The built-ins we added last year around the TV have hardware that is a honey bronze finish. I have also been decorating with a lot of gold colored accessories in the basement.

I don’t feel a house has to have the same hardware finishes throughout it. I choose this opportunity to switch it up in the basement. I went with satin brass for the door hinges and hardware.

DOOR HARDWARE SELECTION

Have you noticed all the beautiful door hardware options that are out there? I wanted Emtek door hardware, but couldn’t justify the price for the basement.

I discovered the new custom collection from Schlage hardware. You get to select your lever or knob style, finish, and backplate style. I chose the Eller lever and the Collins backplate all in a satin brass finish. Here is a link to purchase your own. It dresses up the new doors! Now I want to switch all the door hardware in the house; I can’t win.

FINISHED PROJECT

Here are the doors completed! I love how they turned out. The white doors are clean and bright with a little pop of gold! What is your favorite part of the new doors? The raised panel door style? Painting them white? Or the new door hardware?