Guest DIY post submitted
by Jeanne Winters
My husband rescued this door from a dump one day — a solid hardwood core with every pane of glass intact. We initially thought it would replace a pocket or office door in our 1930s house, but that plan never came to fruition.
Still, I was determined to find another use for it. For a while I imagined it hanging in the living room as a display for black-and-white photos. After we moved again, I decided it would finally become part of my office — it just took some time to get there.
At first I hesitated to paint the wood because the grain was lovely, but it didn’t read as old enough to suit the aesthetic I wanted. In the end, I painted it black and was pleased with the contrast it provided.
Next came the cork panels. Cork sheets are commonly available in 1/8″ and 1/4″ thicknesses. Because I planned to adhere the cork directly to the glass, I needed to avoid any pressure from standard 3/8″ push pins transferring to the glass itself. If you’re mounting cork on wood or MDF, a single thin sheet is usually sufficient.
The door’s wooden panels are routed, so using two 1/4″ sheets to make a 1/2″ depth would have made the cork sit too far forward. Instead I bought one roll of cork and glued three 1/8″ layers together on each pane, creating a practical thickness without excessive projection. The adhesive recommended for this job was linoleum paste — effective, but messy.
For visual balance, I left four panes uncovered. The door leaned against the wall for a few months while we finalized placement, and we finally managed to hang it over the holiday break.
I’m thrilled with how it turned out. I took these photos to show the board clearly before I start filling it with notes, photos and other items.