15 DIY Bifold Door Makeover Ideas on a Budget

Looking to add style and class to your boring, bifold closet doors? For your inspiration, I have rounded up some not only fabulous, but budget-friendly ways to makeover builder grade bifold doors.

While lackluster designs of the past have given bi-fold doors a bad reputation, thanks to the DIY community (Pinterest is truly a godsend), folding doors have come a looong freakin’ way, my friends.

And here’s something to consider….whether you can afford any door design your little heart pleases (hello French doors) or not, in rooms where space is super tight, sometimes there is just no getting around a folding door design.

So whether you want to convert your current bi-fold closet or pantry to a sliding design or simply elevate the folding doors you already have, the DIY projects included below will open your mind to all of the limitless possibilities that exist .

With a little elbow grease and imagination, there is no reason a fabulous person like you should have to live with tacky a$$ closet doors!

1. Upgrade bi-fold closet doors with moulding and modern hardware.

Before I placed my 1980’s ranch home on the market, my son’s bifold closet doors were in need of some TLC. To upgrade the cheap, boring doors, using a brad nailer, my husband added Ply Cap moulding (typically used for wainscoting) to the once flat surface…

To make the doors look more classy/ expensive than they truly were , I also exchanged the basic knob pulls for black, modern hardware. You can read the full DIY tutorial here.

2. Convert bifold pantry doors to DIY barn doors.

Staying true to the aesthetics of my modern farmhouse kitchen, ditching my outdated bi-fold doors, I was looking to add warmth to the mostly white space with barn wood. Using tongue and groove board, my husband was able to build double doors for my pantry for under $90. Read the full tutorial- Double Pantry Barn Door DIY …

3. Replace folding closet doors with sliding barn doors.

Wanting to add more character to my laundry closet, I removed my “builder grade basic” bi-fold doors and replaced them with these sliding barn doors. Using 2×6’s for the door frame and mdf for the actual panels, my husband was able to build both doors for $100. A few coats of black paint add a rich and elegant feel to the space…

Here is the full tutorial- DIY Sliding Barn Door to Replace Bi-Fold Closet Doors

4. Add a sophisticated, paneled look to existing closet doors.

To spice up a boring closet door design , Charleston Crafted added wood slats to once flat doors using a nail gun. The paneled effect of the doors instantly upgrades the space…

5. Modernize outdated bifold closet doors .

With some half round wood trim and a few fresh coats of white paint and wood filler, Delineate Your Dwelling took dark, outdated doors into the twenty-first century…

6. Infuse Midcentury Modern vibes with these DIY sunburst closet doors.

Inspired by the unique flair of Midcentury Modern design, The Happy Home Project made her bifold closet doors a literal work of art. Utilizing wood dowels and gorilla glue, she completely transformed not only the look of the door, but the look of the room…

7. Replace outdated louvres on your bi-fold doors with cane.

As far as bi-fold doors of yester-years are concerned, one of the most commonly used design atrocities I have observed in older homes is the whole louvre trend. Using a jigsaw, staple gun and cane webbing, Peony + Honey took her doors from a design offense to a design showstopper…

8. Make existing bi-fold doors look like barn doors.

If you are longing for the farmhouse aesthetic of barn doors but can’t afford to build or buy entirely new doors, there is still hope! Using a nail gun and wood slats, Charleston Crafted completely transformed her lackluster closet doors with these brilliant DIY Bi-Fold Faux Barn doors…

9. Create a fresh and modern aesthetic with wood trim pieces in a geometric pattern.

It may be hard to believe, but the bi-fold closet doors you see below were once a mere relic from the 1980’s. Impressively, The Homemade Abode, worked miracles with some wood trim pieces applied in a diamond shape and held them in place with liquid nails (no need to worry about nail holes). The beautiful paint color she chose was the perfect finishing touch to the DIY makeover…

10. Customize a standard bi-fold door to look like double doors.

Make a standard, solid core bifold door look classy AF with some mdf trim and poplar dowels like this masterpiece of a makeover by Nadine Stay. Even more impressive? The entire investment of this project was less than $25…

11. Chair rail moulding doubles as classy trim work on standard bifold doors.

A fresh, neutral coat of paint and synthetic chair rail moulding applied with wood glue and nails works wonders for a standard bifold closet door as beautifully modeled by Katie Lamb. Not only aesthetically pleasing but functional, the lighter weight of the Polyurethane trim pieces she used keeps the doors from taking on too much weight (a smart alternative to heavy wood pieces)…..

12. Add faux window panes to a mirrored closet door for an industrial, modern effect.

If 1980’s glam is not your vibe, you can easily update your mirrored closet doors with faux panes. Using black electrical tape, Making Manzanita, proves you don’t need power tools to create an effective (not to mention stylish) closet door update….

13. Cover outdated louvered doors with fiber panels and wallpaper.

Hate the look of your louvered bifold doors? Take a cue from Crazy Life with Littles and cover that shiz up with some hardboard panels and wallpaper…

14. For a barn door look, upcycle old bi-fold doors by adding a sliding track.

If you want the farmhouse style of a barn door but don’t have the budget for entirely new doors, From House to Home has the perfect DIY hack. Simply upcycle your existing bi-fold doors …

15. When all else fails, remove the bifold doors completely.

Sometimes closet doors are just wasted space as was the case for this laundry room closet designed by Tag and Tibby. To ensure a finished look once you do decide to remove the doors, check out this clever tip for covering up those unsightly door hinges located on the door opening…

Now that you have finally reached the end of this bi-fold closet door makeover round-up, I hope you are feeling more empowered to tackle that eyesore of a closet situation you have been side-eyeing for months (or even years) on end.

With a couple of trim boards, modern hardware or even just a few coats of paint, the world is truly your oyster, baby!

Thank you so much for stopping by this week! If you found this post helpful, it would mean the world to me if you could share it with a friend or on social media…

Now get out there and design some good vibes along with a fabulous life!