Day Bed from Old Doors

     After replacing the interior doors, original to the house built in 1959, these three were in good enough shape that they were not slated for trash. Like everything else in the house, they were very well-built -  hollow core but strongly reinforced - so I thought maybe to use them for shelving in the garage or in the attic. Instead they assumed new life as a piece of furniture, and an old twin bed frame and box springs were trashed instead.

     Removing the hinges was not difficult, despite layers of paint. The knobs were another story. There were no discernible screws so a little research revealed that the tip of a paper clip inserted into a tiny slot in the base would pop the knob out, releasing the collar to allow access to two screws which disengaged the core for easy extraction. Of course, one  was easily manipulated while the other two proved a bit more challenging. Finally, with all hardware removed, wood putty was applied to the various holes, nicks and divots, and then sanded smooth before painting with white enamel latex. (I almost felt like this pile of hardware should have been recycled or refashioned but after the removal battle, I was actually glad to throw the mess into a garbage can!)

     Lengths of 1 x 8 pine were cut to size, painted also with white enamel latex, and assembled into a framework. The doors (one 30 inch wide combined with a 9 inch edge of another to accommodate a 39 inch wide twin mattress) were attached to the framework. Lastly four tapered bun feet were attached to the bottom.

    

     I love the new day bed, even with the old quilt and pillows, which I intend to replace. Miss Molly, in curious kitty fashion, is not so sure.

(Old bed)