Hiding in plain sight - original doors!

When we viewed, and when we first moved in, I was very aware of the state of the bedroom doors. They are horrible brown hollow doors, and one has a massive hole punched through it. They are definitely on our list of things to replace as soon as possible.

However, the downstairs doors downstairs didn't bother me too much - they are painted white, have a decorative beading round the edge, and seemed ok, at least for now.


Then, my parents visited, and they pointed out that these are actually panelled - it would have been blindingly obvious if I wasn't so focused on fixing the toilet and working out why the boiler keeps dripping.


After a boring day at work, and with the courage only gin can give, I decided I couldn't wait any longer - I dug out the hammer and a wallpaper scraper (in lieu of a chisel) and set to work.


I used the corner of the wallpaper scraper to carefully score through the (many) layers of paint, to find the edge of the panel. I then inserted the thin scraper and wiggled it a bit to make a gap before using the hammer as a lever. The pop as the panel pins came loose was very satisfying!



It was quite slow going initially as I was anxious not to damage the door underneath, and I was trying to pick up the pins straight away as I didn't want to step on them or scratch the floor.



I'm not sure whether to strip the doors or sand them lightly and repaint. They are not in perfect condition and would probably come apart if dipped. I am aware that I'll need to be careful doing this myself due to the likelihood of lead paint.