How To Paint Mirrored Closet Doors [Step By Step Guide]

You’re looking at your mirrored closet doors, thinking it’s time to give them a new paint job. But how can you complete that task? We researched that concern for your convenience, and here’s what we found. Let's dive right in below!

First, prepare for the upcoming preparation. Next, ensure that you pick the right color that matches your room’s theme.

Once the groundwork is done, paint your mirrored closet doors following these steps:

  1. Remove the doors
  2. Prepare the door
  3. Prime the trim
  4. Paint the doors

Keep reading as we discuss painting mirrored closet doors from start to finish. Read through the end of this post, and you’ll find helpful and relevant information, such as how long to wait before the paint dries.

Things To Consider Before Painting A Mirrored Closet Door

A safety tools painting work

Following a relatively straightforward set of guidelines can help ensure the new paint on your mirrored closet doors stays. Some of the factors that you should think about before you start painting mirrored closet doors are:

Fix Imperfections

After painting your mirrored closet doors, cracks, gaps, holes, and other imperfections can look unsightly. So fix those flaws using the appropriate methods based on the type of fault you’re dealing with.

Tip: You may not need to do a thorough job in repairing these imperfections. It’s because you’re going to paint over those defects soon. Still, you must ensure the repaired surface is flush with the rest of the door’s material.

You can read our post on fixing dart holes if you need help repairing these imperfections in your closet doors.

Prepare The Room

Apart from preparing the door, it would help if you also got the room ready for the upcoming project. Place plastic sheets over the floor to protect it from dirt, debris, and possible paint spills.

Also, open the doors and windows to ensure you work in a well-ventilated space.

Prepare Yourself

Take note that it may take about 1 or 2 days to complete a closet door painting project. During this time, you’re in an environment with paint fumes circulating the air.

Extended exposure to these harmful gases may negatively affect your health.

Some risks to take note of are:

  • Headache
  • Light-headedness
  • Breathing difficulty
  • Nausea

Irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat may also occur. So make sure you wear protective equipment while doing this project.

Wear gloves, safety goggles, and a respirator to ensure your hands, eyes, nose, mouth, and throat remain protected throughout the operation.

Prime The Doors

Avoid applying paint to the mirrored closet doors directly. Failure to apply primer before the first coat of paint may lead to unattractive results. For instance, the paint may bubble or lose adhesion over time.

Paint In The Right Direction

Follow the correct painting method if you’re using a paintbrush to paint your mirrored closet doors. Otherwise, you may see unsightly brush marks that might not be visible until you finish the project.

So read our post on how to paint without brush marks to gain insight on ensuring your paint job's clean finish.

What Color Should You Paint Closet Doors?

Modern wooden wardrobe in the room, How To Paint Mirrored Closet Doors [Step By Step Guide]

Aside from the items listed in the previous section, you should also consider the color of paint you will use. Choosing the wrong color may make your mirrored closet doors' design clash with the room's theme.

Generally, selecting the lightest color of the primary shade you’re using for the room is safe. That way, you’re not complicating the look of your room while promoting uniformity in its design.

If you’re unsure which paint to choose for your mirrored closet doors, you can take a picture of your room.

Then, bring that photo to a local home improvement store for an expert to suggest which paint color would be ideal for the closet fixtures.

Here are some ideas to help finalize your purchasing decision:

Unknown person holding brush soaked in paint.

Jewel Tones

As the name implies, jewel tones come from gemstones. You’ll typically find colors in this category with names like emerald, ruby, and sapphire.

Painting your mirrored closet doors with these colors may help widen the room’s look. That also means jewel-tone paint colors can be good choices for narrow-looking spaces.

Check out this product on Amazon here.

Neutral Tones

Gray, white, and off-white paints are excellent candidates for mirrored closet doors.

In particular, semi-gloss variants of these neutral colors can help other areas of the room stand out. Neutral tones for your mirrored closet doors can also be ideal for rooms with white walls.

You can read our post on what color closet doors go with white walls for a deeper look into this subject matter.

Pastel Tones

Pastel colors are typically lighter versions of base tones. These colors appear after mixing a significant amount of white into the mix. Some examples include shades of soft blues, greens, and yellows.

These color choices can help promote comfort and relaxation in rooms that need those properties.

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Things You’ll Need

  • Hammer
  • Nail
  • Painter’s tape
  • Manila paper
  • Long table
  • Plastic sheeting
  • Primer
  • Spray gun
  • Preferred paint
  • Cloth (optional)
  • Paint thinner (optional)

How To Paint Mirrored Closet Doors [Step-By-Step Guide]

Wardrobe closet full of organized things and bags

Step #1: Remove The Doors

This particular step depends if you have hinged or sliding mirrored closet doors. If you have a hinged closet door, loosen its hinges by tapping them with nails.

Use a hammer to tap the nails to force the hinge pins out of their brackets. Remove the closet door and set it aside afterward.

On the other hand, if you have sliding mirrored closet doors, lift the fixtures from their lower tracks. Then, pull the doors slightly outward, then slide them down to remove them from their upper tracks. Again, set the doors aside afterward.

Warning: Be careful removing the mirrored closet doors from their original locations. Failure to pay extra care during the removal procedure may introduce cracks, breaks, or scratches on the fragile surface.

Step #2: Prepare The Door

Place a mirrored closet door on a long table. Ensure that the surface supports the fixture’s length fully. If not, the door may bend because of gravity.

Moving forward, place Manila paper onto the mirror’s surface. Next, apply painter’s tape along the door’s frame’s edges, which should also help secure the Manila paper.

Step #3: Prime The Trim

Apply primer on the door’s trim. You can use primer from a spray can for this step. Once finished, allow the primer to dry for at least 1 hour. You can also start on the other doors in the set while the primer is still drying.

Note: Make sure to shake the can of primer before applying it to the door's trim. That way, you can reduce the risks of sediments flowing through the can's nozzle, which may otherwise cause imperfections.

Step #4: Paint The Doors

Lay the doors with the dried primer on a wall. Make sure that the mirrored closet doors are lying at a slight angle. Also, ensure that this angle won’t put the doors at risk of falling.

Next, apply paint to the doors using your spray gun. Sway the painting tool side-to-side.

Also, pay attention to the amount of paint sprayed onto the surfaces for an even finish. Leave the paint to dry for about 4 to 24 hours. Once the paint is dry, peel off the painter’s tape and Manila paper.

At this point, you may repair some errors from the paint job. For example, you may wipe the mirror with a cloth dipped in a small amount of thinner if some paint went through the Manila paper.

Return the doors to their original installation locations afterward.

Note: Ensure you cover the walls with plastic sheets for this step. Otherwise, the paint will latch onto your walls’ bare surfaces.

See this electric paint sprayer on Amazon.

You can also watch this video if you need a visual guide for the steps mentioned above:

How Much Does It Cost To Get A Closet Door Painted?

an old brush with an open can of brown paint next to a new closet door top view.

Painting a closet door while taking advantage of professional services costs around $50 to $200. Bear in mind that the price range for expert labor may also depend on different factors, including:

  • Door size
  • Door material
  • Closet door type
  • Type of paint
  • The difficulty of the job
  • Location of the property

Our Final Thoughts

Take the time to go through the preparations before you start painting your mirrored closet doors. That way, you can prevent costly mistakes before, during, and after completing the project. But remember, you can still rely on professional services if you think this job is too much for you.

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