Barn Door Solutions
This set of doors were for a non-standard opening, so I custom built them with a simple trim to close off a sunroom. They are unobtrusive and add a great design element to the home. I dying to play around with more intricate trim designs as well!
Barn doors have made such a splash in the modern-casual style of today. Not only do they look awesome, they are actually a great solution for small, tight spaces. They work great for doors in hallways (think laundry room) or closets, as well as an alternative to french doors in a room you’d like to have the ability to close off, such as an office or playroom. Many homes have a formal dining room that is used for another purpose, this can be a great place to hang a set of barn doors to separate the space if it is open directly to the kitchen. Things to consider: it’s a trade off between the wall space beside your door opening to gain the floor space for a traditional swinging door for a less cluttered feel, or room for free-standing furniture (think a chair, lamp or decorative piece, rather than an against-the-wall piece of furniture). Not all spaces are suited for barn doors, but there’s probably one in your home that it would be perfect for.
A single barn door requires the wall space width of the door opening adjacent to the doorway (linen closet in a hallway is a perfect place). A double barn door can be fabricated to either open to each side of the door opening or have a double track so that the doors slide over each other to “stack” on top of each other, requiring less horizontal space.
As for the doors themselves? These don’t just belong in farmhouses. A “barn door” really only refers to the sliding track style door, the actual door itself can range from rustic to ultra modern. I prefer to custom build barn doors, as they can be made just for the specific opening and incorporate the design style suited for the space. Check out my Doors and Trim Pinterest Page for ideas I’ve tried or want to create!
DIY Tips: Buy your barn door track online, as you can find a wider selection than carried in local stores. You’ll need to pay careful attention to the specs; the total span of the track, whether you need a single track or a bypass track (where your doors will overlap and stack), and the thickness of doors the track supports. You’ll also want floor guides to keep your doors from swinging wildly. You can build your own doors out of a sturdy yet not too heavy material such as MDF or appearance grade plywood. Measure eighty three times, cut once. Every millimeter counts in getting the proper fit. Make sure to account for trim in the thickness calculations. You’ll also need some good hardware, determine if you need a door pull on just one side of the door or both (these are the oversized double sided door pulls I’ve used available in a variety of finishes).
