Want a quick way to add character and interest to your home? Why not consider barn doors? With endless options in style and size, plus dozens of ways to use a barn door for more than just covering a door way, you can bet there is an choice to fit your home and your style. But where do you start?

To determine if you can have a barn door you only need to check/consider a couple items: 

1. Do you have as much room *to the side* of the opening you want to cover as the width of the opening. The track and the door have to go somewhere when open!
2. Do you have any light switches or other electrical that the barn door will cover (and therefore be inaccessible)? 
3. Do you have enough height above the door opening for the door hardware? (The door hangs down off the hardware.)
4. Do you need complete privacy in the room you are closing off with a barn door? (There will always be a gap between the door and the wall, so if you need extra privacy, make sure the door is at least several inches wider than your doorway opening. It’s also harder to add a lock to a barn door.) Need a hand measuring for your door? Here is a handy guide from the folks at You’re Unique. ( https://www.youreunique.net/barn-door-measuring-guide/).

Once you have determined that a barn door is indeed a great solution and you have your measurements down, then comes the fun part – deciding on a style. The cool thing about barn doors is that they *don’t* have to match the other doors in your house. Think of them as an accent piece, like the jewelry or fun socks you wear with your outfit, and have fun with it! 

The three elements that make up the style of your barn door are: 

1. The door itself – you can choose something reclaimed, rustic, industrial, modern, or even glass, and each one will add a totally different look to your home. Just make sure there is enough wood/material at the top for the barn door hardware to screw to (in the case of glass they have to fabricate that specially).

2. The hanging hardware – you have choices from sleek, minimalist, stainless steel versions (check out this beauty) to heavy bronze or black rustic and industrial hardware. There are even speciality options like curved tracks!

3. The handle – the finishing touch that is both functional and beautiful, with all the same modern and minimalist to reclaimed and rustic options. Decide if you need the door to open completely because some handle stick out in a way that will make them stop at the door trim and you’ll want to choose a flush pull in that situation like you might for a pocket door (at least on the side that faces the door trim).

Got all that? Good! Now let’s look at some creative applications, starting with the obvious – doorways.

Want to add a little rustic charm to your home like this homeowner did in her laundry room (yes, she distressed this door herself and shares her how-to!)? I must say… doing laundry just got a little more appealing! 

Want to put the “fun” in function? Add a chalkboard barn door to your kitchen and you have a perfect place for your monthly calendar and grocery list, and a super place to let your little ones get creative. (You can paint any door with chalkboard paint, or even get magnetic chalkboard!)

Or you can add a POP OF COLOR like this homeowner did – 

If you prefer clean, modern spaces, consider adding a door like this one used by homeowner Taryn Whiteaker: 

BUT…Barn doors aren’t just great for doorways! With a little industrial pipe and DIY attitude you can hide things like the TV!

Or you can use them in place of window treatments like these folks featured on All Things Thrifty. I just love the character it brings to the already charming space (those chairs!). This might be a super choice for a media room where you really want to block out the light for movie night!

Another idea – pair barn door hardware with a fabulous metal grate for a unique fireplace cover! (If your grate doesn’t have a heat resistant handle that will be safe to grab, be sure to have a potholder or tool/hook on hand to use when you need to slide the grate back to add a log on a cold winter night!)

Play with size and application and you can cover nearly anything with barn doors. Check out the smaller, shutter-sized doors Joanna Gaines used as an alternative to glass doors on this built-in hutch:

If this barn door trend has you captured your attention just like it has mine, get creative. You might just find more than one way to put this industrial look to use in your home. Have a barn door success? Send us a before and after picture along with your success story – we’d love to showcase it in a future post! 

May your home always be happy!

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