5 Reasons to Add Barn Doors to Your Home

Barn doors are, hands down, one of the best trends in modern home décor since in-home wine cellars and entertainment rooms. Barn doors elevate the overall look and feel of a home, add an incredible amount of personality and style, and create a wonderful conversation piece that is enjoyed by family, friends, and guests alike. Here are just a few reasons you might consider adding one of these fantastic pieces of function décor to your home:

5 Reasons to Add Barn Doors to Your Home

• Added Style
• Bold Feature
• Convenient Functionality
• Space Saver
• Privacy

Barn doors are incredibly functional, beautiful, trend-setting, and a style that matches with a vast amount of home themes. Whether you live in a modern paradise, a French-style chateau, a Mediterranean villa, or a farmhouse, a barn door will fit right in and complete your home. If you’ve been looking for that special something to make your house feel like home, you might just be missing a sliding barn door.

What is a Barn Door?

If you have ever been in a rural setting, you’ve seen barn doors—those sliding units that are used by farmers and ranchers on sheds to make entering and exiting the barn quick and easy. Many homeowners enjoy installing an interior barn door or exterior barn doors in place of their traditional swinging doors.

There are two major differences between the doors. First, swinging doors take a significant amount of floor space in comparison to a sliding door. Swing doors require room for the door to swing out whereas barn doors only need wall space to slide. Second, barn doors can be customized and styled in nearly any way possible.

While traditional doors can be tailored to your individual preferences, there is only so much you can do with a regular swing door. Barn doors, on the other hand, can be matched to any style and made of any combination of materials, from wood and metal to glass, to create a truly unique one-of-a-kind statement piece.

Can Any Door Be a Barn Door?

When considering whether your space will support a barn door or whether you can exchange your old swing door with a barn door, there are a few things you need to keep in mind.

Wall Space—Barn doors don’t swing out like traditional doors. Sliding doors need the equivalent amount of wall space as the door frame, either to the left or the right. This space is so the door can fully slide out of the doorway entrance. If you only have half as much space as you need on either side, then you should consider a double barn door set up in a smaller size so you can slide each half into the respective wall space on either side.

Hanging Space—Traditional doors are mounted to the inside of your door frame. Sliding barn doors, on the other hand, are mounted above your door and slide across the doorframe. That means you need space above your door to mount it. There are several mounting options, so even if you have very little space above the frame, you still might be able to install one. This is an important factor to know before purchasing your barn door hardware kit.

The two options for mounting are an above-door mount or a ceiling mount. Ceiling mounts require attaching hanging hardware to weight-bearing 2x4 beams in the ceiling. Above-door mounts can be mounted to a header or backing track attached to 2x4 studs in the wall.

5 Reasons to Add Barn Doors to Your Home

If you’re on the fence about installing a barn door in your home, consider these five reasons to do so:

1. Added Style

There’s no doubt about it: barn wood doors add a distinct layer of style and aesthetic to your home. It’s akin to artwork on the wall. And one thing that everyone can agree on is that barn doors are fun, functional, and incredibly stylish.

Homes with barn doors give those who live there an automatic centerpiece for conversations and a stylish feature to highlight for potential home buyers. Sliding barn doors also create a warm, inviting atmosphere, instantly making guests and family members feel at home.
Barn doors with glass provide added style for areas where visibility might be required, such as nurseries, children's playrooms, and transition rooms, such as doorways from the kitchen to the living room or dining room.

When it comes to interior sliding barn doors, there are décor styles and customizations for every type of home on the market. Does your home sport a farmhouse style, French, European, or Mediterranean style? There is a wide range of sliding barn doors that you can incorporate into your style to enhance any room in your home.

A reclaimed wood sliding door will look amazing in any farmhouse style home. Sliding barn doors that feature clear glass, frosted glass, or a combination of glass and metal will fit into nearly any style of home. Want to give your child’s room or playroom a bit of fun? Install an interior barn door that has a full length chalkboard, or even just on the bottom half. Your kids will get the satisfaction of drawing, they can use it for fun and games, and it’ll still look great.

The ways you can increase the style in your home by simply adding a different door style than the traditional swinging door are practically endless.

2. Bold Feature

Whether you install a single sliding barn door, double barn doors, or closet barn doors, you have the potential to add a unique bold feature to your home. Bold features go best in modern homes where it stands out and attracts attention.

Barn doors can be styled to reflect your unique personality and the overall feel and tone you want to create in your home. Want a bright, bold splash of color? Go with something fun like brilliant orange, barn red, or turquoise. Need a unique pop for interest's sake? Have your door crafted with a chevron pattern that adds a bold statement, whether you paint the door or not. Want an even more unique feature? Add a curved door by installing our unique curved track and you’re sure to get plenty of comments! Whether you install traditional farmhouse style hardware or decide to go with modern barn door hardware, you’re sure to add a bold pop to any room.

3. Convenient Functionality

Interior sliding barn doors, exterior sliding barn doors, and bifold barn doors all have one thing in common: they add incredibly convenient functional décor to any home. Barn doors are perfect for those transitional spaces where you need some type of divider but would rather not have a door in its place. These spaces typically have manufacturer’s doors installed when you first purchase your home. If there are no doors, then there is often an open doorway leading from one space to another.

Transitional spaces are often areas where you want to shut off one room or part of the house from the other, allowing you to leave the space seamlessly open or close it off while still being able to observe what’s happening in the other room. Barn doors with glass are just the answer for these spaces in your home.

Imagine being able to see from your kitchen into your living or dining room while you’re prepping light appetizers for book club or keeping an eye on the kids as they spend time in the playroom while you’re in your home office. Sliding barn doors give you the capability to do these things all while adding a unique element of style and efficient functionality.

4. Space Saver

In homes with limited space, you will likely find that you have more wall space than floor space. This is where a sliding barn door can come in very handy. By installing a barn door in place of a traditional swinging door, you instantly take back the floor space previously used by your traditional door’s swing. With barn-style French doors, double doors, or bypass doors, you maximize the floor space you have, provide a door where one is needed, and gain square footage all in one easy step.

If you have a small entry space—such as the opening of a pantry or linen closet—a custom barn door will solve the problem of replacing an old swing-out door. Since the door opening is small to begin with, replacing a swing door with a barn door style will increase the total entrance room you have to get into your pantry or linen closet without bumping up against the door. Using a sliding barn door for your pantry or linen closet are just two of many barn door ideas that help you regain space and make your home, apartment, or condo more functional.

Whether you want to install single barn doors, double barn doors, or bifold barn doors, the barn doors hardware you choose will make a big difference in functionality, how smooth it opens and closes, and it will also ensure the door stays in its own footprint instead of swinging out. Sliding barn door hardware includes items like the handle, running track, runners, and the bottom track or floor guide. If you find that your barn door tends to swing outward when opening or closing it, then you should install a floor guide to keep it in place.

We recommend making sure this is part of your barn door hardware kit so you can install it at the same time as your door. Hardware is an important part of the overall functionality of your door and will increase the ability to save space by keeping the door running on its track.

5. Privacy

If barn doors aren’t installed properly, there’s the potential for a three-quarter-inch gap when it’s closed. However, when installed correctly, barn doors provide an excellent amount of privacy for any room.

Bathroom—Barn doors can be fitted with a latch from the inside, providing an effective lock so nobody can open it and surprise the occupant.

Offices—The door can be latched or simply crafted to provide enough privacy so that there is no gap to contend with. For those who need the security of the blocked-off doorway without locking themselves in, barn doors are a perfect option.

Partitions—Those living in homes that have open floor plans might want the ability to section off part of that open floor. While traditional doors would necessitate the building of a permanent wall, ceiling-hung barn doors can provide partitions that are fully movable for different setups depending on need.

Do Barn Doors Add Value?

When it comes to making improvements in your house, there are many reasons why you’d consider doing so, including aesthetics and an increase in value. Major renovations are typically undertaken with the overall return on investment in mind. Hardwood flooring is more expensive, but worth the investment because it greatly improves the home’s value. The same is true for marble countertops, a new roof, and other elements such as luxury lighting, a better heating/cooling system, and kitchen improvements.

But what about sliding barn doors?

Interior sliding barn doors may not add a lot to the face value price of your home, but what these beautiful, unique pieces of function décor will do is tremendously boost the appeal factor. Sometimes, the difference between someone loving your home and putting an offer down or walking away simply comes down to the aesthetics. When future buyers are looking at a prospective home, they are looking to make sure the bones are solid and that they can see themselves living in the home. This is one reason why staging is so important. You want your home to have an inviting feel without feeling lived in.

Interior sliding barn doors or closet barn doors do the magic of adding an element of style and personality to your home that is universally enjoyed by potential homeowners everywhere. Barn doors are often seen as an asset to the home. Families who enjoy the farmhouse style or even those who are looking to update homes to their tastes will likely be looking to add sliding barn doors after their purchase. If your home already has custom barn doors, bypass barn doors, glass barn doors in place, you instantly remove a barrier from their decision-making process. Your house will already have a to-do item completed, thanks to your installation of sliding barn doors.

Where to Buy Sliding Barn Doors?

So where can you buy these awesome one-of-a-kind doors that we’ve been raving about? Right here, of course! At BarnDoorHardware.com, we’ve been offering customized barn doors and the accompanying hardware since 1996.
Our professional craftsmen have years of knowledge, understanding, and expertise that go into crafting each door and helping each person install it in their home. Here are just a few of the benefits you can expect when purchasing a sliding barn door through BarnDoorHardware.com.

Installation Instructions

Have you ever purchased an item that had “some assembly required” and then you were left with cryptic instructions, example images that didn’t make sense, and hard-to-understand directions? There’s nothing worse than getting something you’re excited about only to be frustrated when you have to spend hours figuring out the instructions to put it together.

When you purchase a barn door from BarnDoorHardware.com, we’ll provide you with simple, easy-to-read instructions that are crystal clear and simple to understand. Soon, you’ll have your barn door installed in no time. Our barn doors come ready to assemble and install, making this one DIY project you know you’ll enjoy and have fun working on. We demonstrate how to install everything from the rolling track to barn door handles and other hardware.

Helpful Customer Service

Wondering what you’ll do if you run into snags during install or if you have questions before you order? Not to fear, we have an incredible customer support team that is standing by, ready to help out. In addition to a thorough FAQ page, we have team members that are ready to answer any questions you may have about the barn door ordering or installation process.

Wondering which track length to order? We can help. Want to know if your space will work for a sliding barn door? We can help you measure. Want to know which door finish will look the best for your door and home décor scheme? We’ve got that covered, too.

Our expert team of support specialists is knowledgeable and can help you through any problem in the process you may experience. Every person you talk to will be able to help you figure out solutions or provide helpful tips. Just call or chat in using the barndoorhardware.com website!

Professional Craftsmanship

Our barn doors aren’t cranked out with automated machinery in a factory that cares more about numbers than quality. Each door has the touch of a master craftsman, and we pride ourselves on offering doors with quality that is second to none. When you order from us, you can rest assured that your door will have been created with the quality and craftsmanship you desire.

Whether you purchase an entirely custom door or adjust the finish for one we have in stock, you’ll receive the same quality craftsmanship every time. We pay attention to each door that leaves our factory and we’re dedicated to ensuring you receive an excellent product you’re proud to hang up in your home.

Customization

When it comes to customization, you won’t find any better than our factory. We can customize every element of your barn door from length and width down to the style of hardware, overall look, finish, and more. If you have a design in mind that is totally unlike anything we have listed online, we can often make that happen, too! Our expert craftsmen can craft your unique design and even help throughout the planning stages. There’s no need to leave any part of the process is guesswork—that’s what we’re here for.

When you choose a barn door off our website, you’ll have several options to customize these doors. Customization options include:

Width—Barn doors can be tailored to the width of the door to fit openings from two feet up to four feet, eleven inches. Larger doors can be crafted when ordering a completely custom-made door.

Height—Door heights start at five feet and go up to seven feet, eleven inches. Just like the width, if you have a particularly unusual size, we can custom make your door!

Finish—We have a wide range of finishes so your door can fit right in with the style of home décor and color scheme you have. Finishes include options such as American Walnut, Dark Walnut, Red Mahogany, Charcoal Grey, Barn Grey, Aqua, Goose Grey, and more.

Texture—Want to add another unique element to your door? Add some texture to the finish for a one-of-a-kind look. We offer textures that give your door an authentic barn door look such as our weathered texture, distressed texture, and worn texture. Each texture provides a unique look to complement your décor and provide the look you want to create.

Give Your Home a One-of-a-Kind Look

There are many benefits to adding a barn door to your home, from style to functionality to privacy. You really can’t go wrong when you choose to incorporate one into your space.

When you purchase through BarnDoorHardware.com, we ensure that your door is crafted with top-quality materials. ensuring your barn door will be enjoyed for many years to come.
So what are you waiting for? Create your dream barn door today!