The Art of the Slide: Designing with Barn Doors in Mind
If you feel that nothing else fills your home with warmth, cosiness, and style than sliding barn doors, know that you’re definitely on trend! Homes & Gardens has stated that these wooden features are very much in style, thanks in no small part to the unique look they lend any space, be it your living room or bedroom. Barn doors stand out for their popularity, space-saving ability, and compatibility with the biophilic design concept. The fact that they are often made of wood and slide open so easily make them the ideal complement for homes populated by plants, natural materials, and fabrics or prints inspired on the Great Outdoors. Of course, ensuring your doors are compatible with the rest of your home involve keeping a few key considerations in mind.
Choosing Your Material
Not all homes with sliding barn doors are necessarily rustic in feel, so choosing the right material for your barn doors is a vital first step to ensure your doors complement the rest of your interiors. For a farmhouse style home, solid wood, either in its natural hue or painted a pristine white is perfect, while metal doors make a great addition to an industrial or red brick space. For settings such as offices, where natural light may be the top priority, installing glass doors (in frosted or textured glass) is a good way to maintain privacy while still letting the sunlight in.
Relying on Skilled Professionals
The enchantment of barn doors go way beyond the doors themselves. Modern barn doors are highly customizable thanks to additions such as handles and pulls, hinges, tracks and rollers, locks and privacy features, and decorative accents such as nail heads, corner brackets, and ornamental plates. These pieces come in materials ranging from steel to brass, iron, glass, and wood. They also have a wide variety of finishes to choose from, including matte black, bronze, chrome, raw steel, distressed, gleaming metallic, and more. Knowing what materials to utilize and how to do so without wresting from the fundamental beauty of your barn doors is key. The good news is that the national construction economy is booming, especially in states with burgeoning real estate markets. Your chosen professionals should be able to deliver custom barn door installations—ranging from reclaimed wood finishes to artisanal hardware choices.
Choosing a Style
Since barn doors are often customized for specific homes, once you contract a team of professionals, it’s time to discuss your preferred styles. In rustic, homes, cross-brace and panel designs are sometimes selected, while in minimalist settings, flat, gleaming, or matte designs may be preferred. You can also create patterns such as herringbone or chevron to create a focal point, or paint your door in the same colors as your wall for seamless integration. Of course, barn door lovers typically say that their doors are one of the key designer pieces in their home, and that means they want them to stand out. You can achieve this by choosing a bold finish for your home, or by fitting it with eye-catching handles, rollers, and hangers.
Choosing Your Track System
The design stage is also where you typically choose your track system—the hardware mounted above your doors that allows them to slide open or closed. A single track is for one door that opens to one side. A double track is used for two doors. Often, these doors meet in the middle, with each door opening up to the opposite side. Finally, bypass track systems allow two or more doors to slide past each other, which is handy for wide spaces. Your decision will ultimately depend on space availability and the uses of the rooms the doors serve as a partition for.
Barn doors allow you to have your cake and eat it, too. They save space by sliding along walls and add a chic design element that your guests won’t be able to keep their eyes off. When selecting your doors, aim to choose materials, finishes, and decorative elements that complement your design. Rely on trusted professionals who specialize in more than one barn door style, so they can help you create bespoke designs that resonate with you.
