Interior Sliding Barn Doors for Every Room in Your Home

Contemporary? Rustic? Scandinavian minimalist? An interior barn door works with any style.

Modern Glass Barn Door Installed on a Door Frame, an Interior Sliding Barn Door Style for Your Home
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Interior sliding barn doors may be named for the rustic gates used on actual barns, but this efficient design trend is not limited to homes with rustic or farmhouse chic looks. There's no place barn doors can't go—and tons of interior barn door inspiration to prove it. Read on to learn why installing a sliding barn door inside your home may be beneficial and see various ways people have used barn doors for nearly every room in the house.

Benefits of Installing Interior Sliding Barn Doors

In rooms where a standard hinged door might take up too much space, sliding barn doors can make the most of the available space. (And they're much more dignified than rickety accordion or bifold doors.)

Provide Versatility

Think of them as built-in multitaskers—they can help a room feel more open (or separate) and introduce a new décor feature. These doors can be installed nearly anywhere: bathrooms, kitchens, closets, laundry rooms, bedrooms, and more.

While barn doors can introduce some privacy concerns—the gaps around the door allow noise to slip through more than standard doors, plus they lock differently—for the most part, they help make the most of a small room and help divide a large room. Open floorplans are popular, and sliding barn doors help give them the flexibility to be both open and a little more sectioned off, depending on the situation.

Create a Design Statement

Beyond their ability to maximize space efficiency, interior sliding barn doors can also serve as a design statement, adding a splash of color or character. Glass barn doors bring a contemporary sheen to a room; a colorful door provides another opportunity to add a pop of paint.

A rustic barn door can help tilt the balance of a room firmly into farmhouse chic territory, and double barn doors strike an almost theatrical tone. Whatever statement a room needs to make, barn doors can help make it happen.

Bathroom Barn Doors

Barn doors are an excellent choice for bathroom entryways, especially when working with limited space. Instead of a typical bathroom door that opens inwards, a barn door slides horizontally, taking up a fraction of the room. It's also a neutral look that can be fashioned to fit the aesthetic of your bathroom, whether it's farmhouse chic or more modern.

Glass Barn Doors

Glass barn doors are popular for two reasons: They bring lots of light to any room by bringing in natural lighting (more than even a window or skylight would provide), and they create the illusion of space because you can see into the room from other areas of the house. Yet, they still offer the privacy of a closed-door space whether you're making a phone call or want to watch a movie without disturbing others in the home.

Double Barn Doors

Double barn doors are a sophisticated focal point and offer a practical way to close off one space from another. For instance, if you are having a quiet evening in the dining room, closing off the space with a pair of double barn doors offers a cozier, more intimate environment.

Mirrored Barn Doors

Mirrored barn doors (while one of the most expensive barn door options) offer quite a few benefits. If you have a small room, it creates an illusion of space. At the same time, mirrored barn doors reflect natural light, adding brightness to any space. This is especially helpful in poorly lit rooms.

Colorful Barn Doors

Just like an accent wall, a colorful barn door can add a much-needed splash of color to any room. Think of them as statement pieces, serving the same purpose as a large mural that draws guests' eyes to a purposeful focal point in the room.

Modern Barn Doors

When you hear the words barn door, something farmhouse-esque or rustic usually comes to mind. But it is possible to have a barn door that feels modern. Try one with straight architectural lines, raw materials, monochrome colors, or exposed materials for a contemporary feel.

Rustic Barn Doors

Rustic barn doors have a natural, aged appearance and often take their design queues from nature. Think knotted, unfinished wood, and other natural elements. Cedar, walnut, and teak are popular wood choices for rustic barn doors.

Bedroom Barn Doors

If you have a bedroom with an attached ensuite, a sliding barn door is a great divider, giving your sleeping area more definition without taking up added space. They also serve as a practical design option, meaning they look great while serving a purpose.

Laundry Room Barn Doors

Laundry is a whole lot more enjoyable when you love the room you are in. There's no need to prop open a door when you're working—just keep the barn doors open. And when laundry work is done, slide them closed so no one's the wiser about the laundry piles you didn't have time to attend to.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Are sliding barn doors in style?

    This stylish and functional door option is very much in style. While it falls under farmhouse decor style, different materials and finishings can give sliding barn doors a fresh look to fit your preferred decorating style. This includes metal, glass, mirror, and other types of barn doors.

  • Do barn doors need a bottom track?

    Barn doors need a bottom track to keep them from swinging back and forth. The track also keeps the sliding door snug against the wall, so there's no chance of pinched fingers or damage to the door itself.

  • How wide should a sliding barn door be?

    A sliding door should be wider than the door opening itself so that it overlaps with the wall. Most barn door sizes fall between 36 inches wide (on the shorter side) by 96 inches tall (on the longer side).

  • What are the different types of barn doors?

    The three most popular types of sliding barn doors are flush, paneled, and glass. Flush doors are flat and smooth, while paneled doors feature slats and rails. Glass doors are made from glass and are great if privacy isn't a concern. There are also metal, mirror, double, bypassing, and bi-folding barn doors.

  • What is the best material for sliding barn doors?

    Sliding barn doors made of wood are best due to their durability. Pine and ash woods are strong, solid choices.

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