The beauty, function and practical uses for interior barn doors are catching on like never before!
Barn doors with corrugated metal as inserts. We used these to close off our utility room.
Interior barn doors bring so much more to a home design than simple, old-fashioned rustic appeal. They are perfect for sectioning off a home office, dining room or game-room space.
They also work great when used to cover up entertainment and shelving areas. And interior barn doors can be the ideal solution for closing off rooms, closets or laundry areas down tight hallways.
One thing is for sure, barn doors aren’t just for barns anymore! And beyond their great look and functionality, with a little DIY effort, they don’t have to cost you a fortune to create and install.
When we built our house at the farm, barn doors were as much of a necessity as they were a design statement. With only 1054 square feet of livable space and a single hallway, keeping floor space open was a must. And it was barn doors to the answer.
We created homemade barn doors to close off every door and closet opening in our house. In fact, there is but one single traditional door, and that is under our stairs as a closet. And we couldn’t be happier with the look and functionality. (See : DIY Barn Doors – Build Your Own and Save Big!)
Even better, by building them ourselves and finding quality, inexpensive door hanging hardware on-line for under $60, ( See : EWEI Sliding Barn Door Hardware), we were able to save big on the budget!!
Why and Where Interior Barn Doors Work Best
The Perfect Hallway Door
This simple clasp is a great way to close barn doors used for bathroom or bedroom doors.
Interior barn doors make the perfect solution for bedrooms and bathrooms off of hallways. Because they never swing out, barn doors keep hallways clear and open.
There is also no need to worry about doors opening up to surprise anyone as they walk down the hall. The other advantage – the door widths can be kept to a maximum without all of the trim and hinges. That means getting furniture in and out is a breeze!
One of the biggest questions asked is how to secure and lock a barn door for a bedroom or bathroom. The answer for us came with a simple $8 swivel hardware clasp. It installs in seconds, and secures doors easily to the inside frame of the door with a little twist.
Closets and Knee Walls
When it comes to closing off storage spaces, interior barn doors can be a huge space saver. We used two mini-doors in our loft area for knee wall storage.
The knee-wall rolling doors are great because they allow for full access into the storage area. Not so when inset sliding doors or swinging doors are used.
And the same goes for large closets. When possible, using a barn door set-up makes getting to stored items a breeze.
Focal Areas – Making A Statement With A Big Double Door
A double set of doors covering a storage closet
But maybe more than anything else, interior barn doors can be used to make a statement. A big set of double barn doors can create an incredible focal point in your home – like a big set of rolling double barn doors to close off a dining area or office – or even on the wall simply as a decoration.
Best of all, they can be stained, painted or left natural to look right at home in any setting.
Depending on where they went in the home, we built our doors using tongue and groove boards or rough-sawn shiplap. Either can be found easily at home improvement stores or local lumber yards.
On average our doors cost about $40 in materials to assemble, and just and hour or two to make. That’s a huge savings when compared to purchasing interior barn doors that can run $250 to $500 in stores.
When you add in the rolling hardware from above, our total door build and set-up cost was right around $100 per door. It was a huge savings over installing traditional doors, and way more functional to save on space.
For those interested in the door plans, you can find them on our Etsy site as an instant download See : Easy Barn Door Plans
So, shake off those winter blues this year and add a barn door or two to your living space! Jim and Mary.
To receive our 3 Home, Garden, Recipe and Simple Life articles each week, sign up for our free email list. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram. This article may contain affiliate links.