Why barn doors are a great option for your home

I used to have a love affair with pocket doors. They save so much space. I love them on bathrooms, basements and closets. They close off what you don't want to see and provide privacy, yet when open, the doors don't stick out into a room, hogging valuable floor space.

Well, pocket doors move over because I have a new love that is not only space saving, but incredibly beautiful, too. What has stolen the spotlight? The simple barn door.

Barn doors are more than a space-saving, utilitarian pocket door that doesn't project into your room when open. Barn doors are architectural elements that add style and character to your home.

Use them anywhere for everything. Use them as room dividers, closet doors, bathroom doors, bedroom doors. Replace French doors to offices and dining rooms with barn doors. Close off the kids' play area from the rest of the family room with a barn door. The list goes on and on because the possibilities are endless.

Do a search of Houzz for barn doors and you'll be amazed at the potential. The styles range from elegant glass doors to the rustic barn doors where their name originated. You can purchase them ready made; create them from scratch (as I did) or repurpose a vintage door found at an antique shop or on Ebay.

Here's a cool double door barn door that I found in a shop that sells antique and repurposed items.

Two full length doors with traditional vintage door knobs can be pulled together in this retail display.

Here's another view of the traditional recessed panel door.

I put a barn door in my home to close off my office from the front entry/foyer. When the office is messy or I need peace and quiet, I close the door. Otherwise, it stands open, proudly showing off its exposed hardware, which is the hallmark of a barn door.

Here's a view from the foyer with the door open. Not only does it provide the privacy I need to occasionally hide my office, but it is a beautiful architectural element in my foyer. As much as I would have liked to repurpose an old door, I couldn't find the exact size needed so this one was constructed from scratch by Westlawn Construction.

It is odd but the door is such a work of art that when it is closed, the wall behind it looks bare. I feel the need to find some artwork to hang in that blank space.

The wood is distressed and stained a dark mahogany to match the wood trim elsewhere in the house.

Choosing the exposed hardware is half the fun. You can go with industrial, contemporary or rustic in everything from a shiny stainless steel to a flat black. The choices are endless. Check out the options at Barndoors & Hardware.

 What about you? Could a barn door be a viable option for your home?