By Lauren Phillips, Real Simple
Modern? Rustic? Scandinavian minimalist? It doesn’t matter what your home's style is—an interior sliding barn door can work in it. Here’s proof.
Interior sliding barn doors may be named for the rustic gates used on actual barns, but this efficient design trend is in no way limited to homes with rustic or farmhouse chic looks. In fact, back when Chip and Joanna Gaines used interior sliding barn doors in many of their Fixer Upper renos, they demonstrated the versatility of this design choice. There’s no place barn doors can’t go—and tons of interior barn door inspiration to prove it.
In rooms where a standard hinged door might take up too much space, sliding barn doors can make the most of the space available while introducing a splash of color or character. (And they’re so much more dignified than rickety accordion or bifold doors.) Think of them as built-in multitaskers—they can help a room feel more open (or separate) and introduce a new décor feature at the same time. Plus, they can go nearly anywhere: bathrooms, kitchens, closets, laundry rooms, bedrooms, and more.
Interior sliding barn doors can introduce some privacy concerns—the gaps around the door allow noise to slip through more than standard doors do, and they lock differently—but for the most part, this design trend can both help make the most of a small room and help divide a large room. Open floorplans are still popular, and sliding barn doors help give them the flexibility to be both open and a little more sectioned-off, depending on the situation.
Beyond their ability to maximize space efficiency, interior sliding barn doors can also serve as their own design statements. Glass barn doors bring contemporary sheen to a space; a colorful door is 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. (Read on for the proof.)
