The barn door (example above is in Plan 48-640) has always attracted me for its simple lines and efficiency: it's especially useful in tight spaces where you want a wide uncluttered opening (when open, the door just slides against the wall so there's no door standing ajar and taking up space), where there's just not enough room for a swinging door, or where you would simply like a door that becomes part of --
or contrasts with -- the wall. I am a huge fan! I love the diversity of styles from the very rustic and "barny" to the ultra-minimalist modern; not to mention the revamp of vintage doors as sliders (the example above is from Plan 888-18 by Nicholas Lee). Though I can see that sliding barn doors might not be the best solution for some situations, say for very tight sound insulation, I for one would put up with a little noise leakage!
Architect Cathy Schwabe used a barn door -- painted green -- to close off the studio-kitchenette
in her Cabin Plan 891-1. You can see how it becomes a vivid focal point without taking up extra space. In the 2015 Plan of the Year (Howie winner), Plan 909-10 by Hive Modular, the translucent glass sliding
door closes off the entry to the master suite while maximizing space on the landing and without blocking light.
At the big home builder show in Las Vegas last month I found an expanding gallery of barn door options,
particularly in the booth of the Real Carriage Door Co., as shown here. Barn doors definitely aren't just for
barns anymore! There are now wide choices in woods -- from alder, beech, and cedar to reclaimed redwood
and salvage Douglas fir -- to name just a few. Door hardware options and styles are also numerous, from the rustic hammered metal to sleek stainless steel and modish red. In fact there is an entire spectrum of
hardware colors to choose from as shown in this sample from the Real Carriage Door Company booth.
Browse this company's website and you will see a wide array of installation ideas, from use as pantry and
closet doors to this intriguing version that includes a window with shutters (the two photos above, plus the door and door hardware detail shots, courtesy Real Carriage Door Co.). Then of course, if the shape of your house is inspired by barn
architecture, why not include sliding barn doors at the entry, as shown in this wonderfully evocative example by Turnbull Griffin Haesloop Architects? Indeed, sliding barn doors offer a remarkably wide "pasture" of opportunity!
or contrasts with -- the wall. I am a huge fan! I love the diversity of styles from the very rustic and "barny" to the ultra-minimalist modern; not to mention the revamp of vintage doors as sliders (the example above is from Plan 888-18 by Nicholas Lee). Though I can see that sliding barn doors might not be the best solution for some situations, say for very tight sound insulation, I for one would put up with a little noise leakage!
Architect Cathy Schwabe used a barn door -- painted green -- to close off the studio-kitchenette
in her Cabin Plan 891-1. You can see how it becomes a vivid focal point without taking up extra space. In the 2015 Plan of the Year (Howie winner), Plan 909-10 by Hive Modular, the translucent glass sliding
door closes off the entry to the master suite while maximizing space on the landing and without blocking light.
At the big home builder show in Las Vegas last month I found an expanding gallery of barn door options,
particularly in the booth of the Real Carriage Door Co., as shown here. Barn doors definitely aren't just for
barns anymore! There are now wide choices in woods -- from alder, beech, and cedar to reclaimed redwood
and salvage Douglas fir -- to name just a few. Door hardware options and styles are also numerous, from the rustic hammered metal to sleek stainless steel and modish red. In fact there is an entire spectrum of
hardware colors to choose from as shown in this sample from the Real Carriage Door Company booth.
Browse this company's website and you will see a wide array of installation ideas, from use as pantry and
closet doors to this intriguing version that includes a window with shutters (the two photos above, plus the door and door hardware detail shots, courtesy Real Carriage Door Co.). Then of course, if the shape of your house is inspired by barn
architecture, why not include sliding barn doors at the entry, as shown in this wonderfully evocative example by Turnbull Griffin Haesloop Architects? Indeed, sliding barn doors offer a remarkably wide "pasture" of opportunity!
