11 Barn Door Designs and Decor Ideas for Your Home

Installing a barn door within your home doesn’t have to mean a total upheaval of all things modern in exchange for rustic barn door designs. A barn door’s presence within a home can create a subtle or transformational effect on function, fulfilling various roles throughout a house’s floor plan: 

11 Barn Door Designs and Decor Ideas for Your Home

1. Pocket Doors
2. Room Dividers
3. Toy Rooms
4. Bathrooms
5. Pantries and Closets
6. TV Cabinet Replacement
7. Artwork
8. Headboards
9. Indoor Tables
10. Outdoor Tables
11. Garage Doors

As varied in style as in use, both exterior barn door designs and interior barn door designs range from modern and contemporary colors and patterns to rustic and shabby chic. This means that you are sure to find the perfect style for a new barn door that seamlessly takes the place of any older, traditional swinging door or provides a new, interesting element to your home. A quick Pinterest search will result in a long series of barn door styles and images that prove that these doors aren’t just for replacing outdated swinging barn door designs and functions. Today, barn doors are used for so much more, providing practical solutions to everyday dilemma, as well as an unmatched aesthetic that is unique to barn door styles. Take a look at the list below of barn door ideas to see how barn doors can take the place of the traditional door, table, cabinet, and much more. 

11 Barn Door Designs and Decor Ideas for Your Home

Pocket Doors

Sliding barn doors are versatile in both their movement and placement. Though many would like to always have a barn door’s unique features and design on display, many homeowners deal with the reality of tight spaces and low square footage. A pocket door is the perfect solution for these types of homes.  Barn door pocket doors artistically separate spaces but conveniently slide into a pocket in the walls when open. In comparison to hinged barn door designs, these doors provide the maximum amount of usable space. There’s no need to factor the radius of a door swing or worry about covering up wall space should it need to be repurposed in other ways. 

Room Dividers

Barn doors also make excellent room dividers for open concept floor plans. These doors can be installed on a fixed or movable wall, or the barn door track system can be installed directly into the ceiling. They can partially or fully separate spaces, like the dining room from the living room, an entryway from a den, or a kitchen from a breakfast area.  Privacy is an option when installing a solid wood interior door, while a sliding glass door could create division without visual separation. They could also be used within a bedroom to separate the sleeping areas of siblings who are sharing a room. Really, you can place a barn door wherever you want the ability to move between partial or full privacy and open concept. These doors look a bit more finished than other common room dividers, such as curtains and folding partition walls—though these can find their rightful place within larger spaces as well. 

Toy Rooms

Having kids means having a lot of toys...and noise! Of course, the ideal home has a separate room where kids can play and parents don’t need to worry so much about containing all of that chaos, but the reality is that most homes do not have an available playroom or den that can be reserved for children.  A sliding barn door is the perfect solution to creating a play area within a living room or bedroom where parents can store all of their children’s toys while also keeping an eye on their kids. And if they run out of time to organize the play area before guests arrive, parents can simply close the barn doors and display the beautiful design of this unique divider without revealing the mess of joyful moments and memories. 

Bathrooms

A master bedroom often includes a master suite with a large bathroom and walk-in closet. Barn doors are an innovative way to separate these areas with standout design. There’s no need to settle for a regular door: instead, choose a sliding barn door or pocket door to conserve space and add a unique element to one of the most important rooms in the house.  Standard door hardware, like locks and handles, can be installed onto barn doors so that the privacy required of a bathroom door can still be maintained. Half baths and guest baths can also benefit from the versatility of a sliding door. Additionally, many homes feature a half bath that shares a space with a laundry room. To create more division and to prevent losing precious space by installing a swinging door, a homeowner can rely on the sliding barn door style to separate the room’s multi-function purposes. 

Pantries and Closets

From bedroom closets and hallway cubbies to bathroom vanities and kitchen pantries, an interior barn door can cover it all. This space-saving door design is another opportunity to add unique style and practicality to the parts of your home that are often overlooked. Standard sliding barn doors, as well as pocket doors, are functional options to replace a closet door, pantry door, or decorative display unit door in any room.  A closet, pantry, or vanity that contains organized chaos might be best paired with a solid wood sliding door while a cubby space full of decor or a bookshelf might be best paired with a set of sliding, paneled glass doors, similar to french doors. It all depends on what you wish to contain, conceal, or display.

Shutters

Rustica features barn door shutters to replace blinds and curtains in a new way. These shutters are available in standard sizes or a barn door can be customized to fit larger spaces and act as an oversized door shutter for standard windows. Like barn doors for door openings, both bipart doors and bypass doors work to seamlessly open and close over windows. And, with a rise in the popularity of stand-alone sunburst windows, a set of small, customized barn door shutters can artfully frame these light-enhancing windows replacing the traditional sunburst shutter. These shutters could also be motorized to allow for a handsfree opening and closing process.

TV Cabinet Replacement

Here’s another innovative example of barn door designs for interiors.Instead of purchasing a bulky TV cabinet that is sure to either fall out of style or function as the television continues to evolve, consider installing barn door panels as a covering for your TV. Biparting doors work best in this situation as they can easily open and close along sliding barn door tracks installed in front of your TV, hanging from the ceiling.  As you replace your TV throughout the years possibly opting for different dimensions, the barn doors will continue to provide functional protection. If you have a recessed wall space that houses your television, pocket doors can work as well. As with other uses for barn doors, this particular installation provides a creative focal point in the living room, den, or bedroom whenever the barn doors are closed. 

Artwork

Consider this barn door idea: as with televisions, many homeowners choose to place barn doors in front of artwork or pictures. You could utilize these barn doors in a number of ways: keep the barn doors open to create a one of a kind frame around the pieces you want to feature; use the barn doors to preserve the artwork from the damaging effects of both artificial and natural light; transition the doors from open to close as your decorations and focal points change throughout seasons and holidays. Any of these functions can be fulfilled through installing a set of sliding barn doors!

Headboards

Imagine attaching a classic barn door or a rustic barn door as a headboard to a spacious queen or king bed. Barn doors provide an eye-catching blend of texture, design, and repurposing that a traditional headboard cannot. A worn vintage door adds an interesting element of storytelling and history while a charming knotty alder wood door contributes a cozy invitation to relax and rest. Barn doors could also make beautiful footboards or a sturdy baseboard as well. With variation in style, each bedroom could feature a different barn door as a focal point. 

Indoor Tables

Instead of purchasing a new farmhouse table, there are many barn door options that could be reinvented into the ideal, eight foot (or longer!) table that brings your guests together during holidays and celebrations.Everything from a modern barn door to a rustic wood door can be repurposed into a table, matching the decor of your home. Materials like wood, stone, and metal can all serve as a sturdy and durable replacement to the traditional table. This innovative furniture will be a focal point and conversation starter for all who pull up a chair. 

Outdoor Tables

Similarly, outdoor-rated barn doors can be used as picnic or patio tables. A rustic or country design might be the first style that comes to mind when thinking of outdoor dining, but contemporary and modern patterns can also look just as exquisite in your backyard. If your home features a larger deck or bigger acreage, take advantage of the space by using a double door to create an even more spacious area for guests and family. 

Garage Doors

Barn door garage door designs can evoke both contemporary and traditional styles, so don’t assume that you need to convert your modern garage into a rustic barn. These doors will be installed in multiples to allow for cars to pass and each door can be easily closed and locked for security purposes with the addition of a hardware kit.Many homeowners choose to install sliding barn garage doors if their garage ceiling can’t allow for mechanical, upwards folding doors, either for spatial reasons or because they wish to use their ceiling for hanging storage. 

Sliding Barn Door Styles 

Rustica proudly offers an ever-growing collection of quality, interior sliding barn door designs. All barn doors for sale on their site have been intentionally crafted to reflect everything from the well-known to the unique in terms of patterns and functions. From modern and simple barn door designs to complex and classic sliding barn door designs, you’ll find that Rustica has it all. 

Rustic

Rustic style is often associated with minimally processed or treated reclaimed wood. The ever-coveted rustic charm relies upon a material’s natural and unfinished beauty and texture.  Wood or stone usually form the base of a rustically designed piece of furniture, and doors are no different. Rustic-inspired doors are crafted from raw or unfinished wood that stands out from traditional painted doors. Though usually treated and finished for preservation, the wood grain always takes center stage.  Rustica features a number of beautiful, rustic barn doors. The True Barn Door's subtle grey finish allows the wood’s naturally diverse wood grain shine through while the Craftsman Barn Door has the same effect.  The Vertical Rustica Reclaimed Barn Door, though manufactured to resemble reclaimed wood, also features a wood panel that adds the same one-of-a-kind “natural” grain variation reminiscent of the real, repurposed wood. 

Country

Most designers agree that a country design is slightly different than a true rustic style, though the differences are hard to note at times.  Barn door designs within this style often feature softer colors that don’t necessarily need to fall on the natural spectrum. Though white or cream colors are favorites within this category, many country doors are painted with worn reds, greens, or yellows. Whatever the color, a country barn door should evoke a feeling of hospitality and comfort without attacking the eye with super-contemporary design or absorbing all the attention in the room. Instead, these doors are intended to softly blend in with the other country-themed decor and furniture.  Rustica’s Full X Barn Door design reflects a country style for a couple of reasons. First, its supportive center X beams reflect the barn doors traditional use of providing security and support in homes and barns. The barn red color (as well as the other softer colors offered as finishes and stains) also reflects the worn farmhouse style look of true country design. The Dutch Z Barn Door and the Stable Barn Door are both crafted with similar country charm and function. 

Modern

As with rustic vs. country, there are slight nuances between modern design and contemporary design. The good news is that Rustica features both.  First, let’s discuss modern design. Though evoking a sense of the here and now, modern design only refers to the early to mid-twentieth century. Modern style is founded in a simple, no-fuss approach to design and function. Materials like leather, wood, and stone are often used though metal, steel, and glass are also incorporated as well. Perhaps most popular within this category is mid-century modern. This style uses clean lines and patterns. If we are looking to define modern interior barn door designs, we will look for the multi panels of barn door styles with horizontal planks.   Rustica’s craftsmen produce many exquisite options for modern barn door designs. A modern door like the Five Panel Barn Door features multi-panels of acrylic, frosted acrylic, wood, or metal set between solid wood. The Sliding Bryce Vintage Barn Door is definitely minimal in design, functional, and evocative of retro style as is the Leather Modern Range Barn Door. 

Contemporary

Contemporary, on the other hand, refers to what is in right now, in this very moment. More complex designs, like curved lines and intricate patterns are used in an approach to contemporary style. Function might be more complex as well. In the world of doors, this might look like a door that holds multi-use purposes (think: mirrors, chalkboards, etc.)  Some styles, like the popular chevron pattern of Rustica’s Heartland Chevron Barn Door, might fit into both contemporary and modern styles, as it features both simple, crisp patterns but is also experiencing a resurgence of popularity in the world of interior design.  Interior barn doors crafted by Rustica that fit a contemporary approach include the Alta Barn Door and the Diamond Barn Door. Both utilize more intricate patterns of zig zags or geometric diamond patterns. The Whiteboard Barn Door and the Chalkboard Barn Door are both examples of complex, contemporary function. Both of these doors feature panels that can be used to jot down notes and record memories, using either an erasable marker or chalk. These doors are a giant leap away from the original uses of the traditional barn door, but they perfectly reflect innovative, contemporary style. 

Shabby Chic

Distressed material and paint is the key to achieving the shabby chic look in your home. Furniture and doors that look like they have been well-used (or even abandoned!) evoke a combination of old world decadence married to tired charm. There are many ways to achieve the shabby chic look even when purchasing a new door. Antique finishes or techniques of distressing materials and paint can all achieve shabby chic status and can easily be applied to new doors through a bit of hardwork and elbow grease. As a guide to creating this look DIY, lean towards neutrals like ivory or cream, as well as worn pastels, which are all common colors in shabby chic style.  The Abandoned Barn Door is a perfect example of a shabby chic approach to barn door style. The worn wood, light blue color, and decorative center screen sends one on a journey of imagining where this door proudly stood in another day in time. The metal center speaks of opulence while the knotty alder wood declares a history of long life. Though “farmhouse” is in the title, Farmhouse French Half X Barn Door can also serve as an expression of shabby chic style. This particular door reflects traditional french door design, a design origin that spoke of decadence from the moment of conception. When finishing the wood panel in abandoned blue, stripped white, or aqua, the farmhouse glass barn door finds its shabby chic identity. 

Choosing Barn Door Designs For Your Space

Determining the best barn door designs for your home is entirely up to you as the interior designer of both style and functionality. A great place to start is to consider whether or not your home would benefitfrom a barn door’s sliding track system. Could you use a bit more square footage by removing older, hinged doors? Is there a space that could benefit from the privacy of a ceiling mounted room divider? Or is there a cubby area or pantry that, though you try with all your might, never looks as organized as you wish it could?  If so, begin your journey of reviewing the pocket doors, biparting doors, and bypassing doors available on Rustica’s website.  The next step is less practical but perhaps a bit more fun. Which parts of your home could be replaced with an unconventional use of a barn door? Take a look around at your dining room tables, coffee tables, headboards, patio furniture, TV cabinet, and curtains. Are you married to any of these items or are you up for the exciting opportunity of repurposing a barn door to fulfill one of these roles in your home?  Choose one room and begin there to experience the unique aesthetic that only a barn door can create within an exterior or interior space. If you find yourself in need of inspiration, head over to Pinterest for design ideas, or begin to review the many beautiful, hand-crafted doors that Rustica offers on their site. As you review the styles, materials, finishes, and barn door hardware available, your mind will be inspired to invent new and interesting ways of incorporating barn doors designs into your own home.