22 Barn Door Ideas for Every Room of Your Home

Add charm and character while saving space with a sliding barn door.

Dining room open concept
Photo:

Justin Coit

A sliding barn door idea is a beautiful way to add character, charm, and an extra layer of architectural detail to your home. It's also an excellent space-saving solution for a tight area such as a hallway or pantry, where you need a door, but there isn't enough clearance for a traditional option. Barn doors are typically associated with farmhouse-style or rustic ranch homes. They are often constructed from reclaimed wood and hung on a black steel track, emphasizing their utilitarian design origins.

However, as you'll see from this collection of inspiring barn door ideas for every room in your home, the design possibilities are endless—paint the door a bold color to make an unexpected decorative statement, create a chevron pattern for a modern take on the sliding door, or go with a classic panel design for an elegant look. Browse our favorite barn door ideas that add style and function all in one.

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Color Contrast

Charcoal gray barn door in family room

John Bessler

This charcoal gray barn door idea adds color contrast to a modern family room. Paired with a painted brick wall and patterned wallpaper, the door's deep color, streamlined design, and mixed metal hardware create a contemporary aesthetic warmed up with light hardwood floors and a cozy textured jute area rug.

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Blue Barn Doors

Office floating shelves

Kritsada Panichgul

A set of blue barn doors with matte black hardware ushers in a playful finishing touch to this closet-turned-homework-nook. Painting your barn doors a lively color is a quick, easy, and inexpensive way to customize them. Here, the blue paint color ties in a whimsical wallpaper behind the built-in desk and stands out against the room's crisp white walls.

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Choose Reclaimed Wood

Reclaimed wood barn door

Jeff Herr

Give your home instant historic charm and character with a reclaimed wood barn door idea. The aged patina, organic wood grain pattern, and natural warmth of the material look stunning when set against elegant white walls and classic wainscoting, infusing the space with an inviting coziness.

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Pantry Barn Door Idea

Pantry barn door

Jay Wilde

A rustic wood barn door with a glass window panel is a practical and charming pantry door option. It saves space because it doesn't require clearance to open, the glass allows you to peek inside, and the richly stained wood ties in the home's beautiful hardwood floors and wood shelving inside the pantry.

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Chevron Pattern

Chevron barn door

Brie Williams

Switch things up. Instead of a reclaimed wood barn door, use the rustic material on the walls and go modern with your barn door idea. A fresh coat of semi-gloss gray paint creates a sleek backdrop for a chevron pattern and minimalist black hardware. The midtone gray picks up the cool tones in the wood accent wall and creates a beautiful layered mix of warm and cool neutrals.

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Space Saving Barn Door Idea

Narrow hallway with barn doors

Jim Franco 

A barn door is an excellent space-saving solution for small rooms, tight nooks, and narrow hallways. Warm white walls and light-colored stone tile keep this hallway light and bright, while a pair of aqua-blue sliding barn doors add a refreshing, spa-like serenity.

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Raised X Design

Mudroom barn door

Jay Wilde

Customize your barn door with interesting details such as a raised X design, a deep blue paint color, and an oversized handle. Leading into the mudroom, this door makes a bold statement and stands out against the light finishes in the space.

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Oversized Barn Door

Dining room open concept

Justin Coit

A set of oversized barn doors infuse this living space with bold energy and maintain its clean and contemporary aesthetic. Barn doors provide the perfect opportunity to get playful with color, and they offer versatility for open floor plans such as this one—keep them open for a light and airy feel or close them to control noise levels, hide messes, and create privacy.

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Primary Suite Barn Door

Primary bedroom with barn door

Brie Williams

Install a barn door in your primary suite to stylishly separate the bedroom and bathroom. Here, a white barn door seamlessly blends in with the warm white walls and, along with elegant crown molding, adds an extra layer of architectural detail to dress up the room. Simple touches such as switching out a regular door for a barn door and installing decorative trim work instantly elevate a space and give it a custom look.

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Mix Wood Tones

Kitchen and dining room open concept

Ryann Ford

To create a room that is layered and feels like it has been lovingly built over time, mix various wood tones. The dark stain on this large barn door stands out against the lighter tones used throughout the open space, but the common material creates continuity. The rich mahogany stain brings depth and balance that transforms the space, including a driftwood table base, light oak counter stools, and wood floors and ceiling beams.

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Modern Rustic Retreat

Rustic bedroom

Nathan Schroder

This modern rustic bedroom exudes warmth and cozy comfort. Exposed beams, a vaulted wood-planked ceiling, and a sliding barn door fill the space with so much inviting charm, while white shiplap walls, a distressed area rug, and soft bedding give it a touch of quintessential farmhouse style.

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Double Barn Door Idea

Bathroom double barn door

Nathan Schroder

Consider using double barn doors if you're working with a large door opening. Make sure that the wall on either side of the opening is as wide as the door since the panels will have to slide outward to open. In this home, white double doors open to visually frame a beautiful freestanding tub highlighted by a glass pendant light for ultimate elegance.

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Outdoor Barn Door Idea

Backyard barn door entrance

Dominique Vorillon

Since barn doors were originally meant for outdoor spaces, it only makes sense to use one in your backyard! This slatted wood barn door is a modern take on the exterior classic. Its straight lines echo the linear design of the pavers on the ground, achieving a clean, minimalist aesthetic.

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Farmhouse-Style Barn Door

Farmhouse style dining room

James Nathan Schroder

This all-white dining room is the epitome of farmhouse style. Distressed wood floors, shiplap walls, and a rustic table set the scene for a beautiful white barn door that completes the space. The four glass panels add a delicate feature that softens the barn door's appearance, which is typically more rustic and utilitarian. They also add some vintage-inspired flair that's perfectly fitting with this light-filled room's aesthetic.

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Rustic Living Room

Rustic living room

Jay Wilde

A sliding barn door was made for rustic spaces like this open-concept living and dining room. Two barn doors flank a painted brick fireplace, and their dark stain matches the wood ceiling beams, floating mantel shelf, and farmhouse-style dining table, distributing the color and natural material evenly throughout the space for visual balance.

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Neutral Color Scheme

Hallway barn door

Robert Brinson

A pair of gray-toned double barn doors add visual interest and maintain this upstairs hallway's neutral color scheme. Forgo a busy gallery wall and keep things simple with shiplap walls, one large piece of art, and a statement barn door such as this one. Its vertical wood panels contrast the horizontal wall design, while the materials tie in the stately banister and minimalist stair railing.

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Pop of Color

Kitchen pantry with green barn door

Greg Scheidemann

Instead of painting the walls a bold color, have fun with a bold barn door idea. From a visual perspective, this painted green door injects a dose of energy and fills the gray kitchen with a playful vibe, and practically speaking, it provides a quick way to hide any pantry clutter.

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Consider the Setting

Hallway blue barn doors

Greg Scheidemann

There are endless barn door ideas, from a rustic raised X pattern to a more traditional door-style panel design. Whatever you choose, keep in mind the style, size, and color scheme of the space where your barn door will hang. This will ensure that it's integrated into the room and is in proportion and stylistic harmony with the rest of the space.

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Laundry Room Barn Doors

Laundry room barn doors

Werner Straube

Give your laundry room a stylish makeover, and you may enjoy laundry day chores. These farmhouse-style wood barn doors visually frame the room and warm up the cool-toned charcoal gray floor tile and white shiplap walls while balancing the brightness of the yellow cabinetry. Plus, if the laundry piles up, simply slide the doors shut and hide the mess!

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Elegant 10-Panel Barn Door

Bathroom white barn door

James Nathan Schroder

Not all barn door ideas have to be rustic, as this elegant 10-panel barn door proves. Its classic panel design, solid white color, and polished chrome hardware combine for a sophisticated take on the barn door style.

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Dining Room Barn Doors

Farmhouse style dining room

Stacy Zarin Goldberg 

Although barn doors can be an excellent option for tight areas, their statement-worthy size and design work well in large rooms and gathering spaces. Here, they subtly contrast a horizontal shiplap wall and visually help fill the double-height dining room. A stained wood frame highlights the doors, creates contrast, and ties in other darker, rustic room elements.

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Matte Black Track

Farmhouse style bathroom

James Nathan Schroder

The tracks on which barn doors slide open and shut come in various materials and designs, but matte black metal is the most common choice. Its industrial look emphasizes the door's utilitarian origins, and the exposed mechanism adds an additional decorative layer.

If your home has a farmhouse or cottage feel, add more than just barn doors to continue the look. Choose flooring that brings the casual, comfortable look farmhouse and cottage are known for, including hardwood in either light or dark tones, depending on your taste. These styles invite visitors to pull up a chair and visit for a while, so provide comfortable seating in living spaces and your kitchen, too—a few barstools at an island are the ideal spot to enjoy a cup of coffee or tea with a friend. Have soft blankets on hand for cool evenings or winter afternoons, and your farmhouse or cottage vibe will be complete!

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