Monday, August 30, 2010

Son, Were You Born in a Barn?

If you were born and raised in or around the South, it's not unlikely that you've heard the above phrase. Still to this day I think it when someone comes in my front door and leaves it standing open- why do we not instinctively want to close the door? I know it isn't just a boy thing... I tested that out a long time ago. What's really funny, is to ask someone that has never darkened the door of a barn if they were born in one and watch the wave of shock and offense come across their face. You get to explain the saying and then next time they're out the door they don't let what little bit of cool air we still have inside outside.

I have a soft spot for barns- as a kid, I think we may have spent more time in the barns than we did in the house. There is something mysterious and adventurous about a barn as a child, and now that I'm just slightly older barns take me to a slower time where each nail and plank have a story to tell.

So that's where we are- Now how do we bring that same rustic feel in to our homes(without the varmints and weather)?
Is there anything better than a red barn door? Notice the sliding hardware at the top- each of these doors are on a sliding track, essentially an exposed pocket door. The above hardware is a Horseshoe style and as with any other kind of door, there are many different ways to accomplish the same result. The best resource for Barn Door Hardware that I've found is BarnDoor Hardware(imagine that).

Should we stick with red?
How about yellow?
Sometimes barn doors look best just as you found them. Everyone knows that I am a HUGE fan of reclaimed and repurposed items.
Other times, a traditional white or whitewash is all one needs to finish that perfect barn door and compliment the space around it.


Now, those rooms just scream, "Slow down and enjoy the moment!" Because many of us are moving toward not only a slower home but a smaller home as well, a barn-mount door may just be that designer trick to help give your space the character it's missing with a standard interior door. Because traditional interior doors eat floor square footage and pocket doors are often "lost" in the door frame, a sliding barn door offers the best of both worlds!

Lots of photo credits: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six and Seven. 

20 comments:

  1. Yay sliding doors! That desk is wonderful.

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  2. Just in case you also get your self-worth through comments just wanted to say I think ALL of these are gorgeous! I don't like red normally but that glossy one on top is quite nice... ; )

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  3. Becky- Agree, always nice to cover up a cluttered space when company arrives!

    Tammy- Glad you enjoyed, I couldn't agree more.

    Madame- The comments certainly feed my ego, so thanks. ;-) I like the gloss red, too. Weirdly, as much as I am not a fan of yellow, the yellow door might be my favorite.

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  4. I like the repurposed one best. I'm into plain (except when it comes to Nick; then I'm into embarrassing him by mentioning his true Southern man-appeal). Yellow is evil and should be mixed with red to make my fave color - orange.

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  5. HA! I can always rely on Alexandra to liven up the comments section.

    They yellow isn't awful... BUT I agree, and orange one would've been magnificent- Thx for the comment!

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  6. Fantastic post! What a great way to separate a space that would normally be designed to stay open.

    I am, however, feeling rather self conscious about the yellow I have in my house now... lol

    Beautiful images.

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  7. Love them! The reclaimed door made me drool just a little and surprising, the yellow was better than I thought it'd be. We too purchased hardware from that company and did the horseshoe slider on a recent project. They were doors covering the front door...love the look.

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  8. Ohmygosh! I am LOVING these! Great finds :)

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  9. I love the look of a sliding barn door. I'm trying to convince my hubby to install a couple of them in our house, but he isn't going for it.

    The reclaimed wood door is my favourite. And even though I'm a total colour person, there's something about the first white door that really appeals to me. I think it's the combination of a rustic element in an elegant setting.

    Kelly

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  10. Yellow door is very impressive!..Really an eye catching color!

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  11. I love these doors. I like the white traditional door. It saves space and would not be as expensive as a pocket door.

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  12. Love the bright red, and the yellow ... and we definitely had exactly that phrase in Wales and England way back when I was a kid, so sorry, you Southerners don't get to claim it!

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  13. Thank you so much for all the pictures! I love how they don't take up any space by swinging out into the room. And with the hardware exposed you don't have to worry about if your structure will allow for a traditional pocket door.

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  14. If you want a unique entry, then barn doors are your best bet.

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  15. While I like the sliding doors, I don't care that much for the styling. Growing up on a farm, they just don't seem that cool to me.

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  16. Bring the barn in the house, without the hay bales!

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  17. Love doing something new and fresh with reclaimed and re-purposed items! I especially love the look of the bathroom door! I was going to ask where you would suggests getting old barn doors but I don't think these would be too hard to build yourself and make them a custom size for your home. Great post :)

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  18. Wasn't sure what to do the URL request. In order to list my name; therefore, I just selected Anonymous. :)

    JoAnn August 31, 2012 10:21 am

    Great idea. Just 1 question...how could this best be applied to a carpeted area?

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