12 homes that prove barn doors aren't just for the countryside

Article by Homes to Love

Both functional and stylish, barn doors are our new favourite interior trend. Here’s how to use this design feature in your own home

Originally inspired by the classic countryside barn, a sliding door is a great way to add a rustic feel to your interior. With it’s fabricated steel track and bare wood surface, this decor piece doesn’t have to be limited to just the farmhouse interior style.

This style of door is an ongoing trend that makes a statement while still being practical. From interesting material choices to stylish colour palettes, renovators across the globe are using barn-style doors as a creative design feature in their homes. Here are some handy tips and real homes that might just inspire you to get a little country.

Stylish and space-saving

Compared to a hinged door that swings, barn-style sliders are a fabulous space-saving alternative. In areas where space is limited, barn doors can make a room feel much bigger. They are an ideal choice for awkward spaces like hallways and butler’s pantries and they are an easy solution for shutting off a private space or separating a multi-functional room.

Material choices

The barn door doesn’t have to be limited to its traditional reclaimed wood style either. There are plenty of ways you can modernise the door whilst still keeping with your own aesthetic. You could switch up the materials of the track and/or door or just give it a fresh lick of paint. Using a door you already have and mounting it to a track is also a simple but effective idea.

Shop the look

If you’re after an authentic barn door style, keep an eye out on Trademe for one you could try reclaim. You could also search through your local recycling centre or secondhand furniture yard.

Get inspired

For some real-life inspiration check out these kiwi homeowners below and see how they have incorporated the door style into their own interiors.

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In this industrial-styled Waihi home, a barn door was chosen for the pantry as it fits with the loft theme the homeowners envisioned for the kitchen and dining area.

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The muddy green barn door in the scullery of this New Plymouth home was a budget hack – the family’s builders used leftover timber to make it to their specifications.

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Inspired by pinterest, this homeowner found their slider door brand new for $190 including delivery from America, “it was a great find as the cheapest we could get in New Zealand was in excess of $800” she explains.

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For this Havelock North home, the sliding barn door reveals the heart of the home. It was made from recycled rimu, using a picture found in a magazine as the blueprint.

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Inside this Kawau Bach a translucent, galvanised steel-framed sliding door allows the space to be closed off or opened up for flow.

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A wooden barn door on an exposed steel track separates this Christchurch bathroom from the hall.

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This striking black barn door makes a statement while providing a barrier between the living area and the rest of the house when needed.

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This Mangawhai new-build features a modern take on farmhouse interior style, including this sleek sliding door separating a bedroom and it's ensuite.

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In this small home in Auckland, the architect used barn-style doors throughout the home for their space-saving qualities.

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An ensuite in this Belmont bungalow features a well-placed barn door to make it more spacious.

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A barn door with glass planes was added during this Otago renovation to allow the lounge to be shut off on cold nights, while still offering a connection to the kitchen area.