A Gallery of Sliding Barn Door Designs and Inspirations!

Hi Friends!

Lately I've been running across a myriad of sliding barn door eye candy so I thought it would be fun to post about this lasting trend.  Sliding Barn doors on rails have always been a favorite look of mine.  Other than the fact that they very visually stimulating, there are many functional advantages to using a sliding door system instead of a swinging door.  One of those advantages is you can save space by not having to account for the door swing. Plus, you never have to listen to door being slammed again (or is that just something that appeals to me because I have 3 young children around!)

Here are some fantastic examples.

These kitchen pantries are concealed by a sliding barn door.  No need to worry about a door swing that goes right into the walkway.

Basic Lab

I LOVE the black iron and decorative brackets they used on this pantry door system!

Photo: Lawrence and Gomez Architects / Houzz

In this photo they set the railing off the living room for the guest bathroom.  The character of the door itself is a work of art!

Carla Aston

I have a feeling these sliding doors are located in the master bedroom leading to the master bathroom.  Just SO lovey and makes such a statement!!!!  What do you guys think? 

Photo: Bonin Architects & Associates / Houzz

How about these beautiful old reclaimed doors that are used between two rooms.   Sliding decorative doors make great room separators as the are so easy to leave open, partially open, or slide them completely closed.  

Carla Aston

This is a great example of a more modern feel (not a barn door per se) but still on that sliding rail system.  Designed by the architect this pair of track doors was built of blackened steel, water glass and reclaimed white oak.

Custom Made

This is another wonderful example of using a reclaimed door to add character to your home.

Carla Aston

I love everything about this sliding door....the wood, the glass and the unique iron rail they used.  

Photo: Weaver Custom Homes / Houzz

I thought this idea was brilliant!  A sliding barn door system that covers the flat screen TV!  What a lovely way to cover up the television.  I also love how it ties in the wooden ceiling beams.

I am sure there are a lot of you thinking, ya, I'd LOVE to put in a cool sliding door in my home but it looks hard (and expensive) and I have no idea how!  Well, Dana from House Tweaking can give you a full tutorial how to install one of these sliding barn doors into your own home!  So there is no excuse anymore :-) Go put in that sliding barn door you have always wanted!

As you can see, there are so many ways to use sliding barn doors in home interiors – where would you put a sliding barn door in your home?

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DIY Pottery Barn Knockoffs That You Will Want to Create

I always have so much fun when readers email me saying they have used one of my tutorials to make their own version of a project I have done.

When Beth sent me her version of the Knock Off Pottery Barn Clock I made, I asked if I could show you guys too. :-)

Isn't that fun?  I love it against her brick red wall.

Here is the one I made and the full Pottery Barn Clock tutorial if you want to make one of your own.  Honestly, it's not hard!  

You can also check out my post of tips on how to decorate the top of all your cabinets and hutches.

Here are some more AMAZING and inspirational Pottery Barn Knockoffs that have inspired me (and hopefully you too!) 

Alicia from Thrifty and Chic made these adorable canvas and wood Pottery Barn Knock off baskets.

Perfect for additional storage under your console table!

Diane from In My Own Style created her own Pottery Barn Knock off paper towel holder with old wooden utensils  and then spray painted the entire piece.  My favorite color of spray paint to use is Krylon's Oil Rubbed Bronze.  You could also change up the entire look of this piece by using a bright red and then distressing it with sandpaper.  There are so many ways to make this piece special to fit your own home decor.

This next Pottery Barn Knockoff has been a favorite of mine for years!  Gina from The Shabby Creek Cottage took a brown wooden thrift store lamp ($7 bucks) and spray painted it white.  Next she painted on a French font that she had traced onto the shade.  

I had a lot of fun running across this coffee table as Korrie used the same pottery barn knockoff clock I used as her inspiration.  

Once again, a fun thrift store find (8 bucks!)

And the fun AFTER!

Red Hen Home


Which one was your favorite?  Ready to go thrift store shopping? :-)

Like always, my hope is to inspire you to have fun with your home decor.  Getting inspiration from stores like Pottery Barn, West Elm or Ballard Designs is a great way to figure out what your OWN style is.  Trying to re-create a piece from them is very rewarding and your pocket book will thank you!!

Turning Closets Into Nooks and Other Fun Spaces

Have you ever had a closet located in a spot where you think WOW, that looks ugly :-)  We know it happens (what were the builders thinking!) but this post is going to give you HOPE for that little 'ol closet.  

I absolutely LOVE what Kandi from Woven Home did to her coat closet.  It was the very first thing you saw when you opened their front door, and you all know how important I feel first impressions are. 

BEFORE: This is what you saw when you entered their home. /-:

And now, this is what you see when you enter their home!

Can you believe the difference!!  Now that really makes the entry inviting. :-)

Or what about turning your closet space into something else completely?  These people turned a space that could have been used as a closet into a great place to put the washer and dryer.

BHG

I have seen a lot of people turn their closets into craft areas.  I need something like that as I know I won't get an entire room dedicated to crafts until a kid moves out of the house ;-)

BHG

This is similar to Kandi's first impression entrance situation.  I'm sure Shelly from House of Smiths thought something other than a closed closet would look nice in the entry.   Just look at what they did!

Are you as impressed as I am?!  

Click on over to see every step of the process.

The House of Smiths

Not having doors on a closet can give added dimension to a room, and even make it appear larger.  Although, I know some of you are laughing thinking, oh you WANT closet doors on all MY closets! (believe me, this interior designer wants closet doors on most of her closets too!)

BHG

Here's another great idea - what about turning your closet into an office??  I love this!  It can be hard to dedicate an entire room to an office, and so many older homes don't have ANY area to hold a computer, so this options works very well. 

BHG

Sarah from Thrifty Decor Chick will give you a step by step tutorial on how to turn your own closet into a cute little reading nook!  I am sure I could snuggle up in there and enjoy a good book. (Although, that space looks a little small....maybe it was just meant for kids) :-)

What do you guys think?  Have any of these pictures inspired you to tear apart your closet? :-) Any married woman reading this should be very excited as it's Valentine's  Day Weekend! I'm sure your husband would love to be assigned fun new project to tackle for you. (he,he) 

Have a great day my friends!

Painting a Room in Gray - Picking the Perfect Color

In general, I have always leaned towards painting a room in warm beige tones.

For those of you that are familiar with my own home design, you will recall it is filled with warm beige walls.    

Even though I personally learn towards the beige tones, love it or hate it, there's no denying that gray has come into the design world to replace beige as the new "It" neutral.   I have to admit, the more I see gray used, the more I like it!

My last two design clients have wanted to paint their interior gray.  I ALWAYS recommend painting test strips so you can see a larger swatch and how the time of day effects the paint color.

If you are worried about painting the room and having it look like Seattle ;-)  just be sure to choose one that has a warm undertone. (a red, instead of a cold blue base)  I can get away with talking about Seattle looking DREARY because I lived there for 20 years :-)  (Yes, you can click the link to see all the places I have lived and how I enjoyed each one.)

This client chose Gray Matters by Sherwin Williams - it was very nice and had a warm undertone.

The client above was the same client that I just finished the American Clay application for.  So far, there is not ANY American Clay color I haven't loved, but seeing the clay in a gray tone instead of a warm, familiar beige tone was surprisingly beautiful.

Chesapeake Bay American Clay (with a bit of snow canyon mixed in too)

Here is a list of some of my favorite gray paint colors to get you started.  It can be intimidating trying to find the perfect gray for your home interior.  /-:  (and that's why I'm here to help!)

Rockport Gray

Sherry from YHL describes: Rockport Gray is an awesome moody gray tone with some mocha in it. I love how it’s both warm and cool and since it’s darker than the more airy greige tones, it feels more smoky and sophisticated – and really pops with white trim. We used it in our bedroom.

Next gray paint is Revere Pewter.  It is the #1 searched for on Benjamin Moore's website.  It is such a classic gray and goes with just about anything.

Benjamin Moore

My other client choose Litchfield Gray by Sherwin Williams.

Another gray that goes with just about anything.  It has just a hint of warmth.....very nice.

And like always, it's fun to see a little eye candy of others using the color gray even in furniture! I LOVE it when I see gray mixed with a bright and bold color like the samples below.

Gray with RED accents.

A Girl and a Brush


How about gray with YELLOW accents!

Young House Love

Or a little girls room done in gray with PINK accents (super sweet!)

Project Nursery


And lastly, gray stripes with bright turquoise accents.

What are your thoughts on the Oh-So-Popular color gray trend?

Still prefer beige or head over heels about the latest "it" neutral? :-)

Or maybe you are like me, and love BOTH!