Goodbye 1968 doors, hello new barn doors!

While the basement in our home was finished long before we moved in, there are some elements of the space that have always prevented it from functioning efficiently. Over the past month, we have committed to working through those kinks with a contractor to enable the space to work smarter while updating some finishes.

This week, we are focused on smoothing the transition from room to room by bidding farewell to the original doors that swung into the rooms and obstructed the traffic patterns.   Out with the old 1968 doors and in with...

...  new barn doors!  Home Depot makes the process incredibly easy as they have over 200 styles, in every price range, size, and aesthetic.  The best part?  Many of them sold in kits to ensure that you have everything single that you will need for installation.   We opted for a classic two-panel white shaker style door with traditional oil-rubbed bronze hardware.  I was pleasantly surprised when they arrived this week to find how heavy-duty they wae!

Comparable in function and price to pocket doors, a barn door is an easy DIY option. While a pocket door requires tearing out drywall and messing with the structure to install the frame that stows the door internally within the wall...

...a barn door is strictly an exterior installation. It is not only a faster and easier installation than a pocket door, it is a terrific way to add visual and architectural interest to a room.  For us, it means no more doors hanging open from room to room blocking the flow from the finished to unfinshed side of our basement.