My love for barn doors is not new. In our old house, I designed one with reclaimed wood in the master bedroom.
Since we moved and our new master bedroom has more of a Scandinavian vibe, I wanted a barn door on the walk-in we created that would be simple and with a timeless design to reflect our neutral room.
Additionally, I had already started incorporating designs with wood slats elsewhere in the house and thought that it would fit perfectly for our room while being cohesive with the rest of our home design style.
So I replicated the living room wall separation concept to fit as a barn door. I’ve been asked countless times about this tutorial, and I am happy to finally share it!
Our door size is 84” x 37 ¼”, so the dimensions below reflect this size door.
MATERIALS
- Wood slats 3/4” x 1 ½”
- 2 pieces of wood 37 ¼” x 5 ½” x ¾”
- Screws #8. Size: 1 ½”
- Screw digger bit ½”
- Wood dowels 5/16” x 1½”
- Wood glue
- Barn rail system 79” x 2”
- Sand paper 220 grit
- 4 lag screws 2” x 3/8” with a hexagon head
- Foam roller
- Water based varnish
TOOLS
- Drill
- Miter saw
- Sander
- Hammer
Before I go into the how to, let’s discuss the type of wood. We chose pine wood for its accessibility and budget-friendly price knowing that the door is not too high. However, if you have a large door, you may want to consider a different wood essence.
Pine is not the most solid so it may bend with time if it is too long and is not supported throughout. In such case, think of cherrywood or white oak for lighter colored wood or any other hard wood of your choice.
HOW TO
- Measure the height and width of your door opening
- Calculate the number of slats you will need considering you will space them by 3/4” (the size of a slat)
- Ensure you factor in few additional wood slats on the right and left side of the opening so that it is aesthetically more pleasing
- Measure the length of rail you need. Don’t forget to double the measurement of your opening since the door will need to slide to allow full access
- Once you have all the materials, it’s time to cut the slats to the right height. You want to cut so the length is 1/2” to 1” above the floor and 3” to 5” above the door opening
- The cut the 2 boards that will hold the slats at the top and bottom. You will need to measure properly factoring in the width of the slats and the space in between each to come up with the right measurements
- Apply the varnish and let dry. You may need to sand lightly and reapply a second coat for extra protection.
- Now it’s time to assemble. Lay everything flat on the floor. Make sure you have enough space to work and the floor is clean.
- We placed the slats on the least thick side to give a sleek aesthetic. The 2 pieces of wood should go at the top and bottom.
- With a pencil and starting from one side, place the first slat and mark its position. Measure the distance after this first slat and place your second slat and mark it down. Continue with the same process until you’ve marked the entire door. Make sure the first slat is straight and perpendicular to the 5” piece of wood so that your door is straight.
- Then, it’s time to glue. Apply the glue of the portion of the slat that will be fixed to the pieces of wood and mount the entire door. Be sure to properly apply the glue for best result.
- Then, use the drill to make the holes through the slat and to the piece of wood. Screw each slat to the wood on the top and bottom part. Before putting the screws, use the screw digger bit to widen the holes for the dowels.
- For extra strength, we used 2 sets of screws at the top and 2 at the bottom
- Once you’re done, use dowels to close the holes. Also, you can use veneer facing to cover the back if you don’t want to see the dowels.
- Now it’s time to install the barn door rail system. You can follow instructions on the product you ordered. That’s how we did ours.
And you have a beautiful, Scandinavian design barn door that adds both aesthetics and function.
If you do this door, I’d love to see it, send me photos, tag me on social media so that I can share it.
Lara xx