DIY BARN DOORS

Barn doors are everywhere, I'd say they're having a moment, but let's be honest, they're having a whole hour! I knew I wanted to add them somewhere in our house, but I also knew that I wasn't going to pay the hefty price tag that they came with. The closet that is sort of part of my dining room and sort of part of my kitchen and sort of it's own area finally bothered me enough to update it, and it was the perfect space to add this element! It only cost me $20 to update them. I think it's definitely a good bang for your buck.
​

​The closet in question had hollow core doors. Actually everywhere in my house has hollow core doors. Our dining room was a former "rec room"/bonus room that had dark brown paneling and brownish carpet. I knew immediately it could be a beautiful dining room, once the brown was expelled. That reno is another story for another day, but the reason I bring it up is that this closet sits positioned at the end of this room. However it's also visible from the kitchen and the living room (an early 1950's nod to open concept). I knew whatever I did to the closet would need to be visually pleasing.
​

50 Shades of Brown?

Initially I tried a Pinterest trick I saw using painters tape and paint to do a pattern on the doors. I painted them white, created a little border with tape and then used the same color as my dining room over them. I was hoping for them to blend in. It was a total Pinterest fail, they looked awful. I now realize, I don't want them to blend in, I want them to stand out.
​

​I decided rather than build them from scratch, to save time and money, I would add a faux barn door facade to the core hollow doors. It was super easy, you just need 1 x 3s.
​

I actually bought furring strips since they are cheaper, but beware they can be very warped. Mine ran about $2 each, I would have paid $6 for a regular 1x3's. If I did it again, it would probably be worth it to pony up the extra $4 a board, but live and learn right?
​

Lay your doors flat on the ground and measure length. Cut two 1x3's to that length and attach them to the core door using either a nail gun or finishing nails. Then, measure the width between the 1 x 3's and cut a board to fit snugly across. Attatch in the same way.
​

I should have a more professional way to tell you to do the angle cut, but I'm not a professional, so I don't. I laid a board from corner to corner, and used a speed square to mark where the line would be to make the angle, like this:
​

I know that isn't super clear instructions, but hopefully you get the idea. You may need some trial and error. The key is you want them to fit snug. Attatch them in the same way you did the other boards. ​
​

Finally, paint the whole door whatever color you want and attach your hardware. My core doors were already on runners, so I didn't use barn door hardware, but you can get some pretty cheaply on Amazon if you are changing a regular door to a barn door.
​

I think they add a little something to the dining room!

 I did both of the existing core doors in barn door style and attatched them. I'm really happy with how they turned out. They add a nice architectural element and interest to the room. I was going for a rustic glam/Pottery Barn vibe in my dining room, and I think these doors contribute to that. They are functional and I don't mind seeing them from all the different rooms. Finally, they were super affordable to DIY. 
 
Do you have core doors? I'd love to hear if you've done something  ​