We know the question that's already on your mind: can barn doors really be modern?
The short answer: yes. A barn door is simply any door that slides along the wall instead of swinging, and modern designs use flush panels, asymmetry, and clean hardware to fit contemporary and even avant-garde interiors.
The name 'barn doors' suggests that this type of door is inherently rustic. When they originally moved from outdoor barns to indoor spaces, this kind of sliding door was made to look rustic. But it's simply not the case anymore. Now, barn doors and their hardware are available in all kinds of designs, including modern, contemporary, and even avant-garde.
Really, a barn door can be just like any other interior door in your home. All that's different about it is its direction of travel. A barn door is any door that slides along the wall, rather than swings. Get inspired with our top ten modern barn door designs, and learn all you need to know about sizing, hardware considerations, soft close mechanisms, and more.
StyleMatching Barn Door Style to Your Architecture
Chances are you probably have some idea already of what it means to coordinate your barn door to the style of the room. But our advice can be summarized as: don't overthink it. Here are the broad differences between traditional, rustic, and modern designs for this door type.
Rustic barn doors are the most common, and they're probably the image you have in your mind's eye by default. These doors are planks of wood with a spline, or narrow connective piece, holding the planks together. Most of these styles feature horizontal braces at the top and bottom, which are screwed in place with visible screwheads. Diagonal braces are also a hallmark of this door type. If you want your home to feel aligned with a modern or contemporary style, it's best to avoid these.
Traditional doors feature rail-and-stile joinery with flat or raised panels within the framing pieces. The panels are thinner dimensionally than the framing pieces. Usually they are very symmetrical, meaning that if you were to fold the design in half on itself, each half would look the same.
Modern doors may also have rail and stile joinery, like traditional doors. But they are more likely to have "flush" or full thickness panels, meaning that the panels are the same thickness (or nearly the same thickness) as the framing pieces. Modern doors often feature asymmetrical, offset, or diagonally oriented design motifs. These designs tend to have less ornamentation than their traditional counterparts, such as raised panels.
Our selectionTop Ten Modern Barn Door Designs
01Offset Slat Barn Door
Shown in Zebrawood
The Offset Slat Door is one of our best-loved modern sliding doors. It really wows with species like exotic Zebrawood.
02Tri Window Modern Barn Door
Shown in Plain Sawn White Oak
Another bestseller, the Tri Window Barn Door is ideal for Mid Century Modern spaces.
03Mid-Century-Modern Screen Door
Shown in Black Walnut
The above two images show how the barn door design and material choice impact the entire feel of the same space. A darker wood makes this MCM Screen Barn Door more of a focal point.
04Chevron Diamond Modern Barn Door
Shown in Western Red Cedar
This chevron arrow design works best with woods with a prominent wood grain. It's shown here in a lighter-than-average batch of Western Red Cedar, but it also works with Knotty Alder, Douglas Fir, or Sapele.
05True Plank Barn Door
Shown in Plain Sawn White Oak
The True Plank design was our first foray into a more modern look. As the name suggests, it's true solid timber.
06Tacoma Modern Barn Door With Glass
Shown in Cherry
The Tacoma barn door emphasizes the door's height with its vertical panels of glass. Shown here in Crystal Etched (frosted) glass.
07Narrows Modern Door
Shown in Cherry
Another look at how just changing the door design influences a space. The horizontal glass panels of the Narrows design emphasize the overall width and expansiveness of the room.
08Five Panel Modern
Shown in Padauk
Padauk's vibrant crimson coloration pairs perfectly with darker, moodier interiors. The Five Panel Modern Barn Door is available in over twenty wood options, just like all our doors.
09Chevron Point
Shown in Knotty Alder
The Chevron Point Sliding Door does well in mountain modern environments like this one.
10Chevron Arrow
Shown in Maple
The Chevron Arrow Barn Door has an appealing sense of dynamic movement.
Barn Door Sizing: Our Tips + Considerations For Modern Spaces
Sizing for a sliding barn door is a little bit different from standard swinging doors, because they have to cover the door opening, not fit within it. Additionally, you'll want it to fully cover any molding or trim around the door opening, or else it can look quite awkward. Our complete illustrated guide to barn door sizing has more in-depth information when it's time to get down to brass tacks.
Often, a sliding barn door reads as more "modern" when it's slightly oversized, but this may not be proportional for your space. In a room with high ceilings, you can choose to make the dimensions larger. The larger your door is, the more effectively it dampens sounds. Strikingly modern designs, like our Chevron Point or Arrow, respond well to larger dimensions. You can think of your barn door like a piece of moving art. It gives you the chance to make a statement.
HardwareTop-Mount vs. Face-Mount Track Systems
With barn doors, the hardware is just as important of a feature as the door design itself. Yet when it comes time to choose between top-mounted or face-mounted hangers, sometimes function takes priority over form. For lighter weight doors, top mounted hardware is typically the most popular choice for modern, contemporary, and transitional interiors. This is because it allows the door design to stand on its own. The simplicity this creates is many homeowners' preference. Our bestselling specialty hardware kit, the Swiss Rod, also features a cylinder shaped sliding track that is elevated enough to be installed in genuine French chateaus.
The downside of many top-mounted systems is that they have lower weight capacity. If you want heavy-duty top mounted barn door hardware, you'll need to opt for something like box rail. Box rail can look too industrial in many interior settings, so for heavier doors that demand something more elegant, face-mounted hardware is the way to go.
A face mounted hanger gives you the chance to add an extra design flourish, or touch of personalization. For modern and contemporary interiors, we'll always recommend keeping such design flourishes subtle. A hanger like the Prop is the perfect choice, with rounded edges evoking the lines of plane propellers.
FinishesMatte Black, Stainless Steel, or Brass: Choosing a Hardware Finish
Matte black is a common finish in modern interior spaces. It starkly contrasts with lighter walls, and this color contrast brings energy to a space. As a neutral, it also anchors spaces with brighter or richer colors. For a softer option, go with Dark Bronze. It's a deep, rich dark brown, so dark that it's nearly black.
Cool-toned metal finishes like nickel or stainless steel emphasize the warm undertones that most wood has. So the hardware will really "pop" against a wood barn door. Stainless steel works the best for industrial lofts, or starkly minimalist interiors.
Brass is enjoying a resurgence of popularity because of its warm, gleaming tone. While commonly chosen for more traditional interiors, many homeowners like it because it brings warmth to modern interiors, which can sometimes feel clinical or cold. Brass, an alloy of copper and zinc, is more harmonious with the yellow and red undertones of wood, making the two materials a natural pairing.
One important thing to know about true, non-lacquered brass is that it will develop a patina over time. Non-lacquered brass is a living finish, which means that it naturally responds to the chemistry of human hands. It will gradually darken with time wherever heavy contact is made. To keep sliding hardware pristine, wear gloves during installation and subsequent maintenance (this is the only time your sliding hardware track and hangers is likely to have direct contact). And regularly polish handles with Brasso or a similar brass polish.
Soft CloseSoft-Close Mechanisms: Do They Really Work?
Yes, these optional add-ons work beautifully. Soft stops, or soft close mechanisms, slow down the door's movement as it comes to the end of the track. This prevents barn doors from slamming right up against the end stop. Soft stops are another case of barn doors getting modernized and elevated for how we live today. Far from their original, utilitarian purpose, barn doors can now operate more elegantly than standard swinging doors do. So we recommend soft stops if you want your door system to feel luxurious to use. We also recommend them for families with small children, who might get rambunctious from time to time. Note, however, that not all barn door hardware is compatible with soft stops.
As an industry leader and early innovator in barn doors and their hardware, RealCraft offers the highest quality barn door products on the market. All our barn doors are made from true timber, solid wood. And our hardware is crafted with solid steel or solid brass. No hollow pieces or fake-outs, just the real thing. The end result is a sliding door system built to go the distance. Discover our collection of barn door designs and our barn door hardware now.
FAQModern Barn Door FAQ
Can barn doors be modern?
Yes. A barn door is any door that slides along the wall instead of swinging, so the style is not fixed. Modern barn doors use flush or full-thickness panels, asymmetrical or diagonal motifs, and clean hardware, which lets them suit modern, contemporary, and even avant-garde interiors.
How do you size a barn door?
A sliding barn door has to cover the opening rather than fit inside it, and it should fully cover any molding or trim around that opening. A slightly oversized door reads as more modern and dampens sound better, which works especially well in rooms with high ceilings.
Should I choose top-mount or face-mount barn door hardware?
Top-mount hardware keeps the look simple and suits lighter doors and modern interiors, but it usually has a lower weight capacity. For heavier doors that still need an elegant look, face-mount hardware is the better choice.
Built to Order in Gig Harbor, Washington
RealCraft builds every barn door from true timber solid wood and crafts its hardware from solid steel or solid brass, all made to order in Gig Harbor, Washington. Explore the collection to design a sliding door system built to go the distance.
Shop Barn Doors Visit Our Showroom
Leave a comment (all fields required)