If you’re passionate about interior design and creating your dream home, then you probably pay attention to interior design trends. And you’ve probably noticed that whenever something becomes trendy—millennial pink, shiplap, that one particular West Elm couch—there’s an inevitable backlash. Recently it’s happened with barn doors, too. If you have a barn door in your home, you might wonder: are they really going out of style? After all, nobody likes to feel like their carefully crafted home décor is passé.

But we’re about to let you in on a little secret:

Those trends, and the backlash to them? They don’t really matter.

And we don’t mean that the trend cycle repeats itself—we mean that there are plenty of reasons why barn doors will never go out of style. Don’t believe us? Let’s go through them.

Barn doors make efficient use of tight spaces

Regardless of how they look, barn doors do something swinging doors can’t: they allow for more clearance in tight spaces. We’ve all been in homes (new and old builds alike) where the bathroom door swings out and hits the closet door in the hallway, or where a pantry door makes it difficult to maneuver through a kitchen. Barn doors require only wall space, freeing up tight areas and making them more accessible. Whether you need a door for a small space, or need more clearance around doorways for accessibility reasons, there will always be applications where a sliding barn door just makes more sense.

Barn doors adapt to any interior design style

When barn doors first came on the scene as an interior door style, they were pretty rustic. But now there are sliding doors and hardware that work for virtually every décor style. Plus, a lot of sliding barn doors can be customized to fit into your space seamlessly, from a particular wood species to design elements and finish colors. If your home is traditional and stately, there are Shaker-style panel doors that will fit right in, and elegant hardware that won’t overwhelm the space. If your style is minimalist or Scandinavian, there are flush plank doors and low-profile tracks to match your clean lines. And of course if your home is a French farmhouse dream, then a knotty plank door and weathered hardware will look like they’re meant to be. If your barn door coordinates with the overall look and feel of your home, then it’s just as stylish as a swinging door.

Barn doors add interest

Because they take up wall space when not in use, barn doors essentially function as focal points of the room. Think of them almost like a cross between a door and a piece of art. If you have a room without many architectural features, the barn door can fill that void. Barn doors make adding interest simple--no need for time-consuming remodels. Just add a barn door and a track, and presto--you have an instant conversation starter!

And They Make Utility Spaces Look Better

Finally, barn doors can cover up the areas of your home that tend to be….messy. That’s why they’re often used to cover up washers and dryers, closets, and more. If you have a "crafting nook" or a built-in desk that looks cluttered any time you're mid-project, slide a barn door over it and make your home look instantly neater.  

So whether you have a barn door or are just thinking of getting one, don't worry about the trend cycle. Sliding barn doors are a versatile, functional, stylish option that will never go out of style. Shop our collection of sliding barn doors for a truly timeless home.