People usually think of closets as utilitarian spaces, and it shows. Standard sliding closet doors in most homes tend to be so utilitarian as to be invisible. Or they can look outdated—mirrored closet doors from the eighties, anyone? But with some creative thinking, closets offer the opportunity to customize, personalize, and beautify your space. Simply by updating your closet door system to something more current, it refreshes the entire room. One way to upgrade your closet? A set of sliding barn doors. Here are three benefits to barn doors for closets.

Closet barn doors add style and flair

A barn door closet gives you the chance to personalize and modernize your closet area. The super-plain, white-painted bypassing doors that are in there now don’t add any interest to the space. Swapping them out for a set of solid wood bypassing barn doors keeps the same functionality while giving you more design options. You could have a set of chevron doors or sleek flush planks. Glass-paneled doors let you display your prized possessions, and mirror panels within a wood frame create the impression of a larger, brighter space.

Closet barn doors are more reliable

Traditional closet doors often come with less-than-reliable, rickety hardware. By switching to barn closet doors, you can choose sliding hardware that’s more robust and rolls smoothly—and that means no more getting socks stuck in the bottom of the track. Because the moving parts of barn door hardware are mounted above the closet and out of the way, you don’t have to worry about things jamming up in the hardware.

Barn door sliding hardware offers another chance for customization—you could go for a shiny stainless steel flat track, industrial box rail, or an architectural Swiss rod. Think of the hardware like a picture frame for the door—it’s a design accent that adds cohesion and interest to your space.

You can use them to convert your closet to something different

You may be lucky enough to have a spare closet—one that isn’t very full. You might think it’s just wasted space—but you can convert it into an area with a different purpose altogether. If you want to repurpose your closet space into something entirely different, barn doors can help you with that.

One of the most common uses for closets is to convert them to a home office space. Simply slide a desk and chair in there, with a lamp and some floating shelves for storage. How nice would it be to roll a sliding closet door over your office space at the end of the day? You can hide it from view and give your space a peaceful feeling without visual reminders of work. Likewise, you can convert a closet near your kitchen or living room into a mini-bar, with a bar cart, glassware, and cocktail recipe books. In both cases, barn doors add a distinct access point, and make the repurposed space feel more integrated.

You could also turn your closet into a vanity space—add a vanity table and stool, a mirror, and lights. A set of sleek flush plank barn doors can hide it when not in use. Or you can leave the doors ajar for a hint of glamour.

Barn doors for closets give you the chance to make your closet, and your home, more unique and true to you. All you need is a little creativity! Interested in sliding barn doors and hardware? Shop our collections today!