Barn Door – Help!!

We are so close to having our barn door up and moving! Literally! I have wanted a barn door for years, perhaps because |I grew up in a cottage type house that has barn wood throughout!

So when we decided I would be working from home and using our lower level as a salon, we wanted to make the space multi functional. This was the space my sister had been living in, which is one of the reasons we moved to this cookie-cutter-fixer-upper.

After she moved out, we moved down all of our exercise equipment. (We have a lot, because at one point one of my career changes included prenatal mamas and fitness:)) Up until we decided I wouldn’t be returning to work at a downtown salon, we knew we needed to utilize our lower level, but also knew the space was too grand for a one-mama-salon. We decided to marry the salon and the gym and have them coincide together. Don’t you want to lift some tens while your colour is processing? 😉
 
Finally, I had the best excuse ever to convince my husband that we needed a big ole barn door! It would, infact, be the perfect separation between our at home gym and the salon. Not only would it make both rooms seem larger if the door was drawn open, but it would also be the perfect addition of character to the other wise neutral area.
 
But, NOW comes the hard part. Deciding on a stain or colour for this feature piece!!
 
I have been carousing Pinterest looking for visuals on all the different types of finishes out there for barn doors. Originally, I was so excited to visit all of the pins I had happily/hastily pinned under my “salon” board! Quickly though, those feelings of excitement were diminished. I couldn’t find any correct links to the actual source where the original pictures were from!
 
What!?
 
Does this ever happen to you??
 
It is so frustrating to link to spam or to another “weight loss miracle” page. Boo.
 
What was a girl to do??
 
I knew I couldn’t make this big decision on my own, (I am needy like that sometimes ;)) So I asked some friends on Facebook and Instagram what their opinions were of our plain-jane barn door.
 
I loved all of the responses!!
 

 
The above picture was on my Instagram and Facebook, begging for help in the colour selction process. My theory was and is, that I can’t stain the wood if I paint it first (Duh!) So, I would like to stain it first, and if I don’t love it I can then choose to paint it, you know??
 
(By the way I don’t have a Instagram link within my blog, but you can follow on Instagram by searching “Bethanythislittleestate”. I would love to have you join in the picture fun! Android users can get Instagram too now! (Note: I have had Instagram for two years, and my first account deleted by accident…I may have cried….a lot….but HORRAY, NOW I have this account! Follow if you want! In have always been obsessed!)
 
Ok, back to barn doors and sliding awesomeness…
 
I always thought I wanted a grey (Canadian spelling) gray (American spelling)…see how inclusive I can be, and people pleasing? … colour door…but now I wonder if a warmer tone stain would make the room feel, just that –warmer!
 
I spent a lonnnngggg time searching for the original sources for your convenience! I believe in pinning responsibly (Pinning from the original source) and these should all be from the website that first featured them. All of the extra info the authors might have for your enjoyment/simplicity will be beneficial too for when you build your own interior barn doors!)
 
Here are some of my favourites that are stained…
 
 

 
Source
 

 
Source
 
Now what about white?? I mean, the walls in the space are already an off white…so it would be tone on tone and could look very seamless and just a little textured…
 

 
Source
 

 
Source
 
(By the way, the above source/blog has an amazing tutorial ….after reading this post, you will have to check it out! I wish we found their post before we started our own project. It is very in depth and informative!)
 

Source
 
What do you think about the dark hardware? Right now ours is the industrial silver, since everything in the salon is twinkly, sparkly and silver toned….but I am kind of digging the black…no? Painting is always possible…
 

Source
 
And now we have coloured doors!!

Obviously, others would think the first colour I would choose would be blue (aqua or turquoise blue) since all of our accents through our home are some shade of blue
 

Source
 
But this gorgeous mustard door caught my eye. It would definitely warm up the space and it just looks so fun, don’t you think?
 

 
Source
 
My facebook friends suggested red, chippy red to be exact. But I couldn’t find the perfect red that I know they had in mind…

 
Source
 

Source
 
This tangerine beauty caught my eye, and is gorgeous, but I am scared of colour in the salon because I don’t want it casting any unwanted tones on my clients beautiful hair.
 
So, after the selections, what do you think?? What should we do with our naked barn door? What would YOU do?
 
H-E-L-P!!!