Door to Door Blog

4 Benefits of Barn Doors

Utilizing sliding barn doors inside the home is an especially trendy choice these days, but that’s not the only benefit of these statement doors. If you’re considering adding a barn door to your home, here are four benefits you can put in the “pro” column:

1. Barn doors are aesthetically pleasing. Perhaps it’s because they have a unique and different appeal than a traditional door, but barn doors add instant charm to a room. With both rustic and modern styles, you can completely change the feel of a room.
2. Barn doors are space savers. In addition to being aesthetically pleasing, barn doors are also extremely practical. Since they don’t swing open like a traditional door on hinges, you don’t need to account for opening and closing space. This makes barn doors a particularly effective choice for small bedrooms.
3. Barn doors are convenient. You’ll never be happier to have a barn door than when you have to move furniture in and out of a room. The added space they allow for maneuvering, coupled with eliminating the need to hold a door open, makes them a very functional choice.
4. Barn doors are easy to open and close. Without knobs to turn and with an easy sliding track, barn doors are actually extremely ADA compliant. This make them a great option for older adults choosing to age in place or someone looking to make their home more accessible to people with disabilities.

Ready to take the plunge and add a barn door to your home? We can help with that.

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French Doors: When Should You Use Them?

So, you’re consider adding a French door: how do you know if this bright and stylish option is the best choice for your space?

Made of panels of glass, French doors are a great way to add light and dimension to your home. Using a French door can provide an element of privacy without completely closing off a space. However, as well as French doors can work in one space, they aren’t always the best choice. Here are a few examples of when choosing a French can elevate the style and function of your home:

• As an entrance to a patio or deck. The natural light that comes from a set of exterior French doors can change the entire feel of a room.
• Connecting two complementary rooms. For example, if you have a dining room and sitting room that often function as one space, French doors are a great option.
• Filling a double-door entryway. If your home has a double doorway, French doors are the perfect solution to creating a partial open concept feel.
• As an entrance to a balcony. This can be an especially nice touch for a bedroom balcony to establish privacy, while also letting in plenty of natural light.

Whether to let in extra light or construct more of an open concept home, French doors are a classic, beautiful choice. As long as you don’t think you’d be risking the required privacy of a room (hint: French doors and bathrooms don’t mix), then embrace the elegance of the French door and let the light in.

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5 Interior Door Style Trends That are Popular Right Now

As symbols of both form and function, doors significantly affect how a house is lived in. If your own doors are reminding you of their inadequacies, it's might be time to rethink your interior doors and the impression they make on all who pass through. I've noticed some trends in the marketplace lately that might inspire you.

1. Shaker

The simple lines of Shaker doors are a popular choice for today's interior doors. I would choose from a palette of whites or go for wood. Wide planks of pine, maple, cherry and oak stain beautifully and make your rooms warm and inviting. Shaker doors show your appreciation of fine craftsmanship and should complement the architectural details of your home's interior.

2. Glass & Frosted Glass

When you need a little privacy without blocking light, a glass door might be in order. The marketplace is brimming with new styles that include etched panels, stained glass effects, translucent tints and frosted glass ranging from completely opaque to nearly transparent. I've noticed that glass doors are often used for offices, kitchens and transitional spaces.

3. Solid Wood

If your home has hollow core doors that feel cheap, invest in solid wood doors and enjoy quieter rooms that are more enjoyable to enter and exit. They can be stained, painted in bold colors or attached to sliders for the popular "barn door" look. Dress them up with decorative hardware, or go modern with smart locks you can control from a phone or home assistant.

4. Knotty Woods

The rustic look of real wood is a pleasing contrast against solid colors of all hues, and that's why architects are increasingly working with the visual interest of knotty woods like pine and cherry when designing new homes. A knotty pine door with arched panels, inset panels, or shaker style can complement a bedroom fireplace, add inspiration to a tiny kitchen, and looks great with dark brass or bronze hardware.

5. Modern Mirrored Doors

Just as mirrored furniture has gained popularity, so have modern-era mirrored doors. They create the illusion of space, bring in light, reflect interesting artwork on the walls, and allow you to practice your workout moves (or just check yourself out)! In my opinion, mirrored doors are too often delegated to bedrooms. Try them in the family room, the office, or in a basement craft room.

If you've got an idea for your new doors, trendy or not, take the plunge and order. If worries about installation are holding you back, ask a home improvement store for references to reputable contractors in your area. It's worth the extra to ensure each door hangs properly.

What Your Interior Door Style Says About You

Choosing an interior door is important to reflect the style of your home, but have you ever thought what your interior door says about you? Our personality shows up in how we decorate and the stylistic choices we make. Here’s a cheeky breakdown of how different types of interior door styles speak to your personality.

French Doors

You are an open book. To you, transparency is an important quality in any relationship and you firmly believe in the power of honesty. However, even when hard truths come out, it is a testament to how well you live your life because you always manage to let the light in.

Arch Top           

You’re warm and inviting. Not only do people feel comfortable in your presence, but they routinely tell you all their secrets, without you even having to ask. However, even though you’re easily approachable, you’re also known as someone who forges your own path.

Raised Panel

You may be classy, but you also aren’t afraid to stand out. You like traditions and tend to be your best self in situations where you can most easily predict the outcome. There’s something about you that people tend to just inherently trust when they meet you and you’re constantly told, “you look familiar — do I know you?” 

Shaker Style

Your friends think of you as “the dependable one” and you love being someone they can count on. You’ve always been sure of yourself and it shows in how people look up to you. Still, even though you’re steadfast in who you are, there are also sides to you that people don’t always realize right away and it can take awhile to get to know you deeply.

Barn Doors

Never one to miss a trend, you have an enormous collection of Pinterest boards and you’re constantly thinking about redecorating. You appreciate the finer details of life and aren’t afraid to go after what you want. While you have a rustic side, you’re also a creature of comfort and you aren’t afraid to admit it.

What style of interior door best fits your personality?

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Why You Should Paint Your Interior Door an Accent Color

Accent colors act as the thread that ties an entire room together. While most home décor experts recommend utilizing wall art, pillows, curtains or even an entire wall to tie in the accent color of your choice, there’s one overlooked focal point of a room that can provide the perfect canvas: the door.

More often than not, when people paint their interior doors, they opt for neutral colors that allow the door to fade into the background. Instead, we have a radical notion — what if the door was painted to stand out instead of blend in? 

Similar to how you would paint an accent wall in your home, painting an accent door is less of a color commitment, while still providing that much needed “pop” in an otherwise understated room. Still not convinced? Here are our top four reasons why you should paint your interior door an accent color: 

It’s unexpected

Accent walls are practically standard at this point, but embracing an accent door would be an unexpected and intriguing design choice.

It’s easy to do

Painting an entire wall or collecting décor items in the same color can be time consuming and costly. However, just painting a door is a much smaller time commitment and allows you to save money on other décor items. 

It’s flexible

You don’t necessarily have to paint both sides of the door, which means your door can act as an accent color when shut, but not when open. While choosing to only paint one side might be a little unorthodox, it’s never a bad idea to have options, especially if you’re going with a bold color choice. 

It can brighten up an otherwise dull spot

No one pays any attention to the color of your door when it’s painted a neutral color. Yet, the second you paint your interior door an accent color, the entire feel of your room will instantly be changed.

So, next time you’re thinking of the best way to liven up your living room décor, match a paint sample to your new throw pillow and transform your interior door.

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Doable DIY: Replace Your Door Hardware

The Do-It-Yourself movement isn’t for everyone. In fact, if you aren’t skilled in home improvements or crafting, tackling a DIY project can feel downright intimidating. But you don’t have to retile a bathroom or rip up carpet to make a difference in the feel of your home — even small changes can feel like big updates.

Take your door hardware, for example. If your home has outdated doorknobs, updating the hardware is one of the simplest and least expensive ways to create a more modern look. If the rooms of your home have old and tarnished doorknobs, it can make the entire space look dated and lackluster. Luckily, this also works in reverse: new modern doorknobs can liven up an entire space.

While the exact process of replacing your door hardware will be specific to your door, it’s a project that virtually anyone can take on. Follow these few simple steps to give your doors a whole new look: 

Pick your new hardware

Think carefully about what will look best with the décor of your home and the style of your doors. While you don’t have to choose the same hardware for every interior door of your home, you do probably want to stick with the same finish. Consider your options: nickel? Bronze? Matte black? What works best with your home and your vision?

Remove your old doorknobs

Most often, this is as simple as removing the screws holding the knob in place, which are typically located on the interior side of the door. There may also be screws on the cover plate of your doorknob, which you’ll need to remove to loosen the knob. Or, some doorknobs have a small slot on the side that you’ll need to insert a paperclip into to fully loosen the knob. Regardless, it should take fairly clear when looking at your doorknob. 

Remove the underlying plate

You should then be able to insert a screwdriver along the seam and easily twist the underlying plate off. 

Remove the old screws and latch

This step may require a power drill, but once you’ve removed all the old screws and the latch, you’ll be ready to install your new doorknob. 

Follow installation steps for your new hardware

If you purchased your doorknobs from Door to Door, check out each listing for an installation sheet. 

And voila! Now all that’s left to do is sit back and admire your work.