I often work with designers who put me in touch with clients who want one-of-a-kind statement pieces to tie a room together. Several years ago, Andrea West of Andrea West Design reached out to me to design a sliding barn door for her client’s two kid’s Jack-and-Jill bathroom.
A Jack-and-Jill bathroom is “a full bath that has two or more entrances,” according to Badeloft USA. One of my absolute favorite ways to use highly figured slabs is as sliding barn doors — and in this case, I got to create two. The clients wanted one live edge door and one painted in a custom color from Sherwin Williams.
Here’s what went into designing and creating a live edge sliding barn door for the client’s son’s bedroom entrance to the bathroom and a painted sliding barn door for the daughter’s bedroom entrance.
Designing the Sliding Barn Door for the Son’s Room
The live edge door was to be one of two doors on the kid’s Jack-and-Jill bathroom. For the boy’s bedroom entry to the bathroom, we chose a beautiful highly figured maple slab from a huge tree out of southern Idaho.
Although the tree was short, it was extremely wide, and the two branches that came out of the trunk were massive and created the pressure to form all the figure in the main trunk. We chose the innermost slab because it was the widest. It had a fun inclusion toward the top that we filled with a clear, smoky epoxy.
We went to Rustica Hardware, a local company owned by some friends, for the sliding barn door’s brackets and rollers. I was so excited to feature their hardware on these beautiful doors; the matte black really pops against the door’s rich, vibrant wood tones.
Designing the Sliding Barn Door for the Daughter’s Room
The client’s daughter had her own specific vision for the sliding barn door in her room. She gave me a base drawing of the design she wanted, and I had the opportunity to bring her vision to life.
For this sliding barn door, I opted to use some local soft maple for the main base. Then, the client’s daughter wanted slats laid out on the surface of the bedroom side of the door. After cutting, sanding, and laying out the slats in a geometric pattern, I sent over photos for her approval.
Once she approved the final layout, I finished sanding the flat surfaces before nailing down the slats and spraying the primer. I then sent it out to a local friend who sprayed several coats of the final color. After her sliding barn door was done and the paint had dried, I brought it back to install the hardware before delivery.
Revealing the Finished Sliding Barn Doors
The doors came out absolutely perfect. The client has had me back for many projects, and we’re excited to work together again on their entire kitchen next year.
Step by step, Andrea and I walked through the conception and creation of both doors so they would fit each space perfectly. We even made sure to match the color of the sliding barn door to the walls in the daughter’s room so the decor was cohesive.
I was so excited to be a part of Andrea’s design and work directly with her on the design of each sliding barn door. The two rooms have been featured in major publications, and the doors are always a highlight.
I always enjoy collaborating with designers to bring their visions to life. Contact me today to discuss options for your next interior design project.
