Rustic farmhouse style has been popular in home decor in the last few years, and one of the best ways to add a touch of a country vibe without going overboard is with a custom barn door.
One of my clients reached out to me about building them a one-of-a-kind centerpiece for their master suite: a custom barn door.
Here’s what went into the wild cherry custom barn door I built for a client and good friend’s master suite.
Choosing the Right Wood for a Custom Barn Door
When I was 17 years old, I harvested some hundred-year-old highly figured wild cherry trees from a neighboring town. According to Goby Walnut, fundamentally, a wood’s figure “refers to the ability of the grain in the wood to catch and reflect light.”
I’d been saving this figured cherry wood for a special project that would show off its beauty. Plus, because their baseboards were custom Alder wood, we needed a species that would complement that without drowning it out.
What better time to use it than for a friend’s custom barn door?
So, almost 20 years after harvesting the cherry trees, I decided this was the project to showcase their uniqueness. This beautiful and highly figured wild cherry barn door was the perfect addition to this master suite and would be seen and appreciated every day.
Making the Custom Barn Door: The Details
Working with figured cherry was absolutely incredible. Cherry wood is one of my favorite hard woods to work with. But because of how hard it is, it’s also unforgiving — if it gets scratched or dented, it’s harder to remove the imperfection than it is with a softer wood like cedar or pine.
The craftsman has to be patient and careful because cherry wood is hard on tools and extremely heavy. That said, its heaviness is exactly why it makes the perfect custom barn door.
The client’s bathroom entry was built wide with the intention of making this custom barn door larger and wider than a typical door. Because the door was going to be heavy, I custom built the door hardware, as well, using thicker hardened steel.
We turned the rollers for the door on my metal lather with a harder steel and larger diameter. The straps holding the door are out of the same steel as the rail, so there would be no movement over time. Finally, we placed steel bushings inside the holes so the bolts going through the door wouldn’t rattle or allow the door to drop over time.
A Custom Barn Door That Stands the Test of Time
Cherry wood doesn’t take pigment or stain well, according to Family Handyman magazine. Because it was a sliding custom barn door, it wouldn’t receive any sunlight, so I used a long-lasting hard lacquer that is easy to clean with a dry cloth, doesn’t fade or cloud as it ages, and doesn’t make the wood darken.
For the final installation, extra blocking was placed before the drywall was done, and I installed lag bolts to hold the heavy door over time. I set the guide in the bottom, and it was done within an hour.
Tears and joy all around! The figure in the piece was incredible and seen from both sides. These clients said it was by far their favorite piece in the entire house, and I have no doubt that it will stand the test of time and stay in the home for years to come.
Whether you’re looking for a statement piece that gets your guests talking — like a walnut entryway or warped dining table — or a timeless piece you can look at every night, like this master suite’s custom barn door, custom-built wood pieces are meant to follow you through life and be passed down through generations.
Contact me today to discuss the project you’ve been dreaming of!
