I never thought I’d be a barn door person again after our farmhouse decorating days a decade ago. But here we are, and I’m officially eating my words.
We had ONE last project to finish in our friends’ French country bedroom makeover, and it was replacing the rustic sliding barn door.
Don’t get me wrong. I still think rustic barn doors have their place. (We even shared a DIY sliding barn door tutorial about 10 years ago in our old farmhouse style house during Joanna Gaines’s Fixer Upper days.) But the chunky industrial metal track above the doorway just wasn’t working with the elegant, traditional style we were creating in this bedroom.
I wanted something that looked more like a beautiful, custom interior door without the hassle of tearing open a wall to install a pocket door.
So I went down a rabbit hole looking for alternatives, and lo and behold…
Sliding barn doors with hidden hardware EXIST!
Am I the last person on earth to know about these?!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. full disclosure
A Barn Door Alternative That Looks Like a Pocket Door
The beauty of a sliding door with hidden hardware is that you get the space-saving benefits of a barn door without seeing that big metal track above the doorway.
The hardware is concealed, so the door appears to glide along the wall with a much cleaner, more streamlined look.
And unlike a pocket door, which requires opening up the wall to create a space for the door to slide inside, this alternative mounts on the outside of the wall.
No major demolition necessary. Sign me up!
We decided to use this simple, flat slab barn door alternative with a hidden sliding track and customize it to look like a traditional paneled door that blends in with the bedroom walls.
Because why buy a fancy door when you can make a less expensive basic one look fancy instead?
How to Make a Traditional Sliding Barn Door with Hidden Hardware
Tip: You can buy ready-made traditional style sliding barn doors, but you can use our DIY method if you prefer a customized look.
Materials
Step 1: Remove the Old Barn Door and Hardware
First, we removed the existing rustic barn door and its exposed metal track.
This immediately made the doorway feel less farmhouse and more in keeping with the traditional details we’d been adding throughout the bedroom.
Step 2: Install the Hidden Sliding Door Hardware
Following the manufacturer’s instructions, we fitted the new slab door with concealed sliding hardware. (Fair warning: our door’s instructions were a little confusing but it was totally figure-out-able.)
Here’s where we hit a little snag.
Because the door needs enough clearance to slide smoothly along the wall, we discovered that the existing doorway trim was getting in the way.
We ended up removing the trim around the doorway opening, patching it with spackle, and leaving the wall behind the sliding door free of picture frame molding.
Not exactly what we’d planned, but sometimes DIY requires a little improvising. (Okay, a LOT of improvising.)
Tip: Before ordering a hidden barn door kit, carefully measure your doorway, wall clearance, baseboards, and any existing molding. Every hardware system has different clearance requirements, so check the manufacturer’s specifications before making modifications.
Step 3: Add Picture Frame Molding to the Door
This is where our basic slab door started looking like something much more expensive.
We cut picture frame molding with mitered corners and attached it directly to the door to create the appearance of traditional recessed-style panels, just like we did installing our DIY picture frame molding on walls.
We chose finger-joint molding that matched the picture frame molding we’d already installed on the bedroom walls so everything would feel cohesive.
I’ve always loved using decorative details to give plain doors more character. We did something similar with our DIY antique-style mirrored bi-fold doors and when we turned bi-fold doors into French doors.
A little trim can make a BIG difference.
Step 4: Fill, Caulk, and Paint
After attaching the molding, we filled the nail holes with wood filler, caulked the seams, and sanded the dried wood filler smooth.
Then we painted the door and molding to match the walls in Behr Mourning Dove.
Matching the door to the wall color made the whole installation feel intentional and built-in instead of like an afterthought.
And since the bedroom already has so many beautiful architectural details, I love that the door doesn’t compete with them.
Step 5: Add Traditional Door Hardware
For the finishing touch, we skipped modern barn door pulls and installed a crystal and brass dummy door knob.
It’s such a small detail, but it gives the door that antique-inspired character I love.
If you’ve ever wanted to update existing hardware without replacing everything, we also have a little trick for quickly changing the color of door hinges.
One thing to keep in mind: A dummy knob is decorative and doesn’t operate a latch. On the wall-facing side, we installed a flush door pull. Make sure the knob and any hardware on the wall-facing side have enough clearance for the door to slide. For privacy, you can add this barn door lock.
The Finished Traditional Barn Door
I absolutely LOVE how this turned out!
The hidden hardware gives us the clean look I wanted, while the added molding and crystal knob make the door feel like it belongs in an old, charming French country home but with a modern twist.
Without the bulky industrial track, it blends right in with the rest of the room’s traditional architectural details.
And we got the look without the major construction mess of installing a pocket door.
Would I use this type of sliding door again? In a heartbeat.
In fact, now I’m wandering around our own house trying to figure out where we could install one. Robert should probably be concerned. Ha!
Apparently I’m officially Team Barn Door again. Didn’t see THAT coming!
If you’re looking for a barn door alternative that works with traditional, transitional, or French country decorating styles, a sliding door with hidden hardware might be exactly what you need.
Traditional Style Barn Door Alternatives
Here are a few more traditional style barn door alternatives I’ve rounded up if you prefer a ready-made option:
And if you haven’t seen the rest of this bedroom transformation yet, be sure to check out our French country bedroom makeover reveal to see how all of the details came together!
More DIY Door Upgrade Ideas
