Now the awkward side.

I think they look lovely!

The sunroom is less formal? Seems like a good compromise!

In the sunroom that eventually became my kitchen, the previous owners left the structural wall and built a false wall in front of it to house pocket doors. This would be a less expensive option if you wish to have pocket doors and can spare the four inches or so out of the sunroom.

I have the same casings. Do you have a '20s colonial?

Now, I'm sure you will get the usual 29 posts telling you "YOU do what YOU lurrve!" because 1) some people say that about everything, but more importantly, because 2) barn doors are currently trendy.

I don't agree. I think it was a mistake. I think when you start making changes to the fabric of a house, you have to weave it in so it all still holds together.

There are some spaces utilitarian enough where those barn doors could blend in. Enclosed back porches or summer kitchens on an old Victorian farmhouse, for instance. But sun rooms like ours are not that kind of space. They are finished to the level of the rest of the house, and are usually right off the living room or dining room. They were very hot selling features in their day.

For now, the doors are trendy, and so people will like them. However, someday the fad will be over, you won't find them on Pinterest or Houzz anymore, and then they will look silly and out of place.

Our door trim pieces are still widely available at certain lumberyards, by the way.

I'm not sure what you think is "inappropriate" about them. Is it because you see the hardware on the sunroom side? From the views you show, they look fine to me. The living room side is more finished looking, the sunroom side less so, but that's the nature of barn doors and the necessary hardware. I think people either like that look, accept it for its utilitarian nature, or they don't and opt for a more 'finished' look. Is that the issue?

Although the sunroom is a playspace it is somewhat formally ddecorated by today's definitio . I love the idea of a false wall. The sunroom is small but I don't think four inches will make or break things. Never thought of that! Thanks.

Here is a picture of the sunroom without a tree. I think the hardware is too rustic I guess.

Sorry I was typing on my phone{{gwi:807}} which takes forever... and missed some comments..

yes Dlm it is the hardware that I feel is inappropriate. Marcolo pin pointed my issues with the projects perfectly! And yes, marcolo it is a 1920s small tudor style colonial. I think my gut knew what my lazy a $$ was trying to escape. I think pocket doors with a false wall is the solution if I am to have doors here.

This post was edited by roarah on Fri, Jan 2, 15 at 15:33

It's a lovely space. Yours has better proportions than mine.

Not to try to beat you up, but I wish people wouldn't make permanent changes to old houses based on temporary needs. Right now that space is a playroom. But it won't be one forever. Your kids will grow older, and you will find a new use for the room. I find that mine is ideal for the random stopover guest--a neighbor who wants to talk about something for a minute, a visiting insurance salesman, etc. It's a more intimate place for conversations among two or three people.

It's not a tragedy. It looks fine from the LR. I do think you'll tire of it.

I think they look cool but don't really fit with the rest of what you've shown. Your furniture looks more formal and traditional and the barn doors aren't really in line with that look. They are also very trendy, but that isn't really the look here.

First, I love the barn doors. That said, what I noticed about them is that they are so darkly stained, and shiny on the sun room side. Could you lighten the stain up when you refinish them and put a matte finish on them. I hesitate to mention painting them white on the living room side because barn doors are mostly varnished, but the contrast between your white wood work and dark barn doors may be what is bothering you.

duplicate..

This post was edited by grandmaof3 on Fri, Jan 2, 15 at 15:44

There were orginal french doors in my sunroom in 1920s so is it only ok to put back french hinged doors like the orginals or would true pocket doors sans the barn hardware be ok?

I think you'll like the false wall (I did not when I realized my grand plan of opening my room up into a kitchen was about to get structural).

Nice doors! That is an extremely nice space for a playroom!

From a Purist standpoint French doors would be best.

From a Preservationist standpoint, I think what you did is more reversible than pocket doors.

I don't know what the impact of building a thin false wall on the sunroom side would be overall, but I think pocket door construction in the modern sense has a number of shortcomings because of the thinness of the resulting wall.

(And I am doing 3-4 pocket doors in my current project so I am thinking about this a lot).

In old construction, pocket doors tended to be placed in thicker walls than hinged doors were mounted in. So, there was more rigidity, maybe room for an outlet, and little concern about things like hanging pictures.

I can't tell you how often I've seen scratched pocket doors because someone uses a big nail to hang a heavy picture and it scratches the door. ( I know of two cases where they nailed the door inside the wall putting up the casings and baseboards but that's an obvious mistake and can be fixed, usually)

Anyway, my opinion on this is that it's fine looking from the LR side, I don't like it as much from the sunroom side, but it's a reasonable adaptation for your needs at the current time. I am no so sure I would let the tail wag the dog so much here that I would do elaborate construction. This, you can take down someday and repair the casings.

I like barn doors in the right house. Unfortunately, your house isn't the right house. I love the idea of a false wall for pocket doors. How about french door-style pocket doors? I'm sure somebody makes them. If not, I think any door can be converted to a pocket door so you could just buy the french doors you like and convert them. That would look lovely.

If you want to hang some kind of window covering on them for privacy, probably something sheer that is connected at both top and bottom, it might work but would require a deeper pocket for clearance. I don't know. Just thinking out loud. It would be something to look into if you want to be able to have visual privacy between the spaces.

If that doesn't work, maybe frosted glass?

Not sure they are perfection, but i really like them!

I'm a preservationist and dislike the rustic trends. I think the doors look pretty good. While the hardware is visible, its not that noticeable since the doors are so dark. My first though was "if you want to cover up your 'mistake' for the time being, make a pelmet to go over the hardware on the sunroom side. Then, if you eventually go for the false wall.pocket door, you can easily remove it."

I think the easiest approach is just to take them out and fix the trim after you no longer need them. If you want to replace the French doors someday, they're easy to find at salvage centers.

The benefit of French doors is the light. Pockets may or may not work. You can't put sheers on the doors if you're sliding them into the wall. Plus the false walls may cause more problems with the sunroom windows, baseboards, etc.

The reason you want the doors is because of the mess and noise. Soon enough, those will not be issues. I would hesitate to be putting in entire fake walls for a temporary problem. Have you considered painting them white on the sunroom side? Maybe cutting out windows on top?

{{gwi:2138685}}

[Traditional Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by Boston Interior Designers & Decorators Su Casa Designs

I understand the reasoning behind putting the barn doors up, but I don't like them and think they are out of context in your house. I would not do pocket doors, either, if they will be the only ones in the house. Rather, you can put French doors back to mitigate the noise and still see what is going on, which makes them the perfect solution :-)

I would look for French doors at an antique or restoration center. Your home is one of my favorites and I don't think the barn doors do your lovely home justice.

I have to agree with those that feel the barn doors do not do your home justice. You have such a beautiful home, but those doors are out of place.

Thank you all for the insight! I am relieved, even though it means making some repairs to the casings, that instinctually I recocognized my mistake. I think replacing the molding will be easier than refinishing the doors. And I will see about hinged french doors instead. Also, thankyou for all the nice comments about my house they mean alot to me for I really value your opinions.

This post was edited by roarah on Fri, Jan 2, 15 at 20:53

I think if you painted the sunroom side the same color as the walls or the trim, you could get away with it as a temporary solution.

I am not a fan of the sliding barn door hardware, but given the use of the room and your choices, I probably would have made the same decision. It is a shame you had to notch the woodwork, but like you wrote, that can be repaired -if ever the doors are replaced. You don't have a period decor, so I hardly see why it would be important to install period doors. They look nice. They work well, and your design is transitional, so a little touch of country hardware shouldn't throw it off, and doesn't in my estimation.

Maybe I'm missing the point but you labelled the picture that shows what barn doors actually look like "the awkward side" - doesn't that say it all?