I suspect it would be a problem, but far more of a problem is that you need a free wall for the door to open onto, which means you'd have to move or get rid of some piece of furniture here. Why do you want a barn door? It doesn't seem like it goes with your general style...

It looks like it would be an issue. Plus as ACM said, the barn door doesn't seem to fit the style of the room. Honestly, I would just remove the door and not put anything in its place. A dining room isn't a room that needs a door IMO

That's too small a space for a barn door and you're also mixing styles. I think barn doors are best used on a big expanse of wall and the door should be 4-5' wide. To put a small one in there is going to look out of place.

This photo is old. My dining room is currently updated. The problem is that the door opens into the dining room making it more difficult to pull the dining room chair out. The other side of the door leads to the den so I need something there. Plus there are many types and style of farm doors that would look great. Would like one that has glass. With all that being said, I still want to know how I can use a sliding door there. Can someone answer that question?

What about a pocket door

I would recommend just getting rid of the door entirely. A barn door will not work, it will hit the chair rail. If you remove the chair rail and your currently updated room has no furniture on the sides then it will work. Even when the den there I would still recommend no door. Keep in mind for the barn door you will also need enough clearance above the door jamb to place the mounting board and track, which you may end up having to remove your top piece of casing as well to get the space.

I thought about that initially. I'm thinking it would be too difficult to do with plaster walls on one side and wood paneling on the other.

I wouldn't mind no door option except it gets drafty in the den so I like to keep that door closed

So, the hardware would not clear a 2" deep chair rail?? I need to know how many inches is the gap.

Barn doors are just silly fads in 98% of homes. Yours would be no exception. Very much a NO.

If you are set on a barn door, could it be placed on the outside wall. It would also look better visually from the expanse on the other side. Depending on how you have decorated your new dining room, make sure you compliment its style as well as the den.

If it were me, I'd get a set of really attractive doors, again placed on the outside wall and you could paint them blue to work with your den.

A barn door could work fine. You just need to install the hardware (the horizontal track that holds the door) on a trim board that is thick enough so that your door doesn't hit your chair rail. A good finish carpenter could do this for you.

Barn doors are a viable option when you don't have much room for a swinging door. They do require wall space to open.

I do have the wall space to open it. Thank you for the tip!

https://cedarhillfarmhouse.com/my-french-study-part-i/

this barn door goes over the chair rail

Still unsuited to the use and the House.

How about a folding louvre door instead?

NO to any barn style. In another word? No. Have the entire separating wall redone ( drywall and studs ) and make a pocket door. Or open the wall to a four foot opening and do french doors to swing into den beyond. Actually I see no reason for ANY door.

All that said, if bound and determined, REMOVE the chair rail, get hardware allowing for two custom 22 inch doors ,one moves left, the other right. Not the best plan, which is NO door. Sorry

I would like to mention to the suggestion of installing the barn door on a mount thicker then the stair rail. Although yes that would work, but keep in mind that would create a large gap on the sides of the barn door, so if you don't like the draft from that room it would still easily come through.

She wants what she wants. Needed is the NON CHIPPY DIPPY UN BEATEN version of this. A trim below the ceiling to flush with the chair rail, probably two customized "french doors" with glass, and have at with good looking hardware. Avoiding "drafts" ( a bigger issue if the room beyond suffers that jmho )_ flush out the door casing to within a quarter inch of chair rail and door casing trim.

It's a custom project, and that is that. If it is really chilly and drafty, consider using exterior doors, versus interior , same look.

Gosh, it would be a real shame to add a barn door to the style of your space. Your existing furniture is beautiful and of great quality. I know you said that the room has been updated. Does that mean your furniture was replaced and is now conducive to the country style? I would hate for you to take away from your beautiful furnishings by adding in such a distinctive style of door.

What is your budget? Do you have enough funds to come up with a solution that will allow for a functional option as well as aesthetically cohesive?

I think the chair rails would be a problem, and I definitely agree with taking the door off and leaving it open.

Since your door hits the dining room chair, could you hinge it so that it opens into the den? You could get a door with glass in it and that would let in light AND help with keeping the draft out of the dining room.

Thank everyone for your perspective. Again, for those worrying about a barn door not fitting the style of my house, this photo is what the house looked like PRIOR to me renovating it. It looks nothing like this now :) I can't do French doors, make door way opening bigger, or pocket doors without relocating vents, outlets, switches, etc. So, that's out of the question. I do have clearance in terms of a wall to slide the door on (left side). So, I figured having a track door would work. Maybe even using the existing door.

The style of a house doesn’t change just because you painted things prison gray and called it fake farmhouse. No more than putting overalls on a city kid turns them into someone that knows which end of the cow to milk. Throwing a barn door at that poor house will reek of sad attempts of the bookish kid with glasses to be invited to the popular girls party.

@Glo European Windows and Doors. Yes, I have new furniture ( the chandelier is still there though). The old furniture was the previous owners. The current style is more rustic. I like a casual feel to my home. So, I have been slowly converting renovating it. Incorporating my current furniture with some new pieces but the door situation has always stumped me.

For heavens sake, You need TWO and a track that accommodates them. See the chippy dippy above, and don't make them distressed, please. You need two custom doors, a trim above to clear the chair rail or REMOVE the chair rail. You are reinventing a wheel : )

You stated in your comment that the den gets drafty, so you need a door. Just beware, trimming out the rail that the barn door rolls on to allow it to pass the wall trim will create a gap that will defeat your purpose of eliminating drafts. Pocket door is your best solution or can you place the barn door on the den side?

Dilemmas with "old" pictures that do not depict the room as it currently is, are not helpful to Houzzers or to the OP.

The dilemma is about a door sliding with a chair rail. Its not about decor at all. Hence the picture of the door and chair rail.

I do not see a way to keep the chair rail and add on a barn door without making it look haphazard. A haphazard way (which I don't recommend) is adding a piece of wood beneath the barn door hardware/track, so the door clears the chair rail. However, this will add such a large distance between the door and wall/chair rail that I can't imagine that looking or functioning well. Plus, you'd have to make sure the door wouldn't swing toward the chair rail and damage the door.

Have you considered removing the chair rail on the wall with the opening? Since the barn door would rest on a large portion of the wall, eliminating the chair rail will not be as noticeable to the rest of the room.

Again, some options but I think your best bet is to remove the door altogether or remove the chair rail partially or altogether.

Hope this helps and good luck!

Its all in the details and the details have to suit the room and how it is now. The discussion has mostly suggested ideas that you don't want to hear - removing the door entirely, for example. Barn doors look simple, but they simply are not! They can be a costly mistake that doesn't always take care of the issue one has.

On the contrary. I like hearing ideas its just that I know my house and what can or cannot work.

Hey Adia did you ever put the barn doors over the chair rail? I’m actually looking to do that now In my dining room And wanted to see what you ended up using! Thanks!

What you use is french doors. Or pocket doors.......Unless yours is a barn. Chair rail w /barn door is cocktail dress w/ running shoes.: ) Also more a fad now than three years ago........when it was very much a fad.

Show what you are trying to do

Yes I’m using French doors. But there is chair rail on the sides of the doors so wanted to see what she ended up using to allow for proper opening. I saw a track system from Jeld-Wen that allowed for that extra space.

"Proper opening" and BARN door are not a thing!!!! Barn doors have a very narrow acceptability useful factor inside a home. Certainly not for a dining room!!!

I wish people would post pictures of the final results. What’s the point of having talented Houzzers offering suggestions if we don’t get to see the finished space?

For heavens sake. ...........it's a me me me world. Once the issue is so "solved" ? There is your ANSWER : )

Rarely do suggestions get a thank you , so often not even acknoleged. Move on : )

To which I will add:

There is simply little reason to marry french and barn doors.OVER a chair rail. Unless one can show the NEED to do this? No.