November 5, 2025

Front Room Closet: Decision About the Doors

I make a trip to the library once a week and on one of those recent trips I stopped by Lowes and Home Depot to see what they had on offer for closet doors. As I mentioned in my last closet post, I was hoping to find hollow core wood bypass doors, but alas, these apparently aren't popular nowadays. What both stores did have was a vast selection of bifold doors.

My reluctance toward the bifold doors is because they need unhindered space to open them. For two 36-inch width doors, that would be 18 inches of space out into the room. But space is a premium feature in this room and I'm not sure I want to give it up for bifold doors, especially against the outer wall, where I'd like to use the wall space. Lowes does carry sliding mirrored closet doors, but I really don't want to look at myself that much. Home Depot offers barn door kits, but sheesh, they are expensive. 

The other problem with finding doors is that the closet opening is almost 79 inches wide. The widest doors of 36 inches each would only cover 72 inches, and that would leave a gap of 7 inches. 

The solution? Dan decided to make the doors. He made the sliding doors for the chicken coop, old goat barn, new goat barn, and hay loft. The track is available separately, so why not?


He knocked out two doors for the front room closet in a couple of afternoons.

First of two barn style closet doors.

So that's done and they're ready to install after the door track is installed. 

There's still the question of how to finish them. At first I thought to paint them the same color that the walls will eventually be. But then we talked about staining them. That would certainly enhance the rustic look of the plywood, which would be perfect for the rustic farmhouse look I want in this room.

Anyway, that's done and I'm quite pleased with them.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

The doors look great. My suggestion is to paint them the same color as the room walls. RHill, TX

Rain said...

Good job Dan! the door looks amazing. "...but I really don't want to look at myself that much." - that made me giggle lol

Leigh said...

RHill, thanks! Painting them was my first thought too.

Leigh said...

Rain, but it's true! I do have a lovely floor mirror made by my cousin's husband, and that's plenty good for making sure I have the same pair of shoes on both feet and my shirt isn't buttoned up crooked. :)

Rain said...

☺☺

daisy g said...

I know just how you feel. I got rid of any full-length mirrors years ago. ;0D These handy men are sure nice to have around, huh? It's gonna look fabulous!

Leigh said...

Daisy, I'm really happy with them. And I love that Dan's skills compliment mine (and vice versa).

Ed said...

I have always hated those cheap flimsy bifold doors. I never understood why they are more popular than bipass doors.

Quinn said...

Perfect doors for the perfect spot - nice work! Whenever I make something with wood I tell myself THIS time I will paint it. Colorful! Protective! What fun! And every single time when the object is complete, I love the wood so much I do not paint it. It would be funnier if I wasn't already planning my next project and telling myself very sincerely that THIS time I will paint it.

Leigh said...

Ed, good question. It often seems that stores offer what they want us to buy, not what we want to buy.

Leigh said...

Quinn, paint is such an easy fix! It hides a multitude of "flaws." But Dan suggested stain, so I'm working on imagining that. It would bring out the grain of the wood and the wood features like knots. Since I like rustic anyway, I'm thinking this may be the way to go.