Funky Junk Interiors

Part 4 – Love the look of barn doors? Here’s how to build a shed barn door to enhance your own garden shed!

As most of you already know, I’ve been busy attempting to save my rustic garden shed in my backyard this summer. From tearing down, to reframing, weatherproofing then finally siding, it’s been an ongoing project that sometimes feels it will ‘never get done…’

But today changes all that! I finally have an update that makes this shed look like it’s nearly finished…  thanks to the addition of building a shed barn door!

First up, here’s the step-by-step instructions on how a durable barn door style was built, then take you for a ‘nearly done’ full shed tour as it stands today!

This post contains some affiliate links in which I earn a small percentage if you purchase anything through these links, at no extra cost to you. Thank-you for helping to support my blog!

Catch up with the shed series below:

---

Save the Shed series

.

1 – Repairing a shed with demo tips (start HERE)

2 – Framing a shed with door making tips

3 – Adding reclaimed wood siding and a shingled gable

4 – Building a shed barn door with rusty junk hardware (you are here)

Visit all installments to date HERE

---

Part 4 – Building a DIY shed barn door

 

 

Supplies I used:

.

A pre-built door frame out of 2x4s – learn how I made one from scratch HERE

5.5″ reclaimed wood fence planks (already painted black)

Miter saw (I have a Bosch miter saw HERE and am crazy about it)

Cordless drill and screws (love my Makita cordless drills the most)

Heavy duty measuring tape (heavy duty is worth it)

Speed square (love drawing lines with these for accurate cuts)

Retractable extension cord (I LOVE these!)

Hinges (door or gate)

Random rusty junk or rustic gate hardware (love these wrought iron ones!)

Read this shed siding post HERE

When saving the shed, I managed to save the existing door frame built from 2x4s.

But no fear… if you don’t have a door built yet or even a door opening, below is how I replicated this exact door frame on the other side of the shed!

How to build a hinged door frame

 

1. Build a single door frame out of 2x4s for maximum strength.

Building a shed door from scratch is an easy assembly. One of the easiest ways is attaching a few 2x4s together that fit inside your door jam area which makes for a heavy-duty door with additional strength! Plus, you can customize the size.

Learn how to build the shed door HERE and my water resistance method HERE

Heads up to new buildings… this additional shed door was framed for easy access to the firewood from the back side of the shed. BEST plan ever!

So next up is the super fun part of building a shed barn door for a little classic farmhouse style!

Selecting wood planks to the door frame

 

2. Gather up wood planks that will fit the door frame vertically.

I had some reclaimed cedar fence planks I landed from the curb already painted black, which by complete fluke happened to fit the existing framed door perfectly! When does that ever happen?! The paint also helps with weather durability.

The placement of the boards can also utilize shorter boards if needed.

Attaching the planks to the door frame

 

3. Attach each door panel panks the door frame with screws.

I grabbed various planks to try on the door, but after realizing how perfect the black planks fit, that was my deciding factor.

Plus, I loved the idea of a shed door that contrasted to all that decadent reclaimed woodsy siding!

Each plank was screwed into place on the door frame studs. Since these planks had tongue and groove joins, they were gently tapped into position to ensure they fit tight while attaching each plank.

Plank the door frame until completely covered.

Adding barn door trim pieces

 

4. Add barn door details by adding two horizontal planks first.

So let’s ramp up the barn door look next!

Two horizontal planks of the same wood were cut to the exact width of the door, then attached to the top and bottom of the door with screws.

The finished shed barn door

 

5. Attach one diagonal plank that reaches both horizontal boards, cut on the same angle.

The last step in achieving a true barn door look is adding one angle plank. One board was held into position diagonally, then penciled-in where I desired to make the angle cuts.

A miter saw was adjusted to the desired angle, then the board was cut twice using that exact angle to ensure both sides were identical for a perfect fit.

Place the diagonal board into position, attach with screws and call it done!

Oh… except… now let’s play around with some rusty junk hardware (to mimic barn door hardware) to really make that shed barn door come to life!

Adding rusty junk door hardware

 

6. Decorate the shed door with rusty junk hardware in realistic places.

After rummaging through my rusty junk bins, I came up with a rusty junk door pull, an aged lock and a copper bell acting as the doorbell or door knocker.

You can of course use authentic barn door hardware such as an official gate latch too if desired. I just wanted to come up with a DIY way to get a funky look that did an equally great job!

This door pull was the most fun! Two random rusty junk pieces were screwed directly on the door. I left the U shape of the pull ‘up’ so things could be hung from the door handle if desired.

The copper cowbell is an antique replication I picked up from who knows where. A bolt is hanging inside of it from a string so it makes a deep bong sound when tapped. Fun!

As for that perfectly sized big random rusty junk hook, isn’t it the coolest? What a team!

Below are some rustic hardware choices on Amazon:

rustic copper bells

antique-look door pulls

rustic gate lock

gate hinges

And while this post is about the door because the storage shed is not yet complete, I couldn’t help taking a few more pictures so you can see how far the shed has come…

The finished shed to-date

 

… plus how it will continue to come to life!

This old wooden framed vintage window is from the original shed that I simply attached back on in the same spot.

And the old galvanized tub looked perfect hung under window hanging from a rusty junk hook.

Plus, hanging planter tubs on a shed is a great place to store them for the winter! I also like to store them on the reclaimed wood garden fence HERE.

And since the days are numbered that the grape vine leaves will remain green, I quickly took some full shots before all those leaves flip over to yellow….

Cute, huh?

HERE’s a fall shot of the shed! Which also shows some telltale signs of the shed giving out.

Because this little rustic garden shed stores firewood, I felt it fitting to hang a vintage cross cut saw on the shed as if the shed is ready for wood-duty on demand!

Plus of course, the shed still needs some roof facias, maybe shutters, possibly window boxes plus a little walkway, but I’m dreaming up so much more too. Maybe even some tin window awnings!

This version of the garden shed will be fun to morph over time, just like the last one!

So to recap how far the shed has come this summer…

Before…

.

… and today!

.

Get this stenciled siding look detail from THIS FARM SUPPLY STENCIL.

So here’s pretending the shed is complete during these last few days of good weather.

Because next time it shows up, I’m hoping to have this shed 100% complete, all decked out for fall…

And just wait until Christmas… 

Looking cute, huh?

Save the Shed series

.

1 – Repairing a shed with demo tips (start HERE)

2 – Framing a shed with door making tips

3 – Adding reclaimed wood siding and a shingled gable

4 – Building a shed barn door with rusty junk hardware (you are here)

Visit all installments to date HERE

.

Other related projects you may enjoy:

 

How I built a faux barn door for a bedroom headboard

Building an Antiques barnwood hall tree mirror frame

Potting Shed garden tool holder sign with easy potting bench

Visit all rustic garden shed posts HERE

View all reclaimed wood projects HERE