Thinking about painting a barn door white? This before and after shows how much lighter and more modern the space feels with just paint.
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In our living room, we have a wood barn door that slides between our laundry room and basement stairs. Full confession: I am not a huge fan of barn doors. I know they were all the rage in the early days of Fixer Upper, and they work really well in farmhouse-style homes. But I love coastal style, and barn doors can feel heavy.
Read below to see how we completely transformed this barn door from rustic to coastal in just one day.
The Barn Door Before
Even though I don’t love barn doors, ours is quite functional. I’m not sure another door type would actually work in this space. Our laundry room is really tight, and a standard swinging door would create a logistical nightmare when trying to open and close the dryer.
It’s also nice to be able to slide the door closed while the machines are running to help block noise.
Why We Decided to Paint the Barn Door White
Even though this barn door is functional, the stain always bugged me. The dark brown felt really heavy in our light, coastal home, especially paired with the dark wood floors. I was also bothered that the stain wasn’t an exact match to the floors. They were close, but not close enough, and it didn’t feel intentional.
Our interior walls are all painted Benjamin Moore White Dove, which is the most perfect white (in my opinion). The white interiors make our home feel bright and spacious, but the heavy brown barn door didn’t flow nicely with the creamy white walls around it.
So, I decided to paint the barn door White Dove to create a more cohesive look and better align with the coastal feel we have throughout our home.
The Painting Process: A Simple DIY You Can Do in One Day
My husband and I have painted every house we’ve ever lived in. It’s kind of our thing. And if you’re comfortable painting, it’s a great way to save money on home updates.
My husband originally wanted to remove the door and spray it, which does give the smoothest finish. But since we tackled this project in the dead of winter and it was freezing outside, spraying just wasn’t realistic.
If you don’t own a sprayer or don’t want the hassle, high-density foam rollers paired with a small angled brush for detail work are the way to go. This method gives a finish that’s nearly as smooth as spraying. Even up close, you can’t tell this door wasn’t sprayed.
We kept the door hanging and used blue painter’s tape to cover the hardware. I always use Sherwin-Williams paint, so we color-matched Benjamin Moore White Dove. For this project, we used Emerald Urethane, which is extremely durable and perfect for a door that gets constant use (and one our dogs are always pushing back and forth).
The door did need three coats of paint to fully cover the dark brown stain. You’re supposed to wait 3–4 hours between coats, so if you start early enough, you can easily finish this project in one day.
Wood Barn Door Paint Supplies
- Urethane enamel paint
- High-density foam mini-paint roller
- Paint tray
- Angled paint brush
- Painter’s tape
White Barn Door After
I absolutely love our new white barn door. The entire space feels lighter and airier. We’ve lived in this home for two years, and I can’t believe it took us this long to tackle such a simple upgrade.
With the hardware already in place, a few coats of white paint completely transformed the space.
Is Painting a Barn Door White Worth It?
If you’re considering painting your barn door white, I say go for it. We bought a full gallon of paint but only used about a quarter of it, so we already have plenty left for future projects. This was a simple update that made a big impact.
For more painting ideas, check out my Navy Blue Cabinet Makeover with Hale Navy Cabinets post.
White Barn Door Painting FAQs
Yes! We kept our barn door hanging and simply taped off the hardware. As long as you protect the surrounding walls and floor, there’s no need to take it down.
A durable urethane enamel paint works best. Barn doors get a lot of use, so you want something that can handle frequent touching and sliding without chipping.
No. High-density foam rollers paired with a small angled brush can give a finish that looks nearly sprayed, especially on flat panel doors like this one.
Expect at least three coats when covering a dark stain. Make sure to allow proper dry time between coats for the best finish.
Absolutely. This is a very approachable DIY if you’re comfortable painting. We completed it in one day, and the impact was well worth the effort.
Not as much as you might expect. Using a durable, wipeable paint finish makes it easy to clean, even in high-traffic areas.
