Pallet Barn Door w/ Pet Entry

In order to save some much needed space in our guesthouse, I decided a barn door would be the best solution in separating the bathroom dressing area from the hallway. After spending some time looking at images online, I kind of had an idea of what I wanted to create and got to working on a sketch, even guestimating at some of the dimensions.

First thing I did was hit up the local hardware stores. Pretty much all of them will have old pallets available for free, and a few might charge a buck or two for slightly better ones. Since I wanted my piece to be heavy on the "worn" side, I opted for the free. Don't stop at just a few either. I found that only about three or four pieces of wood were actually usable from each pallet. You'll find that a lot of the boards have significant splits in them. And you might accidentally split a few more as you learn to pry them off carefully. 

Once I had enough boards to make the height I desired, I realized I wanted something a bit thicker and sturdier to line with. I hit gold at my local Habitat for Humanity Restore and found some gray boards almost an inch thick. And being pre-loved, I got all the pieces I needed for 50 cents a pop. 

Once I had my design down, it was time to get busy with the saws and nail gun. And yes, I even made this door kitty friendly, as I didn't want our little Elsa to ever be locked out of her cat box. 

I intentionally chose boards of various colors, so I didn't want to risk using a colored stain that could very well make them all look similar. So, I used only a clear matte polyurethane which really made their color and impurities pop. See?

Lastly, I used an industrial pipe and flanges for the outer handle and a simpler grip on the back side. If you choose piping too, I suggest you clean with alcohol, allow to dry, then spray a clear coat or two to keep it from rusting. Attach the barn door hardware and done! Considering this was my first attempt at a barn door and I had no bloody clue how to go about doing it, I have to admit it came out better than expected. A few learning hiccups along the way, but it only added to the 'aged and distressed' look I was going for. And as for the price, your choice of hardware determines the outcome. Barn door hardware can range anywhere from $50 to several hundred bucks. I chose one on the cheaper side and can honestly say it looks good and has held up well. Since my barn door ended up thicker than most, I did have to purchase additional spacers to match and longer bolts to support the weight (which I still need to paint so the silver doesn't show. :D )