The Unexpected Door Trend The Property Brothers Are Tired Of Seeing In Homes

Drew and Jonathan Scott, also known as the Property Brothers, have all kinds of advice on design mistakes they want you to avoid. And in January 2024, they gave an interview on Good Housekeeping's Instagram where they named some more design trends that they'd like to "deinfluence" — one of which was barn doors. "Barn doors have been kind of overdone," Jonathan said. "There's new hardware now that actually looks even better. Barn doors are perfect for certain solutions, but not for every solution."

These sliding doors are a popular design choice with people who want a hint of that rustic farmhouse charm. Some of the best places in your home to put barn doors are on a pantry, on the laundry room, or on your bedroom closet, but there are other places that don't work so well. In particular, one place you definitely don't want a barn door is on the bathroom, especially if it's a bathroom used by guests. Drew explained, "When you have a barn door on your bathroom, like a powder room, guests don't like it when people can see through the crack." And it's not just seeing through the crack that's a problem — it's also hearing through it. "We can still hear you when you're on the toilet," Jonathan added bluntly.

Of course, Drew and Jonathan Scott haven't always said no to barn doors. On a 2020 episode of "Property Brothers: Forever Home," titled "Hammer, Hammer, Pedal, Pedal," the Property Brothers helped a family of bike enthusiasts prevent funky odors from spreading by putting a barn door on their bike room. The family was satisfied that the door would block both smell and sound, but needless to say, the smells and sounds of people moving bikes around don't need to be blocked quite as thoroughly as those of people using the bathroom.

In any case, it seems that four years later, barn doors are slowly going out of style. Conventional doors are more practical, but for areas in the home that don't have enough space for a conventional door to open and close, pocket doors are a viable alternative. They offer more privacy than barn doors, and they can look sleek and modern or more on the vintage side, depending on your style.