Name: Wood Capitol
Price range: $

Barn doors, thought to be originally inspired by the sliding barn doors on Scandinavian farmhouses, are an interior design trend that has been sweeping the world. In 2017, home-grown Wood Capitol introduced them to Singapore. With the world waking up to the appeal of the real, from natural fibres in fashion to wholefoods on the table, solid wood is making a comeback.

The Rustic Charm of Sliding Barn Doors

In truth, it never really went away. Increasingly, homeowners in Singapore are putting barn doors on their renovation wish-lists. Due to their sliding rather than swinging action, they offer not only aesthetic appeal but space-effectiveness and depending on their design and finished, they complement both rustic and contemporary interiors. Since Wood Capitol opened the doors, so to speak, several competitors have sprung up. Choose carefully and your barn door should welcome last for decades to come.

Good, Better, Best

Not all barn doors are created equal. They come in a wide range of materials, from relatively inexpensive laminate and wood veneer, to solid wood slabs in various types of timber. Unlike the majority of barn door suppliers in Singapore, Wood Capitol sells only solid natural wood barn doors. If you are considering installing barn doors in your home, it will pay you to weigh up the pros and cons of laminate or veneer versus solid wood. One point in favour of laminate and veneer is obviously price. Laminates and wood veneers come at a fraction of the cost of solid wood.

However, price is the only point in their favour. Wood Capitol Solid Wood Barn Doors, on the other hand, are durable, water-resistant and uniquely beautiful. No laminate or veneer can compare to the intricate and inimitable natural pattern and texture of solid wood’s natural grain. While laminate and veneer are prone to water damage when wet, which can cause lifting, curling and warping. While it is possible to replace a water-damaged piece of veneer, it may not be an exact match. Solid wood, on the other hand, can simply be sanded and re-stained in the unlikely event that it becomes marked or damaged.

Versatile and Sustainable Solid Pine Wood Barn Doors

Wood Capitol’s Solid Pine Wood barn doors are properly kiln-dried and treated which is grown in Argentina in accordance with sustainable forestry guidelines and ethically harvested. It makes a great choice for barn doors due to its ample structural strength, without excessive unwieldy weight, and its suitability for crafting into a wide range of different designs. Like all natural wood, its grain is endlessly varied, so homeowners can choose their timber according to their décor. For rustic-themed interiors, discerning decorators usually select planks with standout knots and whorls in the grain and opt for a transparent top coat that allows the grain to show through. Some choose to paint their barn doors in a colour that matches or contrasts with their walls. For more contemporary interiors, planks with subtler grains are ideal. Furthermore, the light base colour of the wood allows it to be stained in any shade of brown to match the balance of furniture in the home. Though the traditional barn door design featuring framed vertical planks bisected by one or two diagonal planks remains the popular favourite, a range of modernised minimalist designs is also available.

Luxurious Live Edge Walnut Slabs

When money is no object – or at least, budget is not a major concern, a handful of homeowners opt for the ultimate barn door, which utilises a single-piece ‘live edge’ solid wood slab of suar wood or black walnut. Live-edge barn doors are statement-making works of art that can form the centrepiece of a room. Since the single piece of timber is cut from the trunk of a mature hardwood tree, its edges follow the undulating curves and ridges of the trunk itself. Wood Capitol makes live-edge barn doors using suar wood from mainly South America and black walnut from North America. Like all of its live-edge wooden slabs, each piece has been kiln-dried for 60 days, which is significantly longer than the industry average, and extensively treated for the prevention of rot and insect infestation.

A Turnkey Solution

Wood Capitol offers a turnkey solution for homeowners who wish to beautify their homes, not to mention save space with the convenience of a sliding rather than a swinging door. We offer not only the wooden door, be it in pine, suar or black walnut, but also the sliding track, handle, door lock and optional soft closing mechanism. A customised barn door can be installed in any home in Singapore within three working days from the date of purchase.