The Country Living Sliding Doors

{Photo Courtesy of Country Living}

I am so grateful to all of you who have written such emails after the Country Living shoot.  

Though we may never meet in person, your encouragement and kind words have meant SO much to Michael and me.  

One of the most popular questions we've gotten since the shoot has been about our sliding doors downstairs.  

The minute I saw them (at a garage sale of all things), I knew these fabulously faded doors just had to take center stage SOMEWHERE in our home.  

They're full of imperfections, uneven in height, and slightly chewed on by our sweet little dog, Huck.  But around here, that's just the kind of piece we like!

  

Since the door sits and slides on casters (available at Lowes or Home Depot), all that is need to make this project work is something to keep the top of the doors in place.  

There are, shockingly, only two items needed to make this work:

4 large eye screws  

and galvanized pipe with fittings that looks a little something like this when attached to the wall:

{We spray painted our pipe black...but I think leaving the galvanized look would be just as nice.}

The 4 large eye screws are installed into the top of the door and act as a guide for the galvanized pipe. Use two screws per door, installing one screw an inch or two in from the top corners of each door.  Install the screws into the top of the door so that they the eyes of each screw are aligned and the tops of the screws are at the same height.  This will allow the doors to slide back and forth easily along the pipe.  

For the iron piping, you will need one long piece,  two 90-degree elbows, two mounting brackets and two short pieces of pipe threaded at both ends.  

{This is when a Lowe's savvy husband comes in VERY handy!}

To assemble, start by feeding the pipe through the eyes of each screw on top of the doors. Then screw on you 90-degree elbow. Finally attach your short, threaded pieces of pipe and the mounting brackets.  With all the piping assembled, just put the doors in place and screw it into the wall. 

The long piece of iron pipe will most likely have to be cut to length, and then re-threaded (so that the 90-degree elbow can be attached to the cut end of the pipe). 

Some Lowes stores have a cutting/re-threading machine and will do it for you for free. 

And for those sweet readers who asked to see more of the bedroom behind these doors:

If I haven't answered all of your sliding door questions, as always I'd love to chat with you more...