If the tub is freestanding, why not have it on the wall by the tub, inside the bathroom? I think a swinging door would be a hazard yo anyone standing by the sink. Do you even really need a door?

You asked for a case for a standard door - when using the soaking tub, would most likely have the door closed.

Have a pocket door in my MBR, am happy with it.

thanks for the responses.

numbers... do you mean putting a sliding door on the wall by the tub? That is what I was referring to. It's just a matter of deciding whether to put a pocket door (much more affordable) vs using a track system/barn door. But yes, we would need a door and I wasn't even thinking about anyone standing by the sink. In which case, I think I definitely wouldn't do a standard swinging door at this point.

Once we stayed in a hotel with a barn door /sliding door on the bathroom -- I didn't like it. It didn't "close" securely; rather, it just covered the opening. Noises definitely traveled through the door. Of course, it was a hotel, and the room was small; the bed was very close to the door.

In your situation, how about moving the problem? That is, how about doing away with the bathroom door ... and instead put it between the bedroom and that little hallway?

Do you need the little hallway? Seems like wasted space. Where does the other door on the left open from? I think I'd just put the door between the bedroom and bath, parallel with the sinks, as mrspete said above. If you're set on your plan, I'd do a pocket door. Or have the door open outward into the hallway.

Cons to barn doors: kind of trendy & may look dated soon, don't insulate from drafts/noise, can be heavy/noisy to open/close, and it's in a spot where it's not really a feature that could be appreciated for the extra cost.

I think door swing into the tub isn't a big deal. Door swing into a bathroom meant for two might be though. Do you and your bathroom mate use the bathroom at the same time with the door closed? I have a door that swings by my vanity like that but it isn't a problem--when the door is shut, nobody comes in. If two people are using the room, the door stays open (probably because of the door swing issue, now that I think about it).

I don't suppose you could move the door opening at this point to even closer to the tub? That would give more space at the vanity and (to me) the door isn't going to affect the tub a bit. Or move the door to the outside as mentioned above. Or pocket, again, if it's not too late in framing. Barn door? Nah. Beaded curtain before that! :)

All these nays for the barn door! Maybe I just need to hear it and give it up! :)

Mrspete... The thought of a barn door not closing securely had crossed my mind. But since the bathroom is essentially inside the "master suite", I don't feel like it would be a big deal.

We had considered moving the door to the other wall where the vanity is, but there were other configuration issues. Also, I do like the idea of a short hallway into the master bedroom and at this stage, all the framing has been done already anyway. We are also not doing a long vanity as depicted in the plan above. For budget purposes, I am putting in two separate and smaller vanities for now. We've never felt the need to have double sinks, but it seemed like a mandatory part of a master bathroom, especially for resale.

Do you think we would miss the ease of a standard door (for ex, if I need to close door quickly, I can just flick it shut -- even w a foot) if we ended up doing anything on a track? We have a pocket door for our pantry and, while not a pain, when it needs to be closed, I'd have to find the little latch and pull the door shut all the way. Granted, I imagine this bathroom door would be shut only if it were in use.

I'd use a pocket door with this configuration. Especially if you don't think you'll be closing it a lot, but just want the option.

$1000 extra for a barn door?!?!? Johnson Hardware is about $50. Even fancier stuff is a couple hundred. And the door slab is the same regardless of how it's hung or swung.

We just got rid of a standard door in favor of a pocket door. Ours was a similar layout. Door swung into whomever was using the first sink. We got to where it wasn't used at all. Seemed like a huge waste to have two sinks and only using one. We also gained room to place a stool against the pocket door wall where before it had to be left open for door swing. We are beyond happy with our pocket door. We used a solid wood door and Johnson hardware. Glides effortlessly.

If it's already framed, a pocket door will require some unframing.

I think the door swing looks fine. My issue would be two sinks on a 60 inch vanity; that seems too tight. If you just had one sink I would think swinging the door open with someone at the sink would not be an issue.

While no design expert (or even amateur), I'd vote against the barn door too. They were on my "look great and really want" list until I started seeing them and realized that, since you can't have anything on the wall where they open, there's a big, empty, blank space of wall when the door is closed. If I'm right that you're considering the door for the wall to the left of your tub in the drawing, you might want to use that for shelves, a towel rack, artwork, etc., which the barn door would preclude.

I love the sliding barn door look and purchased for a reno. I wound up going with a standard door, but I'm with weedyacres. Not sure what type door you are considering, but look around net for better priced sliding barn door sliding hardware. Paid 65$ total for ours, 5 ft length, so it wasn't much to eat the cost. We were using an existing 5 panel door original to house.

We are doing a barn door to our master bath. I could have a swing door, but a pocket or barn would work best in my space. I'm doing it because I wanted to have that look somewhere in the house, and this is the only place we came up with that made sense! It's really more about wanting to get that look. Not many people will see it. But I will everyday, and it will make me happy. I actually hadn't found the hardware that cheap so thank you so much weedy acres!

$1000 is a big impact on the budget. If you can get it for less, go for the barn door!

I'm planning on a barn door for my reno. The door will separate the master bathroom from the master bedroom. Previously, there was a doorway, but no door. I don't like pocket doors - I find them difficult to open and close. The additional cost for the barn door is for the hardware - otherwise, cost would be the same as for an interior swinging door. I don't actually know what the difference will be - still waiting for the vendor to give me a price.

I don't know where you live, but if it gets cold, I'd find a barn door that didn't close securely (there are always gaps) to be drafty when in the tub. I also think they look awkward to open one handed, but maybe are not. I have an obscured glass (with a leaf pattern) pocket door to my master bath and I LOVE IT. I think if you get good hardware and have it hung correctly, it is very easy to open and close and is completely out of the way until needed.

probably not relevant for your situation, but I just wanted to respond to Walt's comment: "since you can't have anything on the wall where they open, there's a big, empty, blank space of wall when the door is closed."

I was concerned about this, too. We had our GC use longer fasteners to hold up the metal "strap" that the barn door rides on. I wanted to make sure I could get a piece of art on that wall. I can't use a huge chunky frame, but it doesn't have to be blank, either. FYI, in case any one else is looking at pros and cons for a different location. (Of course it means that he had to use silver ones instead of the black ones that came with it, so there's another item for the Honey-do list!)

Thank you for all the responses and comments. (I don't know why I'm not getting my notifications, so I had lost track of my post.) After the initial few responses and given our budget restraints, I decided to go ahead with a pocket door with obscured glass paneling. We even considered placing a barn door for the entryway into the master suite where it may have more of a visual impact, but we would have to move walls and reconfigure a room which we hadn't anticipate doing. So, gave up my barn door dream and moved on.

Good thing, too... since we discovered major issues with our current furnace and it now needs to be replaced WITH new ductwork. So much for our budget!

Also, just since it was pointed out... I agree that 60" for a double vanity feels tight. We were able to add an extra foot to the build to allow for 72" w/o adding to cost. :)

You might be getting out of the tub and some might be walking into the bathroom. You could get seriously hurt by the door hitting you.

I would embrace your safety and order the barn door and some kick ass hardware to hang it on!

SAFETY NEVER TAKES A HOLIDAY!!!

:)