Franklin has always been known for having some top-notch antique stores, and The Barn Door Co. is another jewel in the Williamson County crown. Tucked away by the railroad tracks on South Margin Street, The Barn Door is a place to discover treasures you never even knew you wanted. With a frequently rotating inventory, shoppers can go back every week and find completely new, interesting items every time! Select a perfect room accent, lighting fixture or furniture piece, and you can transform any space in your home. From a classic Chris Craft boat to a vintage telephone booth, you can truly find just about anything you can imagine in this perfectly eclectic shop.
The Barn Door sells locally crafted items and a variety of goods that show off some Tennessee pride. We spotted some handmade pillows resting on their popular swinging beds. And the Spirit of Nashville/ Spirit of Franklin artwork is quintessential Middle Tennessee!
Much of The Barn Door’s success comes from owner Kevin King’s eye for quality, his passion for his work and his amazing repurposing skills, able to turn anything “preloved” into a work of art. The name for his Southern-inspired store is actually derived from this fascination of recrafting things, a gift he discovered when he disassembled an old barn in Franklin. Realizing the nostalgic value of the worn wood, he instead decided to repurpose the relic. And when he first opened The Barn Door in 2010, Kevin actually made the majority of the furniture from that wood. Today, you can find a plethora of local artists featured, and Kevin works hard to bring these local craftsmen to light by carrying their one-of-a-kind creations. A visit to the store reveals tons of gorgeous paintings by local artists like Jamie Luna Boyd and Kris Marks, to name a few.
You never really know what you’re going to find at this store, and frankly, that’s the fun of it. They have some “normal” items … handmade farm tables, coffee tables, side tables and light fixtures. But then they have some more unusual finds, like antique barber shop benches, Southern-inspired, light-up signs (including Tennessee, Nashville, Franklin, Vandy and Vols), the original soda fountain counter from GRAY’S (now sold) and a vintage mail sorter.
And then there are those swinging beds …
We talked to Peggy Franks, head of retail at The Barn Door, and she told us that these alluring creations can be mounted just about anywhere, including on porches, from trees and even indoors. “They make you feel like you’re on vacation in New England all the time,” she says. And when we sat on one, we could see exactly what she was talking about! The swinging bed both adds a unique touch of warmth to a home and feels so relaxing to swing in it!
The Barn Door is located at 109 S. Margin St., Franklin. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call (615) 794-0089 or visit their Facebook page.
**********
