10 Different Ideas for Internal Doors
The doors in our homes don’t have to be all function and no style. Here are some ideas that will really make an entrance
Anna Tobin
21 January 2016
Houzz UK Contributor. I am an experienced lifestyle journalist, interior stylist and editor. I regularly contribute to all the UK glossies and the national press and international press and I run www.dontcrampourstyle.com, the blog for people who live in homes that they've physically outgrown. Follow me on Twitter @theannatobin or contact me via www.annatobin.co.uk
Houzz UK Contributor. I am an experienced lifestyle journalist, interior stylist... More
When it comes to internal doors, it can be easy to simply buy a set off-the-shelf options from the local DIY store. Once they’re painted and fitted, we often don’t give them another thought. However, if you’d prefer the entrances in your home to stand out, these 10 great opening numbers will inspire you to plan your own big reveal.
Slide them out of sight
If you want the option of opening up a space or dividing it into two separate rooms, double doors that slide into pockets in the wall are particularly effective. This smart pair of sliding doors can be pulled together to create a more intimate living space and then opened out when you’re entertaining a crowd.
Check out 8 architectural tricks to enhance an open-plan space
If you want the option of opening up a space or dividing it into two separate rooms, double doors that slide into pockets in the wall are particularly effective. This smart pair of sliding doors can be pulled together to create a more intimate living space and then opened out when you’re entertaining a crowd.
Check out 8 architectural tricks to enhance an open-plan space
Make your door multi-task
Secret bookcase doors have a magical air about them, and can be extremely practical, too. Here, the rows of shelves running up the door add more storage room to the library.
Such doors have to be cleverly designed, however, to hold the weight of the books securely and still be relatively light to open and close. Enlist a professional to help you get the balance right.
Secret bookcase doors have a magical air about them, and can be extremely practical, too. Here, the rows of shelves running up the door add more storage room to the library.
Such doors have to be cleverly designed, however, to hold the weight of the books securely and still be relatively light to open and close. Enlist a professional to help you get the balance right.
Go through the looking glass
For an Alice in Wonderland-style entrance, opt for a mirrored door. Not only will it add a glamorous Art Deco feel to your room, it will also help to bounce the light around and make the space feel larger. This door is part of a mirrored feature wall for extra drama.
Browse more ways to work magic with mirrors
For an Alice in Wonderland-style entrance, opt for a mirrored door. Not only will it add a glamorous Art Deco feel to your room, it will also help to bounce the light around and make the space feel larger. This door is part of a mirrored feature wall for extra drama.
Browse more ways to work magic with mirrors
Double them up
You can throw them open to announce your presence, then let them swing back dramatically, so there’s something deliciously decadent about double internal doors. They do require a slightly larger opening than standard designs, but are well worth the sacrificing. This pair has been given added oomph with striking geometric glazed panelling.
You can throw them open to announce your presence, then let them swing back dramatically, so there’s something deliciously decadent about double internal doors. They do require a slightly larger opening than standard designs, but are well worth the sacrificing. This pair has been given added oomph with striking geometric glazed panelling.
Draw the curtains
Internal doorways don’t have to be solid. A floor-skimming curtain sweeping across a doorway gives an instantly romantic and historic feel to a room. In this Scottish bolthole, rich teal curtains are tied back to give a glimpse into the room beyond. When drawn, the bedroom will really feel cut off from the rest of the world.
Internal doorways don’t have to be solid. A floor-skimming curtain sweeping across a doorway gives an instantly romantic and historic feel to a room. In this Scottish bolthole, rich teal curtains are tied back to give a glimpse into the room beyond. When drawn, the bedroom will really feel cut off from the rest of the world.
Consider some shutters
Inject some southern Mediterranean style into your home with wooden shutters as doors, used singularly or as a pair. The vintage-style doors shown here complement the low-level Moroccan-style seating and provide a lovely contrast to the modern architecture of the building.
Like shutters? Check out more ideas for using them
Inject some southern Mediterranean style into your home with wooden shutters as doors, used singularly or as a pair. The vintage-style doors shown here complement the low-level Moroccan-style seating and provide a lovely contrast to the modern architecture of the building.
Like shutters? Check out more ideas for using them
Fold doors away
In a small, open-plan room, bifolding doors may be a more practical option than pocket sliding ones, which can take up quite a bit of internal wall space. Here, this divider concertinas out to create an instant wall for a private living space, and can be folded back when the guests outnumber the sofa seating.
In a small, open-plan room, bifolding doors may be a more practical option than pocket sliding ones, which can take up quite a bit of internal wall space. Here, this divider concertinas out to create an instant wall for a private living space, and can be folded back when the guests outnumber the sofa seating.
Take the Narnia approach
Discreet doors are particularly effective as entrances into en suite bathrooms or dressing rooms in the bedroom. Here, what appears to be a wardrobe door actually opens into the bathroom beyond.
Explore more gorgeous white bedrooms
Discreet doors are particularly effective as entrances into en suite bathrooms or dressing rooms in the bedroom. Here, what appears to be a wardrobe door actually opens into the bathroom beyond.
Explore more gorgeous white bedrooms
Open up the past
If you live in a period property, a door that’s in keeping with the time of its build will feel naturally at home. Historically, before burglar alarms and central heating were invented, more thought was put into the design of internal doors to ensure they’d secure the home and keep out draughts.
Dig up a chunky original at your local architectural salvage yard. A sturdy barn door finishes off this loft room perfectly.
If you live in a period property, a door that’s in keeping with the time of its build will feel naturally at home. Historically, before burglar alarms and central heating were invented, more thought was put into the design of internal doors to ensure they’d secure the home and keep out draughts.
Dig up a chunky original at your local architectural salvage yard. A sturdy barn door finishes off this loft room perfectly.
Reach to the full height
Why waste the space above a standard door? Take it from floor to ceiling to create a much more dramatic entranceway. It lends a very modern, pared-back solution to a room, while also being a handy option if you want the door to blend in with tall, built-in wardrobes or kitchen units.
TELL US…
Have you come up with an innovative design for your internal doors? Share your ideas and photos in the Comments below.
Why waste the space above a standard door? Take it from floor to ceiling to create a much more dramatic entranceway. It lends a very modern, pared-back solution to a room, while also being a handy option if you want the door to blend in with tall, built-in wardrobes or kitchen units.
TELL US…
Have you come up with an innovative design for your internal doors? Share your ideas and photos in the Comments below.
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Made my own door to match some I had bought earlier at extreme cost (well over £200 each through Jewsons Timber Merchants), by buying a recessed door frame and fitting a double glazed unit into it - to suit an opaque requirement at a front door inner lobby. Cost approx £150 based on a discount glazing supplier, of which there are many in all localities. Handles and hinges are extra as in all doors normally bought.
Interesting article but it's really hard to find decent flush modern looking doors anywhere and having them made costs a fortune.