Debating Internal Glass Doors? Be Inspired by These Design Ideas
Open up your space with a glass partition-door and let light flow around your home
Susannah Hutchison
19 August 2017
Houzz Contributor
There are many benefits of open-plan living, but sometimes it can be good to feel a little more enclosed. If you’re considering removing a wall but are worried that you’ll miss the divide once it’s gone, or are keen to reinstate some sort of partition between two rooms, a glazed internal door could be the answer. There are lots of styles available, offering different levels of privacy and suitable for various rooms throughout the house. Take a look at the examples below to see whether glazed doors could be a clear winner in your home.
Close it off
Elegant French-style glass doors can be closed to section off the living room and kitchen in this Victorian house. Many houses of this period that have had extensions out the back will often be open plan or just have an opening between the two spaces, but the framed-glass doors allow for easy access and plenty of light, while maintaining the separate identity of the two rooms when the doors are shut. Note that Fire Regulations around doors in and out of cooking spaces can be pretty strict and will depend on the way your home is laid out. Talk to an expert before committing.
Elegant French-style glass doors can be closed to section off the living room and kitchen in this Victorian house. Many houses of this period that have had extensions out the back will often be open plan or just have an opening between the two spaces, but the framed-glass doors allow for easy access and plenty of light, while maintaining the separate identity of the two rooms when the doors are shut. Note that Fire Regulations around doors in and out of cooking spaces can be pretty strict and will depend on the way your home is laid out. Talk to an expert before committing.
Hang tough
For an ultra-simple look, a large pane of toughened glass acts as a door when suspended from a stainless-steel rail with a sliding mechanism at the top. This acts as an elegant way to divide up two spaces, while also helping with noise and insulation issues. Before undertaking any project like this, consult a professional to ensure the safety and suitability of the glass and any other materials used.
For an ultra-simple look, a large pane of toughened glass acts as a door when suspended from a stainless-steel rail with a sliding mechanism at the top. This acts as an elegant way to divide up two spaces, while also helping with noise and insulation issues. Before undertaking any project like this, consult a professional to ensure the safety and suitability of the glass and any other materials used.
Join the fold
Bifold doors aren’t just for the patio as this internal-use example shows. The fact that the panels are tall and narrow means that when they are open they don’t encroach too much into the room, making them a particularly useful partition option in a narrow space.
Bifold doors aren’t just for the patio as this internal-use example shows. The fact that the panels are tall and narrow means that when they are open they don’t encroach too much into the room, making them a particularly useful partition option in a narrow space.
Halve the work
Half-timbered, half-glazed doors offer some welcome privacy in an office (so there is no ‘living in a fishbowl’ effect while you are trying to work), but they also allow in plenty of valuable light. Painting the frames the same colour as the walls helps them to blend into the space.
Half-timbered, half-glazed doors offer some welcome privacy in an office (so there is no ‘living in a fishbowl’ effect while you are trying to work), but they also allow in plenty of valuable light. Painting the frames the same colour as the walls helps them to blend into the space.
Feel frosty
Keep bath time private without compromising on the feeling of light in an en-suite bathroom with a frosted glass door, such as this sliding style. Choose a design that complements the fixtures and fittings used in the bathroom so the overall look flows seamlessly from one space to the next.
Keep bath time private without compromising on the feeling of light in an en-suite bathroom with a frosted glass door, such as this sliding style. Choose a design that complements the fixtures and fittings used in the bathroom so the overall look flows seamlessly from one space to the next.
Get in the frame
Crittall doors like these are becoming increasingly popular, and their sleek lines and fine detailing create an elegant partition between two rooms. Echoing the architectural style of the doors elsewhere in the room (here, it’s with slim-lined furniture and angular black frames and accessories) further accentuates their impact.
See more examples of internal steel-framed doors
Crittall doors like these are becoming increasingly popular, and their sleek lines and fine detailing create an elegant partition between two rooms. Echoing the architectural style of the doors elsewhere in the room (here, it’s with slim-lined furniture and angular black frames and accessories) further accentuates their impact.
See more examples of internal steel-framed doors
Value vintage
Glass doors don’t have to be plain – search for original stained-glass doors in salvage yards and online to create a unique and colourful partition between two rooms. Alternatively, consider having something like this designed from scratch, or recreate the effect using transfers or film frosting suitable for use on existing plain glass doors.
Glass doors don’t have to be plain – search for original stained-glass doors in salvage yards and online to create a unique and colourful partition between two rooms. Alternatively, consider having something like this designed from scratch, or recreate the effect using transfers or film frosting suitable for use on existing plain glass doors.
Clear on top
When shut, the tongue-and-groove panelling at the bottom of these doors between the hall and living room screens off the lower-half view, making them appear more like windows. Something similar to this would be ideal if you have young children and the idea of having to constantly clean sticky fingerprints off full-length-glass doors doesn’t appeal!
Don’t fancy glass doors? Have a look at these other suggestions for internal doors
When shut, the tongue-and-groove panelling at the bottom of these doors between the hall and living room screens off the lower-half view, making them appear more like windows. Something similar to this would be ideal if you have young children and the idea of having to constantly clean sticky fingerprints off full-length-glass doors doesn’t appeal!
Don’t fancy glass doors? Have a look at these other suggestions for internal doors
Shower in style
Looking to section off a shower room in a unique way? This combination of timber and glass screening is a novel alternative to a normal boxed-in bathroom. The mix of wood and frosted-glass panes means modesty is preserved, while the clear sections at the top ensure the room’s interior features aren’t hidden from view.
Looking to section off a shower room in a unique way? This combination of timber and glass screening is a novel alternative to a normal boxed-in bathroom. The mix of wood and frosted-glass panes means modesty is preserved, while the clear sections at the top ensure the room’s interior features aren’t hidden from view.
Replace a solid design
Even a simple single-panel glazed door can be a useful addition in a small space. Clear or frosted, the large amount of glass helps to make the area feel bigger than if a solid door was in place, while also making the room feel brighter due to the increased amount of light flowing in.
What do you think of using glazed internal doors? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Even a simple single-panel glazed door can be a useful addition in a small space. Clear or frosted, the large amount of glass helps to make the area feel bigger than if a solid door was in place, while also making the room feel brighter due to the increased amount of light flowing in.
What do you think of using glazed internal doors? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
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For anyone that might be interested; some interesting Internal Sliding Aluminium doors here: https://www.duration.co.uk/Room-Dividers-Gallery.asp
If I’m having black framed Crittal-style internal glass doors downstairs. What type of door should I use for downstairs guest loo? I obviously can’t use the same but I’m stuck with what type abs colour of door. Can anyone help? Paintwork is white with greige coloured large porcelain tiles.