Doors come in all shapes (yes), functions (yes), and sizes. During any reno, the lessons roll in and you find yourself getting schooled on a million crazy details everywhere. Doors are one of those details.
Not until we moved into our first home did I learn the essence of a pocket door. As a child, the pocket door always amused me. I used to ponder – where does the door go when it is closed? Truly, it really is a great innovation.
Whether a pocket door or another kind, selecting the right door for the space is important. The appropriate one can add a lot of voice to the area it will live in. And, whether open or closed, we find that taking the time to decide on the right door is essential to the proper renovation.
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Doors & Their Different Designs
I like to joke with my husband when we are working on a home project, “What you didn’t know was an option for your home design” should be a slogan. There are so many options available nowadays that it can be overwhelming. And, sometimes, the nature of a renovation (whether big or small) is that you will not have a ton of time to decide on certain parts of the design aspect. Simply because any extra time you spend could cost you money and/or workers’ availability thus pushing the end date further.
It is in your best interest to educate yourself prior to starting. Decide on the design characteristics you definitely would like to incorporate so they can be included in the general plans. For instance, we thought a pocket door would be a brilliant idea for our current Study (office room) addition project. However, our pocket door ended up taking away from other aspects of our room and hallway design.
Regardless, we chose to move forward with the pocket door anyway as it gains us extra hallway space in the end. Luckily, the re-work of the other pieces of the design plan wasn’t impacted enough to make us change our minds. We are excited to have the pocket door in play, especially since it will also be part of our front entryway.
Different Interior Door Designs
The pocket door novelty idea is one that can save you space inevitably. But, alas, the space has to be available to include a pocket door in your design. We actually had two in our first home, but when we moved into our farmhouse there were none.
This door saves space once installed and put into action. Unfortunately, you need extra wall space available in order to install the door and allow it to operate. Yes, there needs to be a place for the pocket door to go when it is open. My younger self would be astounded to discover this secret!
If a pocket door is not in the cards, consider two smaller doors that meet to close in the middle. Known as pivot doors, this door design creates a little extra space when open. This is because each smaller door will not swing open as wide as one full door. This choice is great for an entryway closet or extra bedroom closet. We love this for a workspace nook as well.
We have used bi-fold doors in our home as well. This is another great way to close off a bigger space without the large open swing a regular size door would render. We used bi-fold doors on our bedroom closet doors and our wet bar.
Of course, there is the barn door. We highlighted the barn door in our previous post (The Barn Door), breaking down why they work and why how we’ve modernized them for the farmhouse. Barn doors can be used for exterior or interior use and much like the pocket door, the barn door requires a little extra space for a place to rest when the door is open.
Different Exterior Door Designs
Dutch doors. Dutch doors steal our hearts every single time we see them! Especially when incorporated into a farmhouse renovation. The Dutch door has come a long way as it was once used for practical (farming!) purposes in barns.
Dutch doors have modernized their look and we are obsessed. They have become a staple in a modern farmhouse. We have dreams of installing a Dutch door in our mudroom.
So, what is a Dutch door? A Dutch door is a door that is split in the middle in order for the top half to open separately from the bottom half of the door. Brilliant, when thinking of farm animals feeding, etc. Also, brilliant when using it in a beautifully renovated farmhouse in the 21st Century!
Aside from some cosmetic pieces and a bench, our “mudroom” didn’t need a whole lot of love before we moved in. Our back door works great and is original to the home, so we have not pulled the trigger on updating the door just yet. We do romanticize the idea of keeping the top half of a Dutch door open on a sunny summer day and creating a constant welcoming vibe to our home for our visitors.
Bring The Outdoors In
One door we did add to our backdoor (mudroom entry) is a screen door. In keeping with the time period and originality of our home, we felt that a screen door would add a charming touch to our back entryway and also allow us to breathe in the fresh air on a nice spring/summer/fall day. A screen door also helps to keep bugs and unwelcome visitors out – especially when children are frequently traipsing in and out of a home!
Screen doors have also come a long way, as there are more styles to choose from and custom options available as well. One of our favorite features of any house is the door. Take some time to collect all of your options and choose which door/s speaks to you and your home the most. Sometimes, all a door needs is a nice coat of fresh paint!
