5 Reasons to Get Internal Sliding Doors
Beautiful, flexible and functional, sliding internal doors may be the solution you're looking for
In modern architecture we love to talk about openness and fluidity. Sliding doors can certainly provide that. They can create a sense of flow through a house that swing doors simply can’t. They can be beautiful and elegant, flexible and space saving. So what’s not to love about internal sliding doors?
… and seal off the kitchen/dining/living area from the rest of the home as needed. Just the solution you need when friends are over and the kids have gone to bed (or, if teenagers are in the picture, the other way around).
In this New York loft, instead of providing separate bedrooms for the two young children who live here, the owners decided to design a single large bedroom with a sliding wall in between. Half the space is configured as a playroom, with the children sleeping on the other side. The playroom can also function as a guest room, and in the future the owners could convert the two spaces into separate bedrooms as the children grow up and each want a space to call their own.
See more of this home
See more of this home
2. They save on space
Whether they stack or slide into a recess in the wall, with sliding doors you don’t have to worry about the space taken by the arc of the door as it opens and closes.
Whether they stack or slide into a recess in the wall, with sliding doors you don’t have to worry about the space taken by the arc of the door as it opens and closes.
In a set-up such as this, there’s the option of creating a seamless transition between indoors and out with an internal sliding door that runs parallel to the external one.
This makes a sliding door a great choice in small homes – a sliding door between two connecting rooms (or between two areas within a room) enables you to open up the space or isolate the two areas, depending on what you’re up to. Sliding doors to a study adjoining a common area allow you to hide away from the rest of the household when tasks require your full attention (or when the kids get home from school).
In small spaces where you need a door but you don’t have a separate room, consider if a slider is a more appropriate option.
Find a designer from the Houzz directory to design your home
Find a designer from the Houzz directory to design your home
3. They create flow
Because they can open up spaces without moving into the room in the way that swinging doors do, sliding doors make it possible to create flow between spaces without clunkiness. The wider the opening between rooms, the more flow sliding doors can create when open.
Because they can open up spaces without moving into the room in the way that swinging doors do, sliding doors make it possible to create flow between spaces without clunkiness. The wider the opening between rooms, the more flow sliding doors can create when open.
Don’t be put off by unsightly sliding doors you may have seen. The door hardware can be recessed into the door frame so that the tracks aren’t visible, creating a seamless look and maximising space.
Tip: They do of course need to be installed correctly. Don’t be put off by thinking you need a track along the bottom – today most sliding door hardware can run along the top without need for a track on the floor that will break up the flow between the two rooms. However, if your door is large and heavy, ensure that your door hardware can cope with the load. Consult a professional and get it right first time.
Tip: They do of course need to be installed correctly. Don’t be put off by thinking you need a track along the bottom – today most sliding door hardware can run along the top without need for a track on the floor that will break up the flow between the two rooms. However, if your door is large and heavy, ensure that your door hardware can cope with the load. Consult a professional and get it right first time.
4. They can let in the light
In addition to maintaining flow, with a sliding door you can create division between two spaces without having to completely block out the other space and therefore its light.
Seek sliding doors with glass or, if you want the light but not the full visual connection, opt for a frosted or seeded glass door for privacy.
In addition to maintaining flow, with a sliding door you can create division between two spaces without having to completely block out the other space and therefore its light.
Seek sliding doors with glass or, if you want the light but not the full visual connection, opt for a frosted or seeded glass door for privacy.
Perfect between kitchens and dining/living areas, when open sliding doors create one large room and allow a flow of people without the need to keep opening and shutting a door. But then, when you haven’t done the dishes and you want to enjoy time with your guests, simply block off the kitchen.
5. They add character and style
There are endless options for sliding doors and they’re a great way to use recycled materials. Old or collectable doors can be converted by a joiner or determined DIYer into a smooth-gliding sliding door, adding character or architectural interest to the home.
There are endless options for sliding doors and they’re a great way to use recycled materials. Old or collectable doors can be converted by a joiner or determined DIYer into a smooth-gliding sliding door, adding character or architectural interest to the home.
Here, a pair of antique doors make a statement in the bedroom, in addition to serving a useful purpose simply as doors.
The shoji screens found in many traditional Japanese homes can be used as sliding doors too. The owner of this home – a professor of Japanese sociology at Harvard University in the US – told her architect she had always wanted a Japanese ‘scholar’s study’, which is traditionally a contemplative work space enclosed by shoji screens. Shoji screens can bring in a desired element of clean Japanese minimalism. They are also ideal for providing privacy while allowing in diffused light through their fine (but strong) translucent paper.
The exterior wall running along the hallway echoes the Shoji-style sliding doors, but has been constructed using Kalwall, a semi-translucent material with the same insulating properties as a typical exterior wall.
Browse through some pictures of shoji screens
The exterior wall running along the hallway echoes the Shoji-style sliding doors, but has been constructed using Kalwall, a semi-translucent material with the same insulating properties as a typical exterior wall.
Browse through some pictures of shoji screens
Tell us:
Do you prefer doors that swing or slide? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Do you prefer doors that swing or slide? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Sponsored
Contemporary homes with open-plan layouts suit modern lifestyles, but having the option to separate one zone from another has its advantages. In this Sydney home, floor-to-ceiling limed-oak doors can open or close off the butler’s kitchen…
Wondering how to make an open plan work in Indian homes?