When we think of sliding doors, our minds go straight to patio doors. Or, to big firms and offices. We rarely think of home interiors simply because the dominant internal door designs swing. In a traditional home, the only doors that slide are the closet doors. Seldom will you see a sliding door in the bedroom – let alone a sliding glass door!
Lately, this has changed. Sliding doors have been invited into the house and, in fact, are called to play various roles.
· They serve as normal doors
· They hide kitchenettes
· They are closet doors
· They act as room dividers
· They are excellent shower doors
· They are used to bring in feng shui, light, flow, and style
So, what happened? Why the sudden change and preference for interior sliding doors?
Sliding doors come with benefits
Sliding doors brought all we were searching for years. That’s the capacity to make spaces feel bigger – even create more space without adding a room, bring in light, and create a sense of openness and flow. These things are hard to achieve with regular swing doors – even if we are talking about French doors. Even if we are talking about big French glass doors, the results won’t be the same. You may get light but the size of the doors cannot be huge. With sliding doors, things are a bit different. Let’s see.
There are many sliding door styles
Interior sliding doors can be single or double. They may be telescopic, bi-folding, bypass, or pocket doors. They may be made of all sorts of materials, from wood to glass, in various designs, colors, and styles – from traditional to contemporary – with or without decorative elements. When it comes to sliding glass doors, they may have a grid system or not. They may be made of clear or frosted glass. They may be wall slide doors or pocket doors. Or, they may be barn doors made of new or reclaimed wood, composites, or glass. In other words, they can effortlessly decorate any home style – from industrial and minimalistic to rustic and traditional.
Sliding doors maximize light
The larger the sliding doors, the larger the opening and the easier for sunlight to travel through rooms. Now, if these are sliding glass doors, the sunlight passes through even when the panels are shut. This helps you keep the interior bright at all times and make it more pleasant and delightful – full of energy.
Homes look bigger, space is maximized
Pocket doors insert into the wall. Slide wall doors stand against the side wall when they are in the opening position. Sliding glass doors are transparent, anyway. Sliding doors may be floor-to-ceiling high. And they can also be really big. Consequently, sliding doors may leave a big opening or create a sense of openness – at least, most of the time. There’s easy traffic and also a flow of air and energy and light. Two separate areas become one – if and when you want to, making the home look bigger and airier. It’s fair to say that the wider the opening, the greater the sense of largeness – even more when the sliding doors are made of glass.
Sliding doors are flexible and functional
Since sliding doors glide, they don’t stand in your way. They don’t make life difficult, especially in tight spaces, small homes, and tiny rooms where swing doors would occupy a significant portion of square footage. Slide doors give the opportunity to utilize space at its maximum and also, play with it – in a sense. By keeping the doors open, you maximize space. If this is a pocket door, nobody could ever tell that there’s a door separating two different activity rooms. And when you decide to isolate this room, you simply close the door to shut out noise or gain some privacy.
In this sense, sliding doors are ideal for small spaces, contemporary homes, minimalistic designs, and open-plan interior layouts. What’s not to love about having things your way while enjoying great design, brightness, and functionality?
