How to Choose an Interior Door

by yael

They’re often overlooked, but they have the potential to give your home new life. Your interior doors may seem, to you, a basic and unassuming part of the house, purely functional and unexciting. But the wrong door can ruin your decorating scheme, while the perfect door will not only complement it but enhance it. An interior door done right can even serve as a focal point in any room.

Because doors are not quite as basic and easy to choose as one would think, we’ve compiled this comprehensive guide to choosing the right interior door.

Doors are available in a huge variety of shapes, sizes, and configurations; they can be painted any color for drama, fun, sophistication, or simply blending in rather than standing out.

Panel doors

The most popular door style is the panel door. Panels are the decorative inserts on a door front; a door may have one to six (or even more) panels.

As a general rule, doors with fewer panels are more modern, and those with more panels are considered traditional. However, with hundreds of options in panel doors, a multi-paneled door can be modern as well and a single-panel more classic.
The trim surrounding the panel (known as “sticking”) further defines the style of the door. Raised-panel doors are the most common, but panels can also have a flat or scooped profile.
The panel itself can be glass, mirrored, fabric, painted for contrast, or made of virtually any material of your choosing. They can be plain or embellished, different shapes and sizes, and laid out in dozens of formats.

Single panel:

Two panels:
Three panels:
Four panels:

Five panels:

Six panels:
(Not the front door, the closet door on the right of the image)
A glass-inset panel doors allows for light and flow throughout home. Frost a glass door for private or semi-private rooms.

Flat (flush) doors

For a more modern, minimalist, and sleek look, a flush door (with a flat surface) is the way to go. Flush doors work well in rooms with other flat cabinetry, can be customized with specialty finishes, and are easier to clean than panel doors.

A colorful door is a great way to introduce some visual interest into a room; if you’re not quite so adventurous, paint the inside of a door to a small room like a powder room. The color will stand out when the door is open, but remain unassuming from the other side.
Decorative doors
If you truly want your door to make a statement, try a decorative door. An ornately carved door, Dutch door (where door is divided horizontally into two sections), or otherwise embellished door adds personality to a room in a way that typical wall coverings and furnishings cannot.
(This one was handmade in Italy!)
Folding and sliding doors
Most interior doors swing open and closed on hinges. For tight spaces and closets, a bifold or sliding door saves space and can match other doors (or even disappear entirely, like a pocket door, which slides into the adjoining wall).
Barn doors are especially popular now, as they don’t need any swing allowance but make a fashionable statement. Contrary to their name, barn doors are available in sleek, modern styles too.
Blended doors
A blended door does what its name suggests: blends in with the woodwork, literally. Blended doors, or hidden doors, are designed (painted, wallpapered, finished, trimmed) to disappear within the room.
(Can you spot that door there?)

Stay tuned – next week: what does your front door say about you?

yael

3 thoughts on “How to Choose an Interior Door”

  1. Your information is really very deep and very useful. It helps me truly. Thank you for sharing it…

  2. Very interesting post ! Thank you for sharing this amazing information about interior doors and beautiful pictures which delivers a proper idea on how to choose perfect interior doors that fits your home decor and types. I came across some of the best types of doors on Discountdoorsus.com, feel free to visit them. Thanks!

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