Top 50 Best Pocket Door Ideas – Architectural Interior Designs
We can’t always be blessed with expansive interior dwellings. Many of us are always on the lookout for a little hard-won extra space.
If you reside in such quarters, or are simply looking to protect and prolong each sacred inch, the pocket door is nothing less than a miracle of design.
Defined by its unique ability to glide into a wall upon opening, thus eliminating the need for a swinging or hinged door, the pocket door is the perfect architectural compromise between space-saving necessity and eye-catching composition. And just like any top-tier door, the pocket door is available in a number of styles that allow it to blend in seamlessly with your surroundings.
From rustic panes to chic glass paneling, along with brightly painted and intricately carved wood renderings, the sheer diversity of the pocket door makes it an alluring feature for even the most spacious domicile. No more bumping into door edges or having to compensate for limited capacity; the pocket door is a fluid solution disguised as a superior decorative alternative to the traditional swinging door.
We crave comfort and privacy in our homes, as well as surfaces that appeal to our personal aesthetic. Domestic creativity can seem limited when space and resources are restricted, but these pocket door ideas are proof that you can make the most of your space without sacrificing your style signature.
Here we take a look at the best styles along with some great ideas for your home. Let’s get started!
Advantages of pocket doors
You may be wondering whether or not you should go through the hassle of installing a door. If you’re thinking about it, then there are some great advantages that you should know about.
Looks cleaner – Having a pocket door can make your space look much cleaner. You have that free flow of space from one room to the next. Opening them up can make rooms look bigger and your home much more inviting. Being able to hide those doors away can be great.
More flexible space – There are spaces in your home which may simply be too small to put a regular door. You have to leave this area open, which can look untidy or suffocate your creativity. A pocket door gives you much more flexibility and you can create spaces you never thought possible.
No awkward swings – We both really think about it most of the time but doors can be awkward. They can cramp up spaces, you can open them into people or simply just get in the way. When you have a pocket door, you don’t need to worry about any of that.
The best rooms for a pocket door
1. Bathroom
One of the most obvious places to have a pocket door is in the bathroom. This is because they are usually quite small spaces where an opening door can make the room feel a little more claustrophobic.
With a pocket door in the bathroom, you do have to think about how well it is fitted and whether or not it will let the heat out of the room. For example, if unprotected, it could lead to mold outside the pocket door.
2. Bedroom cupboard
One of the great aspects of a pocket door is that it can make the room appear a lot cleaner. Nowhere is this more important than with a bedroom. Having a pocket door can easily hide all your clothes away.
Not only does it look better but a pocket door also gives you a wide-open view that you don’t get with a regular door. It allows you to maximize your storage space so you don’t need to worry about finding somewhere else for your clothing.
3. Walk-in wardrobe
If you have the space, then you can take hiding your clothes to a whole new level. That feeling of rolling open your pocket door to see your clothing or shoe collection before you is a great one.
With a pocket door, you can even get it to match the surrounding walls which can make your walk-in wardrobe feel like your own little secret. As with most pocket solutions, it will also make the space more accessible.
4. Kitchen
If you have a pantry then it’s a great place to store food. The problem with a pantry, however, is that it’s almost impossible to keep tidy. You’ll to taking food in and out of it and you don’t want any guests peering in.
Closing off that space in the room can help boost the image of your whole kitchen. It will make it much, much easier to keep tidy. You can also get a locking pocket door if you didn’t want any children getting in there.
5. Lavatory
While a bathroom is a great place to put a pocket door, so is a lavatory. Not only can a pocket door improve the access to an existing lavatory but it can allow you to have a completely new one.
It could be that you have a growing family and need the extra capacity, so to speak. If you have a small space, then a regular door may not be suitable with not enough room for its swing. A pocket door allows you to avoid any of these issues.
6. Tight spaces
Do you have any random tight spaces in your home? Perhaps you have a section under your stairs or between rooms. There isn’t much that you can do with these spaces with a hinged door as it takes up floor space.
A pocket door can allow you to create whole new rooms in your home such as a laundry room or a closet. This is great if you need extra office space or perhaps somewhere to throw your towels. As a result of this, you may even increase the value of your home.
7. Separate living areas
Open plan living has its pros and cons. A pro is that it gives you that feeling of wide-open space where the light and the air can flow through. It allows your rooms to feel a lot bigger and less cramped.
The downside is that you don’t get any privacy in individual rooms and spaces can lack warmth. A pocket door can be a brilliant solution. It allows you to fully open up the rooms when you want to but also make things feel a little more intimate when you don’t.
Pocket door style ideas
1. Wall match
One of the best ways to style out your pocket door is to match its style to the walls surrounding it. This can hide the door away and help to give the room a much cleaner appearance.
You can do this in a few ways, with the main one being to have a flat pocket door and paint it the same color as the surrounding walls. This is great for the likes of bedrooms where you want to hide away an adjoining bathroom.
2. Secret door
You can go one step further than this and do for a hidden pocket door. Rather than simply just matching the surrounding walls, you can go one step further and try to make it completely hidden.
This can be for fun to just have a private room or perhaps for something more serious like a panic room. Pocket doors are a lot more discreet than regular doors and are a great idea if you wanted to keep something hidden.
3. Double pocket
If you wanted to get a full effect from your pocket doors, you can double them up. The alternative to the single pocket door can give you the opportunity to have that illusion of open living when you want.
Pocket doors can be quite big so opening two of them up can give you a very wide opening. It allows for even more versatility. You can change the whole dynamic of your home in a few seconds with a double pocket door. With double pocket doors, it’s a great idea to have a glass pocket door to let the light through.
4. Locked pocket
One of the questions you may be asking is whether or not you can have a locked pocket door frame? Well, the answer is that you absolutely can. Where is nothing stopping you from installing a pocket door system with a lock and it will work in the same way as a regular door.
If you’re wondering about how secure a pocket door lock is, then they aren’t much different from a regular internal door. They won’t have the same strength as an external door but it’s very unlikely that you’ll need them to.
5. Installing a pocket door
Unless you are very good at DIY, it’s very likely that you’ll need a professional hand when installing a sliding door. Here we take a look at the two main ways it is done.
6. External pocket door
This is where you put railings on the outside of the door frame which can then be used to slide them across. This is less of a space saver but it can still be installed very flat to the wall. It’s the easiest to install as you don’t need any major work done.
There is another name for this type and that is a barn door. The barn door can give a more authentic and rustic feel that you can get in a barn. While they have advantages, they don’t seal as well.
7. Internal pocket
The internal pocket door is a bigger installation job but one that arguably produces better results. It allows you to hide the door away completely when it’s open. It’ll slide from the tracks and in between the existing wall. You’ll most likely need an expert to install it.
8. Overlapping pocket doors
Another solution is to not have your doors go in front or behind a wall at all. You could instead have overlapping pocket doors which slide in front of each other. This is a great idea for when you don’t have any walls for your doors to slide past.
FAQs
No, you don’t but it’s important to note that not all doors are the same. You need to ensure that it has the right measurements and hasn’t already been drilled. While you can use existing doors, the best effect comes from a custom-made solution.
A pocket door can be a great idea for a bathroom but there are a few things that you have to bear in mind. They don’t seal as tightly as a regular door which means that smells and steam can get out for easily, which may cause problems for some.
Aside from letting out smells and steam, there are a few other potential cons to consider. Pocket doors are a little harder to maintain in terms of keeping them on their tracks and preventing screeching. Finally, pocket doors are a little harder to open than regular doors as you have to pull it which may be a struggle for older users or those with conditions such as arthritis.
Pocket doors undoubtedly save space. That’s because the space behind a traditional door is dead space. You can’t put anything there are you need the space for the swinging door. A pocket door gives you more flexibility with what you can do with your rooms.
Quite easy, if you know what you’re doing. Once you have your pocket door hardware then you need to worry about your split studs, door jamb placement, wall studs, pocket door track and plenty more.
For those who have never tried it before, pocket door installation can be tough. Creating the space between the drywall can also be tricky. If you have your pocket door hardware kit then it’s probably best to call in a professional to prevent a rough opening.
