Doors

Interior Doors Buying Guide

Hallway with split-tone wall and side table

They may seem like an unassuming utility in a home, but interior doors are a crucial accessory that can make or break your interior design style. While they ultimately exist to serve a purpose, divide rooms and break up open spaces, interior doors are often the finishing touch a room renovation needs and shouldn’t be overlooked in a DIY project.

However, with all of the door styles at your disposal, it can be hard to know where to start. Well, fear not! We’ve composed this guide to help you decide which door suits you and your space.

Whether you’re partial to a panel door or fancy a Fire door, we’ll have an option for you.

How to choose an interior door

There are a few points to consider when choosing an interior door. From the style of your property to the type of flooring, there’s plenty to consider when investing in the right type of door.
Here are a few things to mull over:

Period property

Do you live in a period property, or does the age of your house determine the décor and atmosphere? Is your space contemporary, or are you looking to match the traditional exterior of your home?

Flooring and skirting

We recommend you find door frames and panels to complement the existing flooring and skirting in your home. For example, we suggest pairing a wood veneer, such as oak or walnut, with wooden flooring as opposed to a white panel or moulded door.

While there are no strict rules, you want to strive for internal doors that accentuate the space, not dominate it.

Size and style

If your home’s interior décor follows one particular trend, try to reflect it in the style of the door. If you have a shaker-style kitchen, a shaker door will not only complement this but will also help you carry on the theme throughout your house.

If you have limited space, sliding doors and pocket doors are a sleek option over traditional push doors.

Colour schemes

Don’t be afraid to break out the brushes and give your door a lick or two of paint. If you’re looking for a bespoke look, painting your doors gives you the freedom to feature the same style throughout your home and allows you to add a personal touch to each room.

Types of interior doors

We have a wide assortment of interior doors that are expertly designed to suit a range of stylistic preferences and budgets. We also offer a range of door sizes, so there’ll be an option for you regardless of the size and shape of your space.

White Panel Doors

White panel doors are a selection of superior, heavy-weight interior stile and rail feature doors. Using separate components designed to maximise strength and create clean, sharp lines, the individual components also allow the timber to naturally contract and expand without warping.

We offer both traditional and contemporary styles all with matching glazed options to ensure there’s a door to suit every home.

Oak and Hardwood Veneer Doors

A veneered door has a thin layer of wood on its surface. These are popular due to the aesthetic benefits of a solid timber door but are more durable with less risk of warping and splitting at a much more affordable price. There’s a wide choice of sizes in a variety of styles with panelled and glazed options available.

Glazed Doors

Glazed doors are a modern and increasingly popular choice for homeowners. They are not only pleasing to the eye, but they also improve the light between two rooms, opening up a room and emphasising the space. Different glazing options are available, so if you want full visibility or to keep your privacy, we have an option for you. Glass doors also allow natural light to flood your rooms.

Each panelled door has a complimenting glazed option, these are more expensive, but ultimately become a feature in your room and make a difference. They’re highly recommended not only as part of a full project but also as just a ‘one-off’ replacement – it will make a difference to your home.

Bi-Fold Doors

Bi-fold doors are built for functionality and typically picked as a space-saving tool, much like sliding doors and pocket doors, but are gradually becoming more of a style-based pick.

A bi-fold door is effectively a standard panelled door cut in half, two panels are attached by central hinges and when a door handle is attached to the inner panel the two sections can be folded together. All our bi-folds are supplied with hanging hardware and track with easy-to-follow instructions on how to hang. These are ideal for cupboards, wardrobes or any opening where space is limited. They can also be paired together to make a folding French door.

How do I choose the right size?

Choosing the right size is very important and could determine which range you can and can’t have. Joinery can be tricky to get right and though the majority of doors in your house will be typically the same size, smaller rooms such as bathroom or small bedrooms may boast smaller frames.

Before shopping, we recommend that you take measurements from three points on your existing door. This is because your door may have been trimmed down in the past. Once you know the sizes of all your existing doors you can look at what ranges and styles are available for you.

Trimming tolerances can be found on the packaging of each door, this recommendation differs depending on the specification. If you’re purchasing a pre-finished door please note that trimming will plane away the finish and further finishing is required to improve the aesthetics and performance of the door. Be sure to seek advice from a carpenter if you have joinery concerns or questions.

Should I choose a fire door?

In a word…yes!

Fire doors look the same as a standard panelled door but they have several added benefits. The main, of course, is that it protects you in the event of a fire for 30 minutes giving you and your family valuable time to escape. Others include the feel of the door, which is heavier than your standard moulded door giving it a heavyweight, arguably a quality feel, and dramatically reducing sound transmission between rooms due to the construction of the core.

All our fire doors are rated by the BWF-Certifire scheme, which demonstrates our specifications and manufacturing methods have been assessed rigorously and audited regularly to ensure we comply with the highest safety standards.

Fire doors aren’t always optional; there are rules in place that requires you to have a fire door in certain domestic properties. It is always best to seek advice from an expert (architect or planning department), but below are some basic tips of where fire doors are normally required:

Third-story houses

All habitable rooms on the third story and all doors that lead to the escape require fire doors. For example, if you are converting a loft into a bedroom, then the bedroom door and the doors that open on the hall or landing and stairs down to the external door need to be fire doors so that the ‘escape’ route is protected.

Kitchen to a garage

If your kitchen leads directly to a garage, this needs to be a fire door.

Shared accommodation

There are special rules for homes that are for shared occupation, such as student accommodation or homes that have been converted.

In summary, sometimes fire doors are not optional and need to be purchased, but even if you don’t need to conform to regulations this product is still a must-have. For your peace of mind, you can fit a fire door as standard, they look just like a normal door as it is the core and seals hidden in the door that protect you – no visible fixtures or fixings are needed. They are functional, durable, stylish and, thanks to the 35mm option, easily installed.

 

And there you have it! Everything you need to know the next time you’re choosing an interior door for your home.

Explore our Ideas & Advice page if you’re looking for more home project ideas and DIY walkthroughs!



Homebase

Homebase

Writer and expert