Interior Door Type

Your home’s glass or wood doors can fall into one of many categories:

• pre-hung: a door that’s sold by the manufacturer as “ready-to-go.” These slab doors already come with hinges attached to a three-sided frame.
• slab door: A slab door is just a basic, rectangular, flat, slab of wood. 
• bypass door: 2 sliding doors mounted one behind the other so one can slide behind the other. 
• pocket door: A door that slides into a cavity in the wall avoiding the need for hinges.
• bi-fold door: 2 or more doors that are hinged together in the middle and fold in on themselves.
• barn door: The door slides on 2 rollers, attached to the top of the door,  along a track

If you’re replacing an interior door and want to use the existing frame, you will need to use a slab door. However, you could choose a pre-hung door with a wood frame and matching hinges for an easyish DIY installation.

 A bi-fold door folds in or out and saves room space, making it a great choice for cupboards and closets.  The sliding effect of barn doors is popular in homes looking for a more rustic yet contemporary door style.  Pocket doors and bypass doors are common where space is at a premium and a traditional door would encroach too much in the room.  

Choose a Style of Door

You can find a vast range of wooden door styles from budget styles in DIY stores to high-end door manufacturers like UK Oak Doors. Each style has designs and materials to choose from, making the door selection process overwhelming with the number of combinations to consider.

The greater majority of people choose wood for their interior doors and often with panels. Veneer doors have a thin hardwood layer on their surface to give a wood effect. MDF doors are a great budget option and can be painted to match your existing decor.

You might also opt for a wood door with a glass panel to allow more light through your living spaces.  Glass panels look very elegant with plain glass, etched patterns or a frosted finish for more privacy.

Door Colour and Finish

Door colour is one of the most important aesthetic aspects of your interior door design. When exploring which colours are most suitable for your home consider the tones in contrast with any other wood finishes you may have such as flooring, staircases or furniture.

Floors and wooden and glass doors should complement one another. The close proximity of the two elements can enhance or detract from the overall style of your home’s decor.

For example, light-coloured flooring make living spaces feel spacious and airy. Choosing a bold door in a dark wood colour could reduce that effect. In this instance, light-colored wood doors with glass panels would create the most complete look.

Door Texture

A door’s material will determine its aesthetic textures and their effect on nearby decor and furnishings. For example, a highly polished cherry or walnut wood door will reflect light back into the room increasing its brightness. Placing a stylish rug or carpet nearby will prevent excessive reflections or brightness.  Each element of your home styling will affect the overall design.

Dark walnut or mahogany doors with a matt finish will make rooms feel smaller due to the lack of light reflected of their surfaces. You could compensate for this by using light flooring with a polished finish or light-coloured furniture.

Core Type

The core refers to the materials inside the door and consequently the depth and strength of a wooden door.

Solid core doors consist of wood and synthetic wood composites commonly known as MDF doors (Medium Density Fiber). They are ideal for bedrooms, bathrooms, or any areas that have constant traffic. Solid-core wood doors can be up to 50% quieter than standard doors.

Most standard doors have a hollow core so they are lightweight and don’t have any filling between the exterior panels. They’re more suitable for cupboard spaces or closets as they don’t offer a great deal of sound dampening.

An MDF core has more density than a particleboard and has a wide range of applications because of its stronger glued wood fibres. Like hollow-core doors, MDF doors are budget-friendly, stand up well to paint, and can give rooms a modern apperance.