Although some may pass it off, we understand that interior design is just as much of an art form as architecture, custom carpentry, or any other aspect of home building and design. After all, without a solid plan for your home’s interior decor, a home would just be an empty skeleton, with no real heart or warmth.

One of the best ways that you can showcase your home’s decor and really brighten up your space is by installing a large set of panoramic folding doors. These doors are designed to replace dark, solid walls in your home with large glass doors that can be easily folded to the side to let the full beauty of nature inside.

The trick is to choose the right type of folding doors for your particular setup. So, in today’s article, we’ll show you four ways that folding doors can showcase and add to your existing home decor. Then, we’ll break down how to go about selecting the best folding door to match your desired aesthetic. Isn’t it time that you got to enjoy the home of your dreams?

How Folding Doors Can Add To Your Home’s Decor

If you look at most patio doors on the market, they’re usually less than impressive. Many of them are small, feature bulky panels, and just have a cheap feel to them whenever you try to open and close them. Some “porch doors” are no more than a regular fiberglass front door with a tiny inlaid window.

Pretty boring, right?

Enter today’s modern folding door systems… Folding doors are typically installed as an entrance leading from your home to your porch or patio. They’re usually anywhere from 6 to 8-feet tall, and are at least 6-feet wide (but maybe up to 20-feet wide or more, depending on how many panels are in the system).

Each panel in the system can be folded perpendicularly, and all of the panels can be pushed to the side accordion-style, opening up your entire doorway to fresh air and sunlight. These door systems are typically seen in Southern California beachside homes or in tropical regions like Southern Florida, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, and luxurious Caribbean resorts.

For more information about how these doors work and the various options you’ll have for customizing them, check out our blog. For now, though, here are four ways that folding doors can accentuate and add to your home’s interior decor.

1) Showcase Your Home’s Interior With More Light

The first thing that you’ll notice after installing folding doors in your home is that you’ll enjoy a lot more light. Most standard porch doorways are small and only let in minimal lighting. Unfortunately, this can make the interior of your home look dim and dingy.

Installing a beautiful set of bi-fold doors will allow plenty of natural sunlight into your home, reducing the need for artificial lighting, and giving your home a golden glow that can only be achieved from natural sunlight. Plus, who doesn’t want to save more money on their electric bill?

2) Make Your Home Appear More Spacious

Perhaps it seems like no matter how much you change up your home’s interior design and furniture, it still feels small… If the interior of your home feels cramped and tight, you’re not alone.
One of the best benefits of installing folding doors in your home is that it will make your interior feel far more spacious than it actually is! This is mostly due to two reasons:

• The increased light.
• The large panoramic opening essentially knocks away an entire wall of your home.

3) Create A Modern Aesthetic

If you’re trying to create a more modern space, then folding doors are an excellent choice. Just look at the Apple Store, if you want a good example. One of the things that makes all Apple Store locations look so high-tech and futuristic is their use of large glass windows and doors to increase transparency and create a more inviting look.

For this reason, folding doors are becoming extremely popular in commercial environments as well as home environments. Tech offices, luxury car and auto showrooms, and even modern conference rooms are installing folding doors to make their business appear modern.

To accomplish this look in your home, we recommend going with a low-profile doorframe that contributes to a “frameless” glass wall appearance.

4) Create A More “Natural” Space

Perhaps your goal with interior design is to create a more natural space that feels closer to nature. In this case, then folding doors can make your space feel as high-tech as it is close to nature. By knocking out an ugly wall or existing doorway and replacing it with a large panoramic set of folding doors, you’ll be able to see more of the outdoors.

This makes for a great meditation space and will also allow any houseplants you have to get the light that they need to grow larger and lusher.

What Folding Door Types Are Most Aesthetically Pleasing?

Not all folding door systems are created equal. While some are the epitome of high-tech, futuristic, and contribute to your home’s aesthetic, cheaper folding door brands and types can appear bulky, clunky, and outdated. This is why we always recommend going with a high-quality manufacturer that has a reputation for producing quality products.

So, that being said, what are the most aesthetically pleasing folding door types?

Hardwood Folding Doors

If you’re trying to go for a more “natural” aesthetic, then you can’t go wrong with a beautiful set of hardwood folding doors. These doors use sustainably sourced hardwoods that are then custom-carved to fit your design specifications. Depending on the manufacturer that you’re working with, you’ll typically be able to choose between a number of different hardwoods, such as:

• Willow.
• Maple.
• Oak.
• Walnut.
• Cherry.
• Ipe.
• …and more!

Each type of wood features different shades of natural coloring and a unique texture. The company you’re working with should be able to send you some samples so you can figure out which type of wood goes best with your home decor and furniture.

Choosing A Wood Stain

One of the most important things to keep in mind when ordering a wood folding door is that you’ll need to apply a high-quality wood stain to your door. Many manufacturers stain the doors prior to delivery, but you’ll still need to select the appropriate shade.

Some wood stains will completely cover the wood grain (darker stains), while other wood stains are lighter and showcase a deeper spectrum of the wood’s natural color and stain.

Low-Profile Aluminum Doors

If your trying to create a more “modern” aesthetic, then you can’t go wrong with an aluminum folding doorframe. Aluminum is strong and lightweight, which means that it can be used to create an ultra-low-profile doorframe, that maximizes glass space and lets more light inside.

Powder-Coated Vs. Anodized Aluminum Finish

If you choose to go with an aluminum doorframe, then you’ll usually be given the option to customize it with a powder-coated paint job or an anodized aluminum finish. If you select paint, you’ll typically be able to choose between a wide range of different colors, which you can completely customize to match your existing home design.

An anodized finish is a finish that’s electrically bonded to the surface of the aluminum during production and typically comes in metal sheens such as bronze, gold, silver, or varying shades of black and grey.

What About Interior Folding Doors?

Exterior folding doors are, by far, the most popular types of folding door systems due to the fact that they create a more dramatic effect in your home. However, interior folding doors are also a good choice if you want to divide a room. These are commonly used for office or study doors, or to separate a dining room from the rest of the house.

Final Thoughts

Installing a set of folding doors is a great way to accentuate your home’s natural beauty and create a beautiful, open, and inviting space. Most high-quality folding door manufacturers allow customers to completely customize their folding door design.
You’ll be able to choose between a number of different doorframe materials as well as custom glass options, paints, and stains, so you can match your doors to whatever your existing aesthetic or furniture color tones are!