Future-proofing is a big deal. We want our technology future-proofed, our finances future-proofed, and we want our homes future-proofed too. Homeowners are trying to look at renovation possibilities in terms of longevity of appeal, and the market is responding to that. Look at the proportion of power outlet plates pre-fitted with USB ports for convenient device charging, for example. We don’t want our homes to look and feel dated in five years. We want to be on top of trends, so they don’t get on top of us, and that’s extra important for those of us looking to monetize our properties by selling or renting them.
So when you’re looking for a new door, whether it’s a front entryway door, a rear door, or even a closet door, are you going to go with the cheapest option? The most traditional option? The most elaborate option? Or are you going to go with something new, exciting, and maybe even innovative? Like anything in home improvement, you should get a door you’ll be able to grow into that will not be comfortable and functional, but will elevate the appearance of your home and help build its value. To that end, anyone looking to outfit their home with new doors should check out these trending door concepts.
Sliding Barn Doors
The home interior has always been the testing ground of new door trends. Some of the most radical and ingenious door concepts are developed specifically to revitalize our indoor spaces and make them seem fresh and exciting. Case in point: the sliding barn door, which has become more or less a mandatory component of the modern, functional, visually soothing living space.
Mounted to a single rail along or near the ceiling line, the sliding barn door is remarkable for its sparse use of hardware, efficient use of space, and clean, subdued profile. Perfect for closets, pantries, or even bedrooms in the more bohemian of home layouts, the sliding barn door typically features a handle rather than a knob, and can be made of any typical door material, like wood, fiberglass, or metal. Of course, we love wood. It’s a barn door, after all.
Pivot Doors
This is a wonderful example of making something more complicated than it really needs to be, because, in this case, it accomplishes what it sets out to do: make an impact. We’re all very much accustomed to doors and how they work. Unless a door is on sliding rails or on a Lamborghini, we expect it to open the way most doors do. We certainly don’t expect big surprises from our doors. (Or do we?)
Enter the pivot door. Free from the tyranny of traditional frame-to-door hinges, this style of door swings in and out on a set of pins mounted on its top and bottom. Exactly where these pins are situated is up to consumer and designer preference, but the general effect is always the same, and will leave your guests saying things like “really,” “oh that’s neat,” and “hey, I think I broke your door — oh wait, nevermind. Cool door.” Pivot doors come in just about any aesthetic, but if it’s up to us, it works best with a modern or minimalist edge, and while they’re perfectly appropriate as front doors, we love how they look in the back, too.
Bifold Exterior Doors
We’re all quite familiar with the bifold door, the default door for bedroom closets or decks at the end of your bedroom, and pantries in sunny suburbia. Many of us can recall fond memories of bifold doors dislocating from their rails and the fun that would ensue. Remember that time you realized the rails existed at all, and that the door wasn’t meant to just flop around when not closed? And of course, who could forget when teenage Jamie Lee Curtis hid behind her closet’s bifold doors, peering through the slits in utter terror? Good times with bifold doors.
Wait, what? What’s this bifold door doing out on the patio?? No, the door isn’t alive, and you don’t have to get the shovel. Patios, pools, and backyards are the new home of the bifold door — its second chance. Bifold doors are taking over backyard entryways, with top-to-bottom glass bifolds adorning modern styled homes in place of the typical, but by now tired, sliding glass door. Of course, there’s a parallel bifold renaissance happening indoors as well, with those old school slatted bifolds being retired in favor of solid, tasteful slabs.
Floor-to-ceiling Doors
Many of our traditional architectural and design habits are somewhat space inefficient. What was practical for builders a century ago, or maybe desirable for homeowners at that time, does not always age gracefully. That piece of wall between the top of your door frame and the ceiling? That’s got to go.
Floor-to-ceiling doors are popping up all over, both in interior application and in entryways. The concept, in theory, is simple: remove the space between the door frame and ceiling, and extend the frame up and into the structure of the ceiling itself. Elegant, slender, tall doors that touch the ceiling will lift up any interior space; in the front entryway, where many homes feature foyers with high or slanted ceilings, the effect is even more dramatic, if you can find the right door for the job.
Wide Front Entryway
Since we mentioned tall doors, we may as well talk about wide doors too. Doors with extreme dimensions are meant to make statements. Where the tall, slender door gives off an air of sophistication and elegance, wide doors, reminiscent of country estates, castles, and old money manors, suggest wealth and luxury.
Thankfully, the days of big, wide doors being reserved for the upper crust are long gone, but the attitude remains. Given enough wall space, anyone can equip their home with a massive front door and upcycle instead of trash. You may be tempted to go for double doors instead, but don’t bother. While they might look cool, double front doors are awkward in practice. A single, extra wide front door will stun with its forceful, stoic simplicity, and will look just as bold years from now.
