15 Types of Closet Doors For The Home: Popular Styles & Ideas
Designers know that everything in the home serves a purpose. Builders and architects just slap doors where needed; their main focus is cost-cutting and ease of installation. However, a linen closet doesn’t serve the same needs as a bedroom closet or a pantry. The type of door you choose for your closet space should enhance the closet’s usage and maintain the flow of design in the room. Knowing the different types of doors available will help you have the beautifully designed home of your dreams.
Bypass Doors
Most people are familiar with bypass closet doors, also known as sliders. They are installed within a frame with a track that allows the panels to slide past one another. Today, bypass doors come in a wide variety of materials, such as wood, aluminum, and glass. They can look clean and modern or be paneled to look more traditional.
Pros: Bypass doors are space savers. They don’t open out into the space, so you don’t need to worry about clearance when opening them. The variety of materials means you can find a door that meets your design needs, no matter your taste. They are lightweight and sturdy, and the new models have track systems that keep the panels in their tracks no matter what.
Cons: Because these panels slide one over the other, you can only access half of your closet at a time. If you have older bypass panels or install new ones on old tracks, they may come out of the tracks and cause frustration.
Bonus tip – If you have a large, shallow closet across from a window or wall of windows, you can mimic the design of the windows by framing the panels with wood that matches your window frames and using frosted glass for the panels. It will really brighten up your space and lend a great modern but timeless look. This looks smashing in a bedroom.
Bifold Doors
Bifold doors are panels connected by a hinge. They are most commonly available in two pairs for 4, 5, or 6-foot door openings, but you can have custom-made bifold doors to fit an oddly sized closet. The most practical use for these types is in a bedroom closet.
Pros: Bifold panels are budget-friendly and lightweight; they don’t take up much space when they open, and they can easily cover a wide closet opening. They can be flush mounted, no need for a casing, if you really want to save on materials and labor.
Cons: Can you say fussy? These guys just love to come out of the track, especially if they have younger kids tugging on them a few dozen times a day. They don’t allow full use of the opening because they take up space when folded open, making access to the far sides of the closet a little difficult.
Bonus tip! Get these professionally installed to save yourself some frustration. The tracks need to be level and flush; it pays to have someone who really knows what they are doing install them. With professional installation, they will be less likely to fall off the track and will last longer.
Accordion Doors
Modern accordion doors are made of lightweight PVC that can look like various materials, such as wood, laminates, and lightweight fiberglass or aluminum. Some even have acrylic inserts that look like frosted or clear glass. The narrow accordion panels allow the door to be stretched nearly flat when shut or accordioned into a compact band when open. Accordion styles are great for closets that need nearly full access to the opening without using a standard swing-out door.
Pros: They are lightweight, have many options, and are much better-looking than they were twenty years ago. They are great for kitchens, laundry spaces, or small closets in tight hallways or bathrooms.
Cons: There is no lower track, so a lightweight door might feel unstable when opening and closing.
Single Panel Hinged Doors
A traditional single-panel door opens on hinges rather than sliding along tracks. This style offers easy installation and is available in many different styles and materials. Some popular materials are vinyl, laminated veneer lumber, wood fiber composite, PVC, glass, metal, and wood. Styles offered include Shaker, flat panel, raised panel, painted, or louvered.
Since these are common types, many different sizes are available, making them a versatile and popular choice for bedrooms.
Pros: It is an inexpensive option with many different kinds to choose from. It is simple to install without many moving pieces to break or replace.
Cons: These types may not work for all room layouts since they swing open. How they swing open may interfere with furniture, walls, and home decor.
Two Panel Hinged Doors
Two-panel doors are also referred to as double or side-by-side types. These have two hinged panels that open and close independently from the center. With two panels instead of one, they allow for easier access. Depending on one’s needs and room design, many types can be installed to open either in or out.
Pros: Two-panel models offer superior sound reduction compared to some sliding styles. You can open them up for better air circulation and light.
Cons: You have to purchase two products instead of one. They typically have a very traditional appearance, which may be a con to some.
Pocket Doors
Pocket closet doors slide into a little pocket made in the wall when opened. They are perfect for closets in spaces where you want to access the entire opening easily but don’t have room for a swing door. Pocket panels can easily match your house’s other interior door styles.
Pros: After installation, you can frame these to match the other door frames in your home or leave the opening as is for a clean-lined look. They are super space savers, lightweight, easy to use, and can access the entire opening.
Cons: If your closet opening is large, as most bedroom closets are, you may need a custom door, which can be expensive.
Bonus tip: If you use a pocket door on a linen closet in a small bathroom, make it do double duty and save wall space by using a mirrored panel. You’ll gain a full-sized mirror but still have room to hang up your towels!
Pivot Doors
Pivot doors make a bold statement in a space. Instead of standard hinges along the frame, pivots are installed at the top and bottom of the panel. This allows the door to open out fully, giving access to the entire closet opening.
With these modern beauties, you can easily create floor-to-ceiling drama. The door blanks can be made to match existing ones, be flat with no paneling, and have glass inserts; they are fully customizable. They are also frameless, meaning the door frames need no finish carpentry.
Pros: They are bold and beautiful, can make an impact or blend in, and allow full access to the closet opening.
Cons: A pivot door and hardware can be expensive and need professional installation.
French Doors
French doors are made narrower and lighter to fit a closet opening. They are like traditional hinged doors with a lightweight fiberglass or wood frame, and the glass frame can be treated in various ways, from frosted to stained glass.
Pros: These are great for walk-in closets and give an air of sophistication to a large walk-in closet in a master suite. They don’t need any special installation or treatment.
Cons: They will need enough clearance to be fully opened; they aren’t for small rooms where the door will hit the bed or other furnishings when fully opened.
Bonus tip! What is a pantry if it isn’t just a fancy kitchen closet? If you have a pantry with a wide enough opening, you could opt for narrow panels with milky glass. It adds an extra dimension of brightness and glamour and is great for transitional, eclectic, modern, or traditional design aesthetics.
Mirror Doors
Most, but not all, closet doors can be made to have mirrored surfaces. Some styles, like the Bypass closet door, are available in frameless mirror options so that you can have a full, door-sized mirror in your space. By using mirrored panels, you save wall space and bounce more light around your room, making it look larger and more inviting.
Pros: It is versatile and available in several styles, framed or not. Your mirror is in your closet, so you don’t have to roam around the house looking for a full-sized mirror to check your outfit.
Cons: It can look dated and bring unwanted glare into a bedroom, which is expensive. Mirrors are easily breakable if used in a child’s room, so please use impact-resistant mirrors and make sure they are coated with a safety film.
When designing a home, there is a lot to consider, and closet doors are an important part of that design. You want durability, ease of use, and access, and your door should cohere with the rest of your design. Whether building, remodeling, or just freshening up one room at a time, take time to plan.
Ask yourself who will use this closet, how often the door will be opened, what will be stored here, will the kids climb it like little lemurs, and what is the budget? Take your time, decide what suits you, the family, and your space, and you will be confident that you have made the right choice.
Closet Door Ideas
Below is an assortment of closet door ideas featuring a variety of styles and finishes.
Sliding Barn Door
This rustic bedroom closet with sliding barn doors on a metal frame looks attractive and matches the room’s country decor.
Mirrored Double Doors
This glamorous bedroom offers mirrored closet doors, which help create the appearance of a larger space and allow you to see how you look as you’re getting dressed.
Shaker Style Doors
This decorative master features shaker-style double doors with overhead storage.
Louvered Doors
A louver door features a louvered slat design that can help promote air circulation and allow light into the closet space. It offers many options, such as operating with a hinged opening, sliding on a track, or bi-fold functionality.
They are frequently used for spaces like a laundry room, where you want to close off the space but still allow adequate airflow and light to enter.
Sliding Glass Doors
Installing a sliding glass closet offers a stylish, contemporary look that can add some personality to your room design. They can be equipped with frosted, smoked, mirror, or opaque glass panels to obscure clothing and accessories from view.
Frosted Panel Doors
The stylish frosted panel bedroom closet in this bedroom reaches from floor to ceiling and creates a discreet method for storing your shoes and clothing. See more examples of slider doors on this page.
