Fixtures & Appliances
15 Types of Doors for Closets in Stylish Homes
A quick overview of popular types of closet doors.
With so many different types of doors for closets available in the market, choosing the perfect door for a closet can be quite intimidating especially for a first-time homeowner.
Luckily, we can help. But before we explore this topic, it is important to know that the choice of door is mainly determined by the location of the closet and the space available in a room.
That said, you should always go for closet doors that serve their main function – shutting up and hiding the contents of your closet – while making a strong fashion statement.
Here’s the ultimate list of different types of doors for closets, based on how they work, style, and the type of material used to make the door.
A.) Based on How they Work
1. Sliding Closet Doors
A sliding closet door is a lightweight wooden or metal door that is installed in a sliding track that allows the two halves of the door to slide past one another when pushed to open.
Unlike traditional doors that are fixed to the wall and swing open in one direction from the entryway, sliding closet doors slide to the side and dangle neatly against the wall.
The rollers of these doors should be greased regularly to make the door slide smoothly when pushed even with just one hand.
While sliding doors are excellent space-savers, they are expensive since they are customised according to the available space.
They can also be a bit problematic as you can only access one side of the closet at a time. However, this can be solved by fitting a door that slides into the adjoining wall of the closet.
There are several types of sliding doors for closets and wardrobes. These include pocket sliding doors, sliding bi-fold doors that halve themselves when opened, sliding French doors, and patio sliding doors that are used as openings to the patios.
Some of the options are discussed below.
2. Pivot Closet Doors
These doors have pivots attached at the top and bottom of the door instead of having hinges attached to the frame. This helps the doors to open fully allowing access the entire closet.
Like sliding closet doors, pivot closet doors can be customised to suit any style or space.
Pivot closet doors are not a good option for homeowners on budget because, in addition to expensive hardware, the doors require professional customisation and installation.
3. Bifold Closet Doors
Bifold doors are among the most popular types of doors for closets. They fold along a hinge at the centre and are designed in two-panel and four-panel setups where each panel is linked to another with hinges.
This setup allows you to access both sides of the closet at once while giving you easy access to the middle area of your wardrobe. Bifold doors are a space-saving option for small rooms.
One of the problems of these doors is their tendency to fall off the track, which makes them a bad choice for those with kids at home since the young ones may often tug at the door.
Another downside of these types of doors for closets is that they take up space on the closet opening when open – which makes it hard to reach items placed at the farthest corner.
4. Accordion Doors
Accordion doors are made up of several narrow panels that can fold together like an accordion and move along a single rack fitted at the top of the closet.
The panels are usually made of lightweight vinyl or PVC that can be stretched flat when fully closed and compressed into a narrow band when fully open.
Like other types of sliding doors, accordion doors are great space-savers and can be used for closets in kitchen and bathrooms. Their pricing makes them ideal for buyers on budget.
The downside of accordion doors is that the absence of a lower rack can make them feel unbalanced when opening and closing.
5. Double Closet Doors
Double closet doors are easily the best type of doors for small closets. As such, they are always in style and very popular with homeowners. They consist of a pair of hinged doors, one with a right-hand swing and the other with a left-hand swing.
They are fitted with a ball catch at the top and bottom of the closet to hold the closed doors in place and to allow you to open either door while the other remains closed.
But unlike sliding doors, double closet doors require the floor space in front of the door to be free of any stuff, which makes it difficult to operate in a congested room.
6. Single Swinging Door
This is a door with hinges or pivots that allow it to swing 90 degrees in one direction only. It is one of the best types of doors for small closets.
The downside of single swinging doors is that, like double closet doors, they require the floor space in front to be free of any stuff, which makes them inappropriate for congested rooms.
7. Pocket Closet Doors
Pocket closet doors are designed to slide into a pocket in the adjacent wall when open. These doors are invisible when open. They allow you to access all the contents of a closet at once.
Pocket doors save space and are great for rooms with little clearance for a door to swing.
Unfortunately, pocket closet doors are quite expensive to install since they require the purchase of special hardware and creation of an actual door size opening into the wall.
B.) Based on Style
8. Mirror Closet Doors
As the name suggests, mirror closet doors are fitted with mirror panels. These doors allow light to reflect within a room – making it appear larger and brighter. They are a great choice for those looking to enhance the look and feel of their bedrooms.
Besides, they eliminate the need to buy a full-length mirror for the bedroom. However, of all the different types of doors for closets, mirror closet doors are the most delicate.
This means you may need to use impact-resistant mirrors that are coated with a safety film, which makes it a bad choice if you are working with a tight budget.
9. Barn Closet Doors
A barn closet door is mounted on a track above the frame and fitted with small wheels at the bottom to facilitate smooth opening and closing. It looks great and stylish for rustic and traditional homes but may appear out of place in modern houses.
Barn closet doors are ideal for spacious rooms and closets that are located next to large walls that do not have any light switches or outlets nearby.
10. Bookcase Closet Doors
A bookcase door, also known as hidden door, is a type of sliding door that is used to cover the entrance to a secret room or vault for storing firearms, jewellery or other important items.
Bookcase closet doors include shelves that play the role of bookcases while hiding the contents of the closet. The shelves can also be used to display showpieces.
Bookcase doors are often made of solid wood – which is expensive. However, you can opt for plywood with hardwood veneer, which is cheaper but stronger than softwoods.
11. French Closet Doors
French closet doors are fitted with hinges on each side of the opening enabling them to open in the middle. They mainly consist of light wooden joinery framing large panels of glass.
French closet doors with clear glass panels can be a great choice for homeowners looking for sophistication. However, these doors can be costly depending on the material and finish.
They also require clearance to swing open, which makes them unsuitable for small rooms.
French closet doors are still fashionable in the 2020s and are likely to remain in style many years to come because of their unique and stylish features.
12. Louvered Closet Doors
Louvered closet doors consist of wood or glass louvers that are fixed in the frame at a certain angle to allow air through without revealing the content of the closet.
These doors help to keep clothes fresh by allowing natural ventilation and lighting.
The downside of louvered closet doors is that they are difficult to clean, repair or replace.
C.) Based on Material
13. Wood Closet Doors
These are the most common types of doors for closets in homes. The local availability of wood makes it a popular choice for homeowners looking to build on tight budgets.
However, not all wooden doors are low-priced. Depending on the type of tree cut for timber, some doors particularly those made from high-quality hardwood can be pricey.
14. Glass Closet Doors
Glass closet doors with frosted glass ooze sophistication, especially when framed with wood like traditional doors. They allow privacy without losing the aesthetic value of the door.
If you do not care too much about privacy, you can opt for a door with clear glass. The beauty of it is that you can view and select your outfit without having to open the closet door.
It is advisable to regularly clean your door glass with vinegar and water solution to maintain its looks. You should also be extra careful with glass doors because they are quite delicate.
15. Synthetic Closet Doors
PVC doors are the most popular artificial materials for making synthetic doors. The doors are affordably priced, light, durable and they come in a horde of colourful designs.
They are ideal for those seeking to venture beyond wood but are worried about breaking glass closet doors. However, these doors lack the strength and appeal of wood fittings.
