Creating a versatile space with bi-folding doors

Internal bi-folding doors can help create versatile, dynamic living spaces perfect for relaxing, entertaining and everything in between. 

Here, we outline the benefits of adaptable spaces and include interior design tips to help you 'zone' areas of large rooms while maintaining a harmonious feel throughout.

Comprising several leaves connected via hinges, internal bi-folding doors run on a tracking system and fold in on themselves in a concertina movement. They create a stylish division when closed or reveal an expansive space when fully pushed back, meaning rooms can be dramatically changed simply by opening or closing the door.

Our moods, daily tasks, guests and gatherings frequently change, so it doesn’t make sense for our dwellings to remain static. Here are some ways in which versatile spaces can enhance our lives.

Adaptable atmospheres

When seeking comfort, many of us are instinctively drawn to dark, intimate, cosy spaces to snuggle down in. At other times, light, open, airy spaces are favoured. Internal bi-folding doors enable this change in dynamic day to day, allowing you to create the atmosphere that best suits your living needs and circumstances at the time.

Tailored living areas

Being able to change your space at the drop of a hat boasts more benefits than just how the space feels - it also offers practical value. With increasing numbers of people working from home in recent years, home offices and study spaces have been incorporated into our living areas. Internal bi-folding doors make it simple to close an area off for quiet concentration, while allowing normal family life to continue next door. They’re also great for entertaining guests, facilitating a sophisticated dining party in one half of the room, while children play in the adjacent space, for example.

Practical living

However you make use of them, internal bi-folding doors make an attractive addition to large open-plan areas if you’d like to create a beautiful division between rooms, while simultaneously giving a sense of space. They’re a great choice for providing insulation and soundproofing and, as well as serving as a stunning focal point, they’re fantastic for allowing natural light to flood into darker rooms, if glazed. 

Clever interior design is central to maximising the brilliance of bi-folding doors - establishing how to 'zone' areas of large rooms while maintaining a harmonious feel throughout. Zoning can take multiple forms.

Cohesive design schemes

To establish a cohesive aesthetic, ensure design features, such as patterns and colours, are harmonious throughout the space so they work together. While this doesn’t necessarily mean painting the whole space a single shade, selecting complementary tones or an accent pattern to implement throughout the space are effective ways to tie the scheme together. 

Paint zoning

Paint has the power to visually - but not physically - solidify boundaries between designated areas of a room. The beauty of this is that the space itself isn’t minimised or compromised whatsoever, but aesthetically, the zones are clear. Whether creating divides using structural elements such as beams, rafters and columns, or going for maximum impact by wrapping all areas (floor, walls and ceiling), zoning your home with paint can add depth and a focal point while providing visual organisation.

Clever furnishings

Furniture is often placed along the walls of a room, but if you’re blessed with a large living space, that doesn’t have to be the case. When placed in open space, furniture can be used as physical divides between areas. For example, a high-backed sofa can distinguish a living room area from a dining space while maintaining an open feel. Conversely, a rug can be used to create unity, and effectively marks out different areas of a room while also adding colour, texture and pattern. Rugs offer extra cosiness to a space and visually tie nearby pieces of furniture together.

For a versatile living area that effortlessly adapts to your lifestyle, explore our internal bi-folding doors and other made-to-measure internal doors.