Our new place sure has its share of bi-fold doors. Like this pair sectioning off the future dining room and the main hallway (see a floor plan here to get your bearings):
And this nearby set that closes off the hallway that leads to most of the bedrooms (we removed one door to get the daybed through on moving day):
Then in our bedroom we’ve got another big set closing off the bathroom sink area…
…and a single bi-fold door right next to it closing off the walk-in closet.
That doesn’t even include all of the bi-folds that close off the other three bedroom closets. So basically… yeah, there’s a lot of ’em. And unfortunately most of them go against the whole open / airy vibe that we’re going for, so most of ’em had to go. Sorry bi-folds. But we’re already loving how the hallway looks so much more open sans doors.
And getting rid of the straggler leading to the back bedrooms certainly helped too (we still have to go back and putty / paint where the doors were attached).
Our master bedroom is even looking airier thanks to the door departure.
And although we’re going to leave them on all of the other bedroom closets for now, we did take the bi-fold door off of our own closet (we were constantly bumping into it). We’re thinking we might replace it with a thick floor length curtain at some point.
Another bi-fold that didn’t get the axe was one between the kitchen and the laundry / mudroom.
We don’t have a particular fondness for the look of this door, so right now its saving grace is purely functional. Without it there’s a straight shot from our carport right into the kitchen. See, here I am leering through the door to demonstrate.
We’ve learned that surprisingly enough, the side door that leads out to the carport is the one all of the neighbors use when they stop by (in the words of the previous owners: “if someone comes to the front door, they’re probably selling something”). And since my wife can and will nurse pretty much anywhere – even at the kitchen table – it’s probably not a good idea to leave that window unobscured.
So we’re going to leave that bi-fold up for now, but as soon as we can find a moment to frost that glass (so the light still pours in but the view is muddled) that bi-fold will be getting the same farewell treatment that the rest of them got. Stand by for that unbelievably exciting undertaking (I’m kidding, but hey- not every project is mind blowing). Oh and we’re donating all of the bi-fold doors to the Habitat For Humanity ReStore so they get to live on in someone else’s house, as opposed to junking up a landfill. Have you guys been to a ReStore yet? They’re full of awesome old windows, doors, sinks, faucets, light fixtures, and even rainbow colored toilets. Believe me when I say that there’s something for everyone.
Psst- This week’s BabyCenter post is all about trying to get Clara to adjust well to the new house (so we didn’t have an angry/grumpy/confused/scared bean on our hands). Here’s what worked for us.
Belle says
everything looks so open, bright and airy – mission accomplished!
Just curious – wouldn’t it make things a bit cold though, with no way to trap heat in a certain area? I live in a sub tropic climate but I grew up in snow and remember having to close everything up to stay warm!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Belle,
We actually don’t have any issue retaining heat since we’re in a very solidly built one-story brick ranch with standard ceilings (8 feet tall). Usually taller rooms, two story houses, and less tightly sealed homes have more of a heat retention issue (since the heat can rise to the second floor or the top of extra tall rooms). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Kelley says
OOOO, AAAAH. Definitely so much better w/o those doors blocking off that hallway. And those wide openings are killer. So you can thank your bifold doors for that! :)
renee iapaluccio says
haha i hate bi-folds as well! our new house is missing the bi-folds where the heater is & ive been brainstorming a way to get around them. with little ones though, i think they might be the only way to go unfortunately.
Handy Man, Crafty Woman says
Oh, those stinkin’ bifold doors! hate em!! Love ripping them out!! :-)
Harinee says
Thanks for replying about the comment thing. Makes sense that it would slow down the site considering I saw comments from Nov 2010 on one of your oooollllldd posts.. I think it was from early 2008…
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah! We have posts dating back from 2007 so there are some very old comments back in the archives!
xo,
s
sonya says
Love that you are donating the doors to Habitat’s ReStore! I am re-doing some things in my bathroom so I’ve been donating faucets, lighting fixtures, etc there… not sure most people know about that awesome resource so it’s awesome that you could give it some blog attention. It’s a great feeling that even though those items may not have worked for me, they can hopefully work out for someone else rather than going into the garbage/landfill!
Julie - On the Dot Creations says
Hi, guys. When we bought our house (stuck in a 1970’s time warp), we had tons of bi-fold doors, too! I was glad to see them go, for sure.
Yes, I am definitely aware of the Habitat ReStore. There’s a great one in Winston-Salem where we used to live, and we were so pleased to find one in Goldsboro when we moved here. Love that place!
Jennifer says
HA! As soon as I saw the pic of you leering through the door I thought “they need to frost that door and they’d be good to go!” Then I read further down :) I hate bi folds!! I would love to have pocket doors through our house instead of the regular doors!
Oh and I LOVE the hardwood floors!!
Katrina says
It does look much more open. I couldn’t help but wishing I could snatch up one of the shutter looking doors though for this amazing Chrismas card holder I recently saw on Pretty Handy Girl’s website. Hopefully your doors will find a smilar fun repurposed plan through the reuse center!
http://www.prettyhandygirl.com/2010/12/shutters-for-displaying-christmas-cards.html
Ashley says
That is an obscene number of bi-fold doors! I was actually surprised that the list kept going and going like that. It must be a very emotional topic for folks gauging by the number of comments on this post! I love the WIDE hallway is in this home. It definitely feels more like a “forever” home that I can see Clara coming back to on her college breaks although that is a ways off. It is a beautiful home.
A sidenote: John looks somewhat creepy “lurking” outside of your door! Please tell him to never do that again! lol
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, that’s exactly what I said when he was posing for that shot. Don’t ever make that creepy face again.
xo,
s
carolinaheartstrings says
Yep, I agree. Get rid of them all. I detest bifold doors. I love love the hardwood floor in your bedroom.
Stay or go?
YoungHouseLove says
Stay! We love it!
xo,
s
Eryn says
Will you guys do a post on how to fix the doorway with putty and paint after you take the doors off? You have just inspired me to take off a doorway in our house.
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Eryn,
Here’s how we’ll do it: use a spackle or putty knife to squish paintable spackle into the holes left by screws and hinges. Wait for it to dry. Gently sand it so it’s smooth. Then paint. Good luck!
xo,
s
Julie says
I, too, have many a bifold door in my new home. But I’m confused; several of my bifold doors cover linen and coat closets in the main hallways in the home. You’re saying even these would go if you lived here? It seems really weird to me to have a whole hallway of curtains covering linen closets, and the coat closet right by the front door? Neither of these locations would work for any kind of sliding door, regular door, or sliding panels because there is no wall space around it. We were just going to upgrade them to nicer bifolds (ones that aren’t metal or the ugly flimsy slatted ones). What would you do?
YoungHouseLove says
Nope! As we mentioned in this post, we kept the bifolds that covered the other three bedroom closets- we just didn’t need them in the middle of hallways and blocking off spaces that we’d rather have open and easily accessible. So in your case it sounds like keeping them might make sense. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Amanda says
Here in Oklahoma our Habitat for Humanity Stores are called Renovation Station! I LOVE it too! We’ve found a lot of neat things there!
Susan says
Maybe you should consider a door like those shown on this blog. I think they add such architectural interest. Good luck in your new house!
http://contentinacottage.blogspot.com/2010/09/yellow-interior-sliding-door.html
Sarah@StyleandCentsability says
I have a pet peeve with bi-folds- it already looks so much better without them!
We hope to replace all our old paper thin doors in the next couple of months…Can’t wait!
annabelvita says
Sigh… your master bedroom is so beautiful just as it is (weird sink and everything). Those boards! The walk in! Can’t wait to see how it looks once it’s had some young house love.
Whitney says
Those wide plank floors are AMAZING! Regarding the doors, I might live in the house for a bit before removing them for a number of reasons. We bought our house a year ago and it was chock full of bi-folds (and I hate them) but they have proven useful for noise control (sleeping baby) and privacy as you seem to have discovered the hard way. Also, feng-shui warns against removing doors with abandon. Just sayin’.
Lisa says
I LOVE the doors taken off your master bedroom entrance to the sink/bathroom/closet area!! The floors are gorgeous and the sink room is much deeper than our house (which also has a sink area visible from the master bedroom). Perhaps the photo with the sunlight spilling in helps.
rhiannon says
so when you close off the carport, will you get rid of that door? and then the front door will be used?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Rhiannon,
That door will stay (it’s where we’ll enter the house from the garage) but it’ll no longer be accessible by the neighbors or provide a view into the house, which will be nice. But we’ll definitely frost it before that happens, just because we’re not sure when we’ll actually make the conversion.
xo,
s
Ashley says
A post about your method of patching the hinge hole from the swinging doors would be GREAT. We still have battle scars from removing swing doors in our house and I can’t seem to get the old hole to blend very well. I have wood puttied, sanded, wood puttied some more. . . a friend recommended using shims in the space and wood puttying around those. Like I said, a post about filling in the old hinge spaces would be nice. Good luck on the new house!
Alicia says
It looks much better without all that doors! I also prefer open spaces, it makes me feel more confortable and I think a house seems bigger that way.
I love the floor at your master bedroom, and your bathroom sink area and your walk-in closet!
Enjoy your new house… and Merry Christmas!!
Kelly says
There are companies that can make interior barn doors for you – in the design you want and the dimensions you need: http://www.woodstarproducts.com/Residential_Barn_Door_Photos
Whatever option(s) you choose, post pictures, Love to see the solutions.
Pamela T says
I can remember going to a glass etching class in 4th grade, we were given warnings about safety but really, a roomful of kids didn’t hurt or kill themselves.
Now it’s a pain to get the materials, if you can, depending on the state. But I’ve used (and have seen in many applications) the rolls of static frosted “stickers” for glass. You might still feel the bifold doors of benefit, but the rolls are cheap, you would not be intimidated by cutting to fit, and you could have a bit more privacy while you get to know your neighbors, etc. They peel off, no glue, no residue, so if you decide you want the glass professionally sandblasted or something later, there’s no harm. If one layer is not enough to obscure things for your comfort, put one on each side of the glass.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s what we’ll use! The same frosting film that we used on our basement windows. So cheap and easy!
xo,
s
Amber says
Speaking of doors (LOVE your blog, by the way!!), we are in the process of building a new house and we have a rather large walk in closet in the main entrance. Your first pic reminded me a lot of the door size of our entrance closet. Now, I’m thinking about putting in 2 sliding mirror doors for that closet, instead of white bifolds. The question I have is…are sliding mirror doors like that a thing of the past??? There is only one small wall that would work for a hanging mirror, so I thought making the closet doors sliding mirror doors may be the solution. Any thoughts????? Does this idea stink? Thanks in advance for your reply!!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Amber,
We’ve actually seen mirrored doors and walls done really well (they look crisp and modern and glam) and of course there are also mirrored doors and walls that look dated and not-so-great. We’d recommend googling “mirrored doors,” clicking “images” and checking out a variety of options. Perhaps two sliding mirrored doors with a nice thick wooden frame (painted white) around them will look more current than mirrors that go all the way from the top of the door to the bottom. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Snickrsnack Katie says
My parents have those doors in their house – although not that many. I think only two sets of them. I sort of like them a little, but I can understand that that many of them would be annoying!!!
Christy Panzarella says
So I have bi-folds in all my rooms. They fall off all the time. My husband calls them every name in the book. We were inspired by you. I have a nice cream colored curtain now hanging in my living room … and the doors went over the porch railing with the Christmas tree.
YoungHouseLove says
Congrats Christy! Sounds like a good time to us. Haha.
xo,
s
Monique says
I really like your writing style, fantastic information, appreciate it for putting up : D.
Kymberly says
Bifold doors are a tool of the devil.
I replaced ours with thick velvet curtains from, of all places, the Goodwill. Brand new, with tags. Love that – and the ReStore too.
Alyssa says
I saw someone’s comment about mirrored closet doors and your response. We have the out-dated, awful 1970s version of mirrored closet doors in the room we are redoing for our son’s “big boy” room. There are actually four of them, taking up a whole wall. We are desperately trying to figure out what to do with them, economically of course. Can you paint them? Other ideas?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Alyssa,
What about wallpaper? That might be able to be adhered and then painted (painting the mirrors directly would probably get scratched and peeled off too easily). You could even find something with a subtle stripe or even a grasscloth texture, just for fun. Good luck!
xo,
s
Joe says
These doors are great. Joe