Bifold doors are one of the most popular door styles found in UK homes because they offer a fantastic degree of versatility. Available in a wide range of customisable and bespoke designs, bifold doors create a seamless transition from the inside to the outside.
Theyâre also excellent at creating a much-needed internal partition for bedrooms, living or dining rooms, open-plan kitchens, and other areas of the home you want to make more breathable.
However, because theyâre so versatile, it can be hard to know exactly what to do with them, or how to style them with your desired aesthetic.
Whether youâre planning on installing brand new bi-fold doors as part of an extension to open up to a gorgeous patio area, or you simply want to expand interior space, take a look through our chic and clever bifold door ideas for some inspiration for your own home.
1. Contemporary Graphic Bifold Designs
Extensions are typically the first candidates in the home to be considered for bifold doors.
Whether you have a conservatory or orangery, bifold doors are an excellent choice as their transparency grants access to high levels of sunlight. Bifold doors will also help to make the transition from indoor to outdoor spaces more seamless.
For a more contemporary look, why not try some metal casing for the doors and surrounding windows? Not only does this make a more visually interesting aesthetic, but it can upgrade the room with a chic and elegant graphic dimension.
2. Maximise Your Sunlight in a Darker Room
 Sometimes you can have a kitchen or spare back room that doesnât have access to much natural light. Whether it’s from a lack of windows or because these rooms are north-facing, they can feel quite unappealing and cold due to the lack of sunlight.
By choosing bifold doors, not only can you introduce significantly more natural light into the room, but you have an additional pathway to play with in terms of creating an appealing outdoor patio space for hosting events or simply for relaxing.
3. Go for a Minimalistic Style
If youâre going for a more modern and clean look for your home, having large, slimline bifold doors with wide panels could be the best way of keeping to your contemporary aesthetic.
Perfect for providing panoramic views of the scenery around your home, a pared-back patio door frame with large panes of glass not only creates a more natural transition from the inside to the outside but makes your home look infinitely more modern.
4. Open Up a Small Space
A great choice for making the most of small spaces, aluminium bifold doors across a tiny opening can give the illusion of greater interior space.
In these instances, odd numbers typically work best. Try a three-panel door set up alongside a flush threshold to create an easier transition between interior and exterior living spaces. To create really noticeable differences, create a small patio space outside the bifold doors which can be used year-round to make the most of the sun.
5. Blend in With Nature With a Wooden Finish
Often a top choice for period properties, wooden frames are an excellent bifold door idea which maximises the natural aspects of your home and the connection between the inside and out.
Although timber and wooden materials can feel chunkier and larger in scale, the natural and traditional connotations can make the size more acceptable and aesthetically pleasing than large pieces of metal.
This kind of finish is best used for sunrooms, where their installation can make the space not only feel ultra transparent for extra light but can help the room feel at one with nature.
6. Combine with Sliding Doors to Combat Awkward Spaces
If you have an unusually-shaped room, you may see the benefit of taking a more flexible approach in the form of bifold doors and sliding doors.
Both sliding doors and bifold doors are fantastic options for enhancing your homeâs design, but to make the most of your space whilst retaining the same benefits, you could consider having a sliding door in the narrowest area of the room.
This kind of solution is more often than not a bespoke design, so if this is something you would be interested in, get in touch with our team to discuss your options.
7. Keep a Balanced Connection
Not everyone needs to have an entire length of their home open out to the garden when installing bifold or patio doors, especially in colder climates.
By combining a full-length of fixed glazing with relatively small bifold doors, your home can benefit from the bountiful levels of natural light which would come from a full-length bifold door, whilst retaining a strong connection to the outside by providing ample access to the exterior when needed.
8. Go for a Wraparound Effect
A great bifold door idea for properties which would benefit from uninterrupted views of their land, wraparound bifold doors are great for offering high levels of natural light with a seamless transition to an outdoor space.
Bifold doors arenât just for flat ironed properties, and they certainly donât have to be on a singular wall. They can be installed at angles and joined together with a mullion, a rigid section of the frame, to create a panoramic view of your outdoor area.
To create a more seamless transition from the indoors to the outside, we recommend choosing the same, or a similar, style of floor finish which creates the illusion of expanding the space even further.
9. Should They Open In or Out?
Bifold doors are super versatile, and you have the option of choosing whether they open inwards with the doors folded back to open out the room, or outwards so that theyâre in the space outside.
You should consider which will function best in terms of the design of the room the bi-fold doors are situated in addition to the aesthetics of your space.
If they are installed in a kitchen area, a good idea is to have them open outwards to maximise air circulation, however, the opposite could be preferable if you have a more narrow patio with limited space outside.
10. Dress Your Bifold Doors With Curtains or Blinds
Whether you choose a curtain pole or tracks to apply curtains to your bifold doors is purely your preference. If you choose curtains over blinds, they can be opened in a simple fluid motion and can add an extra dimension of style and colour to your room. The additional flow of a curtain from a slight breeze let in by open doors can also make for a lovely airy feel within the home.
Blinds, on the other hand, are a more minimalist and contemporary option which compliments a more modern aesthetic. Thereâs a wide variety of blinds to choose from including roller and Venetian, but what you choose will depend on your desired look.
Alternatively, if your bifold doors havenât been installed yet, you could opt for a set with in-built blinds. These can have Venetian or pleated blinds installed between the double-glazed panes of your bifold doors, and theyâre available in both manual and electronic options for your preference.
Are Bifold Doors Worth the Investment?
On average, the cost of a small bifold door of 2.7 metres is around ÂŁ600, and a large bi-fold door of around 4.7 metres can cost around ÂŁ1000. However, these prices do not include the cost of labour or installation.
In our eyes, we love the look of bifold doors and the benefits can certainly outweigh the costs. From allowing extra sunlight to your home to creating a seamless transition between the outside and interior, bifold doors can adapt to almost any interior design scheme and can add another dimension of style and usability to your home.
Brand-New A++-Rated Double-Glazed Bifold Doors
Not only do they keep your home warm on cold winter days, but our range of energy-efficient double-glazed bifold doors is the perfect way of enhancing the natural light you get in your home.
To create an inviting, light-filled living space with beautiful A++-rated double-glazed bifold doors, get in touch with our team for a free no-obligation quote.
