When it comes to redecorating or renovating your home, one quick way to add some vibrancy and life is to redo your interior doors. Whether you want a nicer bedroom door or something to open up to the kitchen or living room, interior doors can help you create the living space you want. Here are six ways to get the right doors for your home.
Color
One of the easiest ways to change the look of your door is to give it a different color. If your door is solid wood, you can add a vibrant stain to give it some authenticity and character. If you have a plain, solid color door, you can upgrade it with paint. You can either give it one color or add designs and flourishes to help it stand out. Just make sure that whatever color you use doesn’t clash with the rest of interior.
Design
Most modern homes have dull, flat interior doors. A quick way to add energy and flair to your home is simply to swap out your old doors for something in a different design. There are nine main door designs, including:
- Flush-this door type is flat and solid
- Panel-this door has wood panels to give it a more traditional look
- Sliding-these doors can be made of glass or wood
- Dutch-this style allows you to open half of the door
- French-this is similar to a panel door but has glass instead
- Pocket-these doors slide into the wall
- Folding-this style has the door fold in half with hinges
- Barn-similar to what you’d find on the side of a barn
- Blind-these doors sit flush into the frame
Pick a style that works with your home’s look and feel, and you can instantly upgrade your space.
Frame
Once you’ve picked out the right door type for your home, the next step is to frame it. If you have a drab frame with an elegant door, then that will create disharmony for your home and stand out in a bad way. In some cases, you may just be able to color your current door frame to match the style or color of your new interior door. In other situations, however, you may need to get a whole new frame installed.
Style
While the design of a door is important, what also matters is the style of the door itself. Flourishes and intricate designs can really make a door stand out, and you may be able to add some style without needing a whole new door. For example, you can paint stencil images onto your door or glue wooden pieces to give it an entirely new image.
Material
When picking your new interior doors, you will need to determine which material is right for you. Do you want solid wood? Composite materials? Hollow interior? Typically, composite doors and hollow doors are much cheaper than solid wood, but they may not provide as much insulation or sound dampening. Also, keep in might the weight of the door, as it can also be a factor, especially if you live in an extreme climate.
Sound
Most doors come with a rating for sound suppression. This classification is known as Sound Transmission Class (STC) and the higher the number, the less sound gets through. For example, a door that is rated at 25 will let you hear normal human conversation through the door. If you get up into the forties, then most sound will be muffled or dampened, and anything above 60 should be soundproof.