Sliding/folding internal doors

[Yorky]

About to extend our house to create large partly open plan downstairs with long L shaped kitchen/diner, play room and lounge all in a U shape around the original hallway and stairs (floorplan here if it helps

We currently have 4 DC aged 5 and under, but as they grow will we want to be able to shut them away a bit more/will they want to hide their embarrassing parents when they have cool friends around?!
Are sliding folding doors a good way to divide the space temporarily?
Would you have glazed for light, or solid for privacy?

And where would you put them - between lounge and playroom, between dining kitchen and extended playroom, or where the current wall that we're planning to knock through is, between the current playroom and extended dining room?

Thanks for opinions and experiences of small children with these kind of doors - what are we letting ourselves in for?!
Do they take up much space folded back?
Do they need to be safety glass?
Are they a pain to open/close?

Is this the type of thing your after sliding door. I think it is a good idea.

They look lovely jollydiane, thank you
I hadn't seen the white primed ones before and wasn't convinced oak framed etc would suit our decor (such as it is!)

Glad you like the idea

I've read too many people saying that now their DC are older they need more smaller spaces and these seemed like a good half way house to keep the versatility of the open plan

Yep, we're planning an extension and intending to do the same thing. Big family room leading onto a dining room with that sort of room divider so it can be one giant party room or two separate ones when the kids need snogging space - or, if we need a downstairs bedroom as parents get a bit crumbly.

Also, we're keeping the kitchen separate seeing as how I have a knack of burning things - not nice to sit in a living room stinking of burned boiled eggs again

I like those doors - but it says discontinued. Pah. So, am away to look up some decorating porn...

I think it will give privacy when you need it (homework etc) but still have the option to open the the room up. I like the idea of white and glass so you will be able to see through it so it should still look quite open.

Another consideration would be the orientation of the room that you want to put sliding doors on. Would it make the room too dark?

Just marking place as we ate in the middle of a refurb and thinking of doing a similar thing.

So, for what it's worth, I think it's a great idea!

I don't think they are discontinued - I might give them a call as I am looking for something similar. If anyone finds anything else please post!

Could you have pocket doors installed between the lounge and playroom. Pocket doors are the best looking option and they don't take up any space when they are open. We have had them in a couple of houses. They may not be practical as you need a certain amount of wall space for the doors to be concealed in. You can still have either glazed or solid doors
Random example of pocket doors

It is definitly a good plan to be able to close off smaller rooms in perpetration for when your kids are older. We have, and use, two living rooms, a study and a eat in kitchen with a sofa in it. Open plan would not work for us.

Ohhh just looked at your operation extension Facebook page. You house is very much the style ours was. We had new aluminium windows ( green grey) and rendered the whole house with an slightly off white through-colour render. It looks like a new house. The rendering was worth every penny. We also had a new oak front door.

Thanks for your input everyone.

Does anyone have these- how much space do they take up when folded back? Need to find a RL showroom with them display

we had custom doors like this installed across the opening in our through lounge. they are heavy duty but were a lot more expensive

as well as providing privacy and flexibility they also make the sitting room cosier in winter.

Why is your loo facing the kitchen space? Surely it would be better opening into the hall?

Thanks for your interest lisa, feel free to put comments like this on the fb page :)

The downstairs loo will be created by blocking off the downstairs hallway, the doorway shown on the plan is currently the doorway from existing kitchen to hallway. We thought it would be simpler to use the existing doorway than brick it up and turn it around.
Also, it faces the main doorway so if kids arrive in the car needing the loo then they can get to it fastest!
The kitchen area is going to be near the hallway, the loo door will be facing more onto the playroom/dining room - we are considering the sliding doors to seperate the dining room from the play room, with the positive side effect that its another barrier between loo and eating area

I have the pocket doors linked to earlier (double ones) between the playroom & lounge.
Love them!
Mostly they are open and because they slide away into the wall they don't take up any floor/wall space. Because the playroom is open to the lounge the kids actually play in there (rather than it being a big storage space), and then in the evening I just close it off :)

Wow! When I eventually move house I want pocket doors!!

Hi, was wondering has anyone had any problems with their pocket doors, my carpenter is advising me not to install them for several reasons including dust gathering in the pocket and doors coming off the rails and a runner along the floor/??/. I am really disappointed as they would have been ideal