Bifold door and kitchen island is it going to date? Pitfalls...

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We viewed a couple of houses like this and it’s in all the magazines and they look gtreat when all tidy ...

Do they work in real life. Reading on here about people with wasps trapped in roof lanterns and flies coming in the bifolds....

We have a Victorian house and are looking at making an opening at the back and installing wooden french doors (if we can ever find a builder). It suits the house style much better and we have a raised floor so huge steps and bifolds wouldn’t work.

However we are looking at a pa

...painted shaker kitchen! Damn phone. Do what works with the house and for you rather than what is or isn’t fashionable.

I prefer sliding to bifolds because I think bifolds look best when fully open but I don’t think we have the weather for that personally.

How are sliding doors more practical than bifold, please? I’m not familiar with the former.

I like them simply because you can just open them a little bit, I think bifolds look better when fully open.

We have 3.6m bifolds in our south facing garden in the south east. We also have a large island. Room is 6x6 and is an extension on our 1930's. Personally I love both features and it has changed how we live! Doors have been open for months and I don't notice any more flies than normal. We have lots of storage and island and kitchen is completely clutter free- apart from a kettle. I don't care if they date. I chose mine to suit me and personally I think it looks fab, as does everyone else that has visited- unless they're lying!

But bifolds have a lead door whereby you can open just one pane, and it will fold back completely to nearly 180°. If you have sliding doors do you have to open the whole panel (even if only part-way) to take the bin out?

The success of bifolds will IMO depend a lot on the view from inside. A dd has a pretty garden and the bifolds make a sort of picture frame for it. She has small dcs running in and out so has them open a lot - step-free access to patio/garden. They're easy to open and close, too.

Islands are IMO fine as long as the kitchen is big enough, I.e. an island hasn't been crammed in for the sake of fashion. I'd never have one if it were a case of that or a good kitchen table.

The number of insects coming in will surely depend largely on the area. Anywhere near farmland with cow or sheep shit will always have more flies, maybe a lot more.

We did our kitchen in 2006. Oak cabinetry, black granite work tops. Traditional french windows to the garden with glass panels to each side. I still don't wish we had gone for bifolds as I tend to have the door open most of the time (prone to hot flushes) and during the summer we have both doors open for the whole bringing the outdoors in. Rather than the three pendant lights over the island we have the kind of crazy wire type light that was popular at the time. So pleased we didn't have any tiled splash backs as I think they really do date a room.

Avoid 2 different unit colours eg dark colour on the bottom units and light colour for the wall cupboards

I agree that islands are pretty classic but I don’t like the current trend of installing an island which is a different colour to the other units.

If people have been putting bifolds in for twenty years are they not, arguably, approaching classic status?! So much depends on quality. Comparing cheap, flimsy upvc bifolds with really solid, well-made aluminium ones is like comparing a upvc conservatory with an oak-framed orangery.

We have bifolds in our 1650s cottage and love them! I don’t have a pic of the whole back but have attached two half pics so you can get the general gist of it

We just put in sliders. DH is an architect and said bi-folds had their day a few years back.

Crittal are what people go for in period properties and in newer builds it's all about sliders- more glass for the view.

I think I need to start a thread on crittsl alternatives....that's what I really want.

I've never heard of crittal - must go and have a google.

We've been looking at options to open up our kitchen to the patio but because it's an old house, we weren't sure about bifold. We have got a roof lantern with windows on all sides (aiming for an orangery feel) and love the light.

Ooh yes, liking the crittall doors - quite 'warehouse chic' though so wouldn't work in every house.

Crittal are gorgeous but they are seriously expensive.