Reno of the Month: Interior door inspiration for your Reston home!

By Nicola Caul Shelley, Synergy Design & Construction

As a full service design-build home remodeling company, our focus isn’t limited to the finishes in the space we’re remodeling, we often work with clients who want to make changes on an entire level or throughout their home as part of their renovation plans. One (often overlooked) change that can have a big impact on the look and feel of a home? Interior doors!

Six panel doors are one of the most commonly used interior door styles in houses in this area, but there are other options. If you’re ready for a change, we’re here to help with some design ideas (most are from homes in the local area) so you can get inspired about what’s possible in your space.

Single/1-Panel

For a more contemporary look, many homeowners are opting for 1-panel doors. They are sleek looking, fuss-free and, the best bit, versatile as they work in many different styles of home. They look stunning with chrome or black hardware.

In this contemporary townhome remodel in Reston, we reconfigured the layout of the entrance hall as part of an entire main level renovation. The 6-panel doors on the coat closet did not blend with the contemporary finishes of the rest of the renovated main level. We moved the location of the coat closet to unutilized space behind the front door and used double 1-panel doors (also used on the powder room door — not shown) for an updated look.

This next example shows how double 1-panel doors with frosted glass and square chrome door hardware add a feeling of spa-like luxe to this primary bathroom.

Horizontal Panel Doors

An equally modern choice is doors with two or more (usually) horizontal panels.The neat thing about interior doors nowadays is they now come in all sorts of finishes and differing number of panels, so you have plenty of styles to pick from.

In this basement remodel in Reston, our clients replaced their doors with 3-panel interior doors which were painted in a “Tricorn Black” color. The double doors to the media room are also 3-panel but with glass panels instead of solid for a contemporary look.

See more of this remodel above here.

In this next home remodel in Reston, the homeowners replaced all the interior doors in their mid century home (including replacing bifold closet doors which are commonly found in many bedrooms and hallways) and totally transformed this house. This is a great example of how door styles/colors can be mixed and matched in different rooms but still feel cohesive and blend together.

Pocket Doors

Personally, I love pocket doors. They are the ultimate space saver and you can get really creative with the design and hardware. If you don’t have room for a barn door with a track (or don’t like the look), it might be time to give pocket doors a chance. From frosted glass to solid doors, they are more versatile than you might think. For added design detail, paint them any color you like for a pop of color and design interest.

In this home remodel, a slab pocket door separates the kitchen from the pantry that can be easily pulled across for separation of space.

Pocket doors are not reserved for pantries and laundries/mudrooms. The photo on the left (below) shows how glass pocket doors look equally stunning in an office (this is a design choice I made in my own home). The availability of modern hardware for pocket doors by companies such as Cavilock (as seen on the right) means even the latch can make a design statement!

The downside? It might be difficult to retrofit pocket doors to an existing space depending on the size and width of the walls on either side of the door(s) and what’s behind the walls in terms of electrical wiring or pipes. Placement of electrical light switches will also be impacted as switches cannot be installed on the wall close to the doors because the pocket doors take up the cavity space.

Barn Doors

Replacing existing doors with barn doors takes things up a design notch in your space, especially when paired with a statement door track. Barn doors are most at home in transitional or traditional spaces and add visual interest to the room, but can also fit into a more modern aesthetic if the design is kept simple and paired with a modern track system. Like pocket doors, they are good space savers — especially for pantries. Having too many doors that open in a kitchen can make it feel cramped and hard to navigate, so barn doors are a perfect solution to this problem.

In the example below, our clients removed a closet pantry with a door that opened into the main kitchen, making this a tight corner. The reimagined pantry not only improves storage, the addition of the barn door is much easier for the busy family to use.

The gorgeous door in this home remodel in Reston not only looks stunning, it can be pulled across to give a cozier feel to the family room in the evenings.

This last example shows a modern glass barn door in an office that is a thing of beauty in itself!

Saloon Doors

Yes, we’re putting saloon doors on the list because we think they are a great way to add a playful, yet sophisticated, element to any space. But, these aren’t your Grandma’s saloon doors. In this home remodel in Reston, the existing pantry was a nice space but by adding wooden saloon doors, it gives the whole kitchen a brand new look and feel.

Before we go — a note on hardware

When it comes to hardware, just like kitchen and bathroom cabinet handles, there has been a general move away from all polished brass for door handles and hinges. Satin nickel, chrome and black are now the colors of choice. A simple hardware change isn’t hard to do. In the example below, our clients decided to update their door hardware to black. They liked the look of the existing style, so they didn’t switch that out, but the new black handles fit better with their newly remodeled space.

If you’re ready to rethink your home, we’re here to help! We’ve been leading the way in home remodeling in Reston since 2008. Ready to get started? Find out more about us here.