What are pocket doors?

We all want to make the most of the space we have available to us. That might be designing our rooms to be multi-use with clever furniture or well thought-out layouts. It might also be making the most of the rooms that are in our homes – whether it’s dividing up an existing room, or creating a new one.

Many homes have lofts or attics that are suitable to be converted to an additional room. However, these rooms are particularly dependent on making the most of the available space, as they generally have reduced headroom. This means that every aspect of the design needs to take space saving into account – even elements you might not have thought about, such as the doors. Pocket doors can work in even the smallest space, making loft conversions simple and accessible.

So what exactly is a pocket door?
A pocket door is a type of sliding door. Rather than moving in or out on a hinge like a traditional swinging door, a pocket door moves sideways along a rail. A pocket door is further separated from a traditional sliding door by its ‘pocket’. Traditional sliding doors move along a rail to the side of the door cavity. A pocket door moves into a hole in the wall, known as the pocket. This makes the door seem to disappear into the wall.

We often specify pocket doors as space saving design elements. Only today we've specified this for a utility and an adjoining dog wash room. There's no room for the door to open inwards or outwards, so the only solution is to build the wall to accommodate a pocket door. Why does the client want this separated? Because she wants to be able to close the door so that the dog can dry off and not run his muddy paws through to the stylish utility room. We've specified a glazed crittall-style door to enable light to shine through from the garden directly through to the utility which has no daylight apart from this area.

What styles of pcket door can you choose from?
There are many different styles including Georgian glazed, Georgian style, modern distorted glazed, barn style with external rail and complete glass with embossed designs.

How do pocket doors work in loft conversions?
Loft conversions need to be planned in a way that takes into account space considerations. They're home to a range of potentially small and awkward spaces. This means that they need to be planned out to maximise the space available. Using a pocket door can ensure that all the space in a room is usable, rather than needing to waste space for a door to open into. A traditional swinging door needs empty space for its door arc to move into, whereas a pocket door allows you to use the whole room.

Please see our story on Instagram to see various designs of pocket door. And to view our wide range of setups and accessories, why not visit our beautiful showroom in Newmarket?

Leigh Hall from Strive for Design is an interior designer in Cambridge, so if you're looking to redesign your home, please contact us.