I’ve decided to replace some of the plain hollow core sliding closet doors in my house. The door frames are the standard 72 x 80” and I thought about reframing the closets with a new set of custom doors that open and shut, but that’s really costly, so instead I decided to swap out the sliding closet doors for basic bi-folds and customize them with molding and trim.
I was apprehensive at first since I’ve never been a huge fan of bi-fold closet doors, maybe it’s because I remember getting my finger caught in one as a kid, ouch! With no little kids to worry about in my abode, I went in search of inspiration, and there are several examples of attractive bi-fold doors.
I love the idea of starting with plain bi-fold doors purchased from a home improvement store and giving them a custom look with trim and pulls. If any of you have thought of doing the same, I rounded up some attractive bi-fold doors from around the web, many of these are projects where DIYers pulled off a custom look with a plain bi-fold door transformation.
via domino
yellow brick home, diy here
diy playbook, diy molding tutorial here
It’s pricier to buy one instead of DIY, but these craftsman style bi-fold doors are attractive too.
Out with the old, in with the new! Aren’t these bi-fold doors much more attractive than the louvered bi-folds from decades past? The craftsman style can be created with trim fastened to plain bi-fold doors, or you could get creative with more modern geometric designs. These examples are a reminder it’s not too complicated for anyone who wants to DIY their own better looking bi-fold closet doors.
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Totally! I really need to update the sliding closet doors we have right now for some bi-folds. They’d be a much better use of the space and they CAN be so pretty!
I’ve upgraded the style of all our interior hollow core doors. In some cases, I had to get new doors. I found exactly what I needed at Habitat for Humanity Restore for a fraction of the price at the big box store.
One room at a time, I’m getting rid of every bi-fold door in my house. I just despise them. They look nice, and you’ve found some great options, but I don’t like how they take up too much of the opening into the closets when they’re open. Getting into the far reaches of the closets, which are longer on both sides than the width of the doors, is more of a pain than I every imagined they would be.
Good tip thanks so much Cheryl! In the two spaces where I’m adding them, I don’t have enough clearance for doors to open wide or for barn doors so I’m stuck with bifolds if I want to get rid of the sliding versions.
Cheryl is so right, unfortunately. I have old sliding doors on the closet in the guest bedroom and they are so ugly but the guest bedroom is narrow and long and the bed can only work on the narrow wall between the closet and the window so I wouldn’t really have room to maneuver. Bad enough that the sliding doors only make one side of the closet available at a time and the ends of the closet are basically for storing things you’ll never see again. Sort of like the Cozy Cottage Cute example. These are lovely examples, however, and they should spark a lot of inspiration. Thanks for the treat!
Omg I’m been waiting for this. Thank you. Such fantastic photos. I have the ugly love red on my laundry room Andi will be replacing like you did. I also have French doors in a bed room on first floor that has a closet, an outside door, a bathroom and two windows. Room is 11X14. Those doors must swing in due to an elevator and study on one side and garage door on other, going into. Lol, no space so I’d love to find a source for French bi~bifolds if you know of one? Thanks for all your beautifully photographed and researched posts. Rock star as always.