It can be difficult to answer the question, “How are folding doors often used in residential construction?” Of course, there are plenty of examples of beautiful folding patio doors that lead homeowners from their living rooms outside, but these opening solutions can support many more boundary-defying designs.
While often intended for exterior use, folding patio doors can be used in multiple parts of a home and in multiple configurations to deliver refreshing design options. Sometimes, these applications may not even look like a traditional folding patio door—they might look like full walls or wider than average windows.
Architects and designers have utilized these opening solutions to design inspirational outlooks and seamlessly blend the interior with the exterior in homes across the country. To spark imaginations, here are three unique ways folding patio doors can subtly elevate residential design.
Create adaptable living spaces with interior folding patio doors
While the main use of bifold doors in residential construction is to blend indoor and outdoor living spaces, they can be used throughout a home to create adaptable and unique floorplans.
Able to span entire walls, folding patio doors, when used between interior rooms, can allow homeowners to open adjacent spaces into one large room. This can support large gatherings of friends and family when necessary while also allowing rooms to be closed off when a smaller space is more appropriate.
When folding doors include large spans of glass, they can help homeowners maintain a quiet environment without sacrificing a sense of visual connection that is essential to many contemporary luxury home designs.
Seamlessly integrate indoor and outdoor cooking with a kitchen pass-through
While premium folding patio doors, like Euro-Wall’s Vista Fold™, can achieve heights of up to 168 inches, not all openings need to stretch from floor to ceiling.
Exterior-facing kitchen pass-throughs, which are openings in the wall between a kitchen and the dining area, can blend indoor and outdoor kitchens easily without requiring a full door opening. With 20-inch minimum panel heights, Vista Fold can help designers create dynamic cooking and dining areas perfect for family dinners or large parties.
Vista Fold is also available as an impact-rated and thermally broken system that meets the stringent criteria for Florida Product Approvals. As a result, it can contribute to a weather resistant exterior, whether it is used as a traditional folding patio door or a kitchen pass-through.
Open entire corners with folding patio doors
Folding patio doors can be a space-efficient way to create a wide opening. So why stop with just a doorway? Euro-Wall’s folding door systems can span whole walls to create unobstructed views, but they also have far more potential.
Vista Fold can accommodate 90° postless corners. In this configuration, they can open entire sections of a home to offer an unprecedented level of connection between interior and exterior spaces. With essentially two walls that disappear, homeowners are not bound to choose inside or outside. Their homes can adapt to several arrangements easily.
Vista Fold is also available in radius and split height configurations. As such, it can offer a wide range of flexibility to project designers—allowing nearly endless possibilities for blurring the lines between a home’s interior and the surrounding area.
Home designs that are above the fold
Because of their versatility and adaptability, folding patio doors can help designers and architects bring a homeowner’s vision to life—whether it is a modern kitchen pass-through, a larger-than-life wall opening, or a traditional doorway. Perhaps, the main use of bifold doors in residential construction is to push the boundaries on what is possible in luxury home design.
Euro-Wall’s professional support can assist with design and building questions. Reach out today to learn more about the possibilities within folding doors and all of Euro-Wall’s other opening solutions!
