Making a utility door "disappear"

13 years ago

We have a funny little closet near the front entry that houses our hot water heater, furnace, and utility shut-offs. The door is about 60" wide and 60" tall and is currently a flimsy bi-fold door that doesn't close flat - it bows in in the middle at the hinge. Below the door is the cold air return to the furnace. There is a large gap at the top. The opening is framed and has trim, too.

I was thinking of replacing it with a slab door to make it blend in better - I have posted in the woodworking forum about making my own door to fit this doorway.

In fact, I'd prefer to make it "disappear" - any suggestions on that - if I remove the trim from the front face and paint up to the edge? I am not sure if there is finished drywall under the trim and jam.

Here is a photo from the week we moved in, you can partially see the "closet" I am referring to on the right side of the photo above the shoe rack (which has been replaced by a storage bench).

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User
Original Author

13 years ago

sujafr, the door can't go to the floor, there is a cold air return duct there. No ventilation is needed in fact it is better if the door is sealed, the water heater and furnace have their own exhaust to the roof.

palimpsest, thank you - that's exactly what I had in mind!

Annie, that is a good backup idea - I thought of that too, but I just haven't been able to find a large enough tapestry to cover the area and that would look good there.

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Comments (7)

Sujafr
13 years ago
What about replacing the existing bifold doors with new louvered doors that are full height, so they go clear to the floor? The louvers would allow the air to return for the cold air down at the bottom and perhaps the actual duct could be visible only when you opened the closet. I realize the closet would have a box of some type at the floor where the cold air return is to house the duct and its cover. I'm not describing this very well, but was just thinking it wouldn't bother me to have bifold doors in that location if they were just normal height doors. It wouldn't allow for the bench unfortunately, so that would be a disadvantage.
palimpsest
13 years ago
Door bottom raised to allow baseboard underneath.
Drywalled jambs, with wood stops applied, concealed cabinet hinges.
Door made of MDF, painted the wallcolor and fitted with edge pull.
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bronwynsmom
13 years ago
What Palimpsest said, except perhaps a touch-latch so that when you press the door, it springs open.

Unless you need ventilation, in which case either the louver door idea, or an inset grid somewhere on the door.

Someone I know whose house is very modern used invisible touch-latched doors and drilled a carefully spaced double row of holes near the bottom. To keep dirt and things out, he stapled a patch of black screen onto the inside of the door to cover the holes.
Annie Deighnaugh
13 years ago
Or you could always hang a drape...full blown window treatment with drapes drawn...no one needs to know it's not a window behind the bench. Or you can do a wall hanging...large tapestry or piece of fabric...

41x62"

Or you can turn the door into a bookcase....

Here is a link that might be useful: hide a door
Vertise
13 years ago
I was thinking the same thing as Annie. Close it off nicer than you say it is, then hang art, a mirror, blackboard, wallpaper panel ... within the framed area. Could you even put hooks there for jackets, umbrellas, hats, leashes?

This post was edited by snookums2 on Sun, Apr 7, 13 at 15:46
User
Original Author
13 years ago
snookums2, yes - you read my mind! My idea was to make the door look as much like part of the wall as possible, then mount a little shelf/hooks for wallets, keys, purse etc.

We're in CA so we don't really have big coats, boots etc to worry about near the door. The storage bench is for our shoes, it keeps them concealed.

We do have a coat closet to the right of the utility closet for hanging off season jackets and keeping cleaning items but it is also the "cat bathroom" - 2 giant litter boxes are in there under the sloped part beneath the stairs, and the closet has a curtain instead of door so the cats (and fresh air) and access it.

That's another reason the curtain/tapestry idea doesn't work as well for concealing the utility closet - already using a linen curtain on the coat closet/cat bathroom, but I don't have a photo of this wall it's not the most photogenic part of the house :)