What to do with 28" double doors

10 years ago

The master bedroom of a home I'm remodeling has 28" double doors (56" total) into the master bedroom. This is fine when the doors are both open; it's a nice spacious entry.

But with guests and/or kids I won't want my doors open all the time. I've never had inside double doors but I imagine most of the time I'm going to have one door locked in place and use the other as a working passthrough. In that case, I'm basically left with a 28" door which feels very small.

I like the idea of double doors and the fact that they are a unique, upscale feature. But I hate the idea of a 28" working door, and because it's off-center you're kind of walking through a wide entrance but have to hug the wall to get through one door.

Should I keep the double doors or convert them to a single door? Maybe it will look nice if I use the largest door available with sidelights. Does anyone have photos of sidelights used indoors? I've tried to find some online but can't find any inspiration photos.

I have seen interior doors online that are as large 48 x 80 (http://www.doors4home.com/p-4707-kw-300.aspx). Any downsides to a door this large? Since it's a bedroom door I'd prefer a solid door but I wonder if that's impractical due to the weight.

TIA for any advice.

Featured Answer

uscpsycho
Original Author

10 years ago

last modified: 10 years ago

Thanks Brittney!

Yes, I have walked through the door and it just feels awkward when one side is closed. It's a spacious modern house and this 28" functional door would be the smallest in the house. It also feels "off" because the hallway leading up to the doors is 56+" wide but you have to cozy up to the wall to walk into the bedroom.

If I put one door in the center I would want it to be at least 36" because I think a smaller door would look funny in the middle of a 56" wide entrance. I hope I'm explaining that right.

The sidelights wouldn't be clear of course, they would be very obscured glass. Or maybe even some kind of decorative side panels without glass.

It's funny, I've been remodeling this house for so long and it just now hit me how awkward the doors are because it's the first time I walked through the doorway with one door closed. It was a very WTH moment. Maybe it's not so bad and I will get used to it, but my first impression was YUCK! which is why I wanted some feedback from pros or people who have this configuration in their home.

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Comments (8)

PRO
Philosophy Design Studios
10 years ago
I don't have an opinion personally, but I know that many interior doors are 28" wide and I would encourage you to walk through a 28" opening (perhaps you already did) and consider if really does seem small for a bedroom... You might go to a 30" or 32" or 36" if you felt it was important... generally people don't put sidelights in a bedroom for privacy concerns.

Best of luck!

Brittney
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PRO
HMH Development Inc
10 years ago
Not sure if it is worth the money and effort to convert to a single door. If so, standard bedroom is 32". I would not do sidelights. Why can't you just open both doors? Is one permanently latched closed? How often do you really close the doors?
PRO
JAN MOYER
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
The 56 inch wide hallway is the reason the double doors are there. I'd simply leave both doors open most of the time, switch them to solid /wood finish and leave the opening alone. (Make your bed and hang up your clothes: ) A sidelight is probably not a great idea, it would need to be glass, making something else to cover for privacy or seeded glass leaving the feel of heading out doors.

Id leave well enough alone.......or do real work, and make both a pocket door, allowing you to select the "inch perfect" centered opening at any given moment with two 28.
PRO
Spatial Research Group -Architects
10 years ago
It might sound a bit weird but you may try 41" always op-enable option and the rest that is 15" as sometimes one. You could demarcate this by some contrast color and you could use the 41" in most cases. TC
uscpsycho
Original Author
10 years ago
Blue - The thing is I haven't moved in yet and I don't know how I'll manage the doors.

Closing both doors requires manually latching one. With kids and/or guests, I assume I'm going to want the doors closed most of the time. Manually latching and un-latching the fixed door on a regular basis will get old fast and of course it will just end up being fixed all the time.

I hear you guys loud and clear on the sidelights or anything like sidelights -- don't do it!

I didn't think about how going wider than 36" would look disproportionate. Excellent point. So it sounds like my best options are to either leave the doors as is, or add 10" to each side and put in a 36" door. I don't think the cost will be very much. We have a lot of dry wall to do so that won't add anything. I'll just need my contractor to do some extra framing to convert the doorway from 56" to 36".

If I make no changes I suppose after a while I'll get used to the 28" door and it will feel normal, but today I don't care much for it.
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
10 years ago
I never close my bedroom unless we have overnight guests and then only when we go to bed I think those double doors left open would look awesome . If you have a powder room chances are not many guests will be looking anyway.
nickiebradbury
9 years ago
It sounds like you haven't lived with your doors yet. We have 3 sets of double doors in the home, they are a little wider than yours but they have been very easy to live with. It doesn't sound like your doors are an eyesore. Give them a chance and leave well enough alone.