Interior doors are an important, but often forgotten, design element in your home. Whether you’re building new or sprucing up an older home, there are a lot of design choices to make, from paint colors to light fixtures, hardware, and more. But your home’s interior doors can have a significant impact on the final layout, flow, and style of your home. If you’re working on your home, it’s good to understand the different styles and types of interior doors available, so you can make the best choice for your home’s interior design. Let’s take a look at the three types of interior doors, as well as seven of the most popular interior door styles:
The Three Types of Interior Doors
There are three main types of interior doors — solid core molded, hollow core molded, and stile and rail interior doors. While there are a variety of styles of interior doors, they all generally fall into one of those three interior door types.
A solid core molded interior door is made by pressing layers of wood and wood byproducts into a form, to create a particular interior door style (see below for some common interior door styles). Solid core molded doors are, as their name suggests, solid throughout. This creates a heavier door that feels solid, and that provides great sound control and privacy throughout your home.
A hollow core molded interior door is made similarly to a solid core molded door, with one big difference. A hollow-core molded interior door features a honeycombed cardboard or plastic core that is much lighter than a solid core. This makes the door much less expensive, as well as easier to hang and swing open or closed. Hollow core molded interior doors are most often used where noise control isn’t a great concern, like for closet doors.
A stile and rail door is a type of interior door that is constructed, rather than molded. Each piece of the door — the stiles, rails, and panels — is created individually, and then assembled with dowel pins to create secure joints and a durable, well-crafted interior door. While stile and rail interior doors can be made from any material, they are most commonly designed as solid wood doors and are typically engineered with a solid core to ensure privacy throughout your home.
7 Popular Interior Door Styles
While there are only a few types of interior doors, they are available in a wide range of styles and finishes to suit any home or building’s design. Whether you’re building, remodeling, or just taking a look at your options, it’s good to know a few of the most common interior door styles on the market. Let’s look at seven of the most popular interior door styles:
01. Pre-Hung Interior Doors
Pre-hung interior doors are the most commonly used interior doors in residential homes. It’s what you think of when you think of a door — a simple slab of wood or MDF that’s decorated with a few rectangular panels. These doors are hinged on one side and easily swing open or closed. This is a homeowner favorite for a few reasons:
- Ultimately customizable. Pre-hung interior doors can be used in many arrangements, can be hinged on either side, and are available in a wide variety of panel and design styles.
- Delivered ready-to-install. Pre-hung interior doors come with a frame-mounted door as well as the door hinges. This means they are quickly and easily installed directly into a prepared doorway.
02. Barn Interior Doors
Barn-style interior doors are growing in popularity, and are especially favored for farmhouse-style homes. These doors are attached on a rail at the top of the doorway and slide across the door opening. They are available in single and double-hung styles and are a great option for homes looking to save a little space, as you don’t have to leave room for the door to swing open.
03. Bi-Fold Interior Doors
Bi-fold interior doors are often used for closets, pantries, storage rooms, and other small spaces. These doors fold in on themselves, and you have a choice of a single bi-fold door that folds into one side or a double door that folds back to both sides of the doorway.
04. French Interior Doors
French doors are a beautiful design choice for any home. This interior door style makes use of two doors that are usually built with a number of glass panels to let in plenty of natural light. They’re a great option if you’re looking to create a bit of separation between rooms — like the dining room and living room — but still want to create a light, open feel in your home.
05. Pocket Interior Doors
Pocket doors are the perfect choice for small spaces. These doors recess into the wall when they’re open, and slide out from the wall when they’re closed. Often used for small powder rooms, or in master suites with a partitioned toilet, pocket doors can be installed anywhere you need a door, but just don’t have the space for all the hardware.
06. Sliding Interior Doors
Sliding interior doors are often used for spaces like closets and storage rooms. These doors have two or more slabs that are installed on parallel tracks, so you can slide them to either side of the door opening. When used for closets, these doors are often mirrored, giving you the door you need, and a full-length mirror to go with it!
07. Saloon or Cafe Interior Doors
The final interior door style on our list is a saloon or cafe style interior door. These doors add a little character wherever they’re installed, and are a great way to define your space, without totally closing off the area. Cafe doors are installed side-by-side and don’t latch, making them easy to walk through, especially in high-traffic areas.
When it comes to interior doors, there is a wide range of styles to choose from. Whether you’re updating an older home or searching for interior doors for your new home, Zeeland Lumber & Supply has interior doors from top brands like Masonite, Karona by Jeld-Wen, and more. Give us a call at 888-772-2119 or contact us online for more information today!