photos courtesy of Ikea
IKEA’s Pax Stordal glass door closets give a feeling of transparency and lightness to a bedroom.
In some households, bedroom closet doors just don’t get respect.
And that’s a shame. Closet doors are, after all, often a focal point in a bedroom. They can add elegance, make a room look larger and, in smoked or frosted glass, add a transparent feel — or an understated contemporary look — to a space.
The design team loves the newer looks for closet doors. There is so much more variety than there used to be, so there is absolutely no need for non-descript closet doors. For example, Tammy and I adore closet doors of frosted glass with metal or wood frames, or with no frame at all. This look is decidedly contemporary, and adds a lovely feeling of transparency and lightness without revealing too much of the closet’s contents. This type of closet door also has the advantage of making a small room feel more spacious because the glass is more like a window than a wall.
Visit www.modernus.comor Scandinavia-based www.elfa.comto get an idea of exciting possibilities in contemporary-style closet doors. IKEA is a good location to find products with the same look and feel. Home Depot carries some contemporary-looking doors, as well as more traditional styles. See aurahomedesign.com for some examples of products Home Depot carries or can special order.
If you’ve got a more traditional décor, swing-out, sliding or pocket doors in wood or composite, wood and glass, or a mirrored finish can be absolutely stunning. Check out local interior door dealers. At the higher end, you’ll find that some work in solid wood and produce customized doors, while others manufacture mirrored or wood-look doors at lower prices.
As you check out the doors, keep in mind that the hardware must be good quality. Sliding closet doors can be the source of a major design crime —Tammy and I cringe when we notice a sliding closet door jammed halfway open, or one that hangs crookedly off one rail. Nothing spoils a well-appointed bedroom more than a cheap-looking slider.
If you’re not in the market for a new closet door, you can make your old one more interesting — if it is a solid door — by simply painting it a contrasting or coordinating colour. If you or someone you know is handy with a paintbrush, you may even feel up to painting a repeating pattern or stylized drawing on the doors. Use stencils here to get a consistent look, rather than painting freestyle. Using wallpaper can also yield some amazing results.
Another way to add interest is to use fabric on your closet doors, either pasted in panels on a paneled door, covering the whole door if the door is flat, or gathered onto drapery rods at the top and bottom of a door. The great thing about fabric is that you can change it cheaply whenever you need a change of scenery. Finally, remember that the effect you use should not be in isolation; make sure the colour or pattern is reproduced in other places in the room so the look is more integrated.
If you’ve got a mirrored door that you want to spruce up, try picking up a frosting kit with precut decals, or make your own patterns by cutting out adhesive paper, painting the cutouts with frosting compound, and when the compound is dry, peeling off the adhesive paper.
Whichever way you choose to change your closet doors from ordinary to extraordinary, they will finally get the respect they deserve.
