How can internal doors improve interior design?

Internal glass doors and interior glass systems to enhance interior design

Have you ever wondered how incorporating internal glazing into architectural designs can improve both light and space? Many residential properties have the same interior design obstacles – how to create a living space with various rooms that achieve similar levels of light as open-plan designs.

Subdividing a property may make sense from a practical point of view, and many homeowners tend to commission builders to construct solid walls to create these spaces, which can really make a home feel smaller and darker. For several years, architects have been working with homeowners to devise carefully considered floorplans with innovative room dividers to allow natural light to flow throughout the course of the space.

Can sliding doors be used internally?

Contemporary dining room featuring industrial style steel room partition

Both sliding doors and bi-folding doors can be used internally and there’s a broad range of systems that are suitable for this type of glazing installation, ranging from aluminium to steel systems. Integrating internal sliding doors into the interior design of a residential property is rapidly growing in popularity as a method to curate broken plan interior designs, otherwise known as zoning open-plan spaces.

Broken plan interior design is where the property still has the look and feel of an open-plan environment, but areas of the open-plan space are zoned off for specific purposes. These purposes could include eating, dining or office space. These zones can usually be identified by a change in the flooring or level changes in the floor. Modern architects and interior designers have been enhancing this broken plan atmosphere by integrating internal sliding glass doors and internal bi-folding doors into the design to help achieve a distinct separation from the main living spaces. These internal glass doors can be closed when there is a desired to zone off individual spaces – this may be to help with noise reduction or for privacy.

The internal glass doors allow the homeowners to open and close off spaces without blocking out light or the view of the wider living space, which offers the feeling of still being within the wider open plan living space. Internal glass systems from IQ Glass are made bespoke to each project which means that these modern interior design solutions can be made to any size to fit living spaces perfectly.

Modern office space with steel look sliding doors

The bespoke nature of these interior glazing systems from IQ Glass is that the doors can be designed to let in as much or as little privacy as needed. This is ideal for glazing for broken plan office spaces. There are many glass options available to achieve privacy including fluted glass, sometimes referred to as reeded glass. Reeded glass for office spaces allows light to flood into the space but provides enough visual obstruction for privacy. These type of glass in home offices allows the occupants to work in privacy but still obtain enough visibility to keep an eye on their children. There are many other technical glass solutions available to tailor the interior architectural glazing to the specific project, from decorative and colourful glass through to sandblasted glass and electrochromic glass. For help choosing the right glass for the project, the technical advisors at IQ Glass are able to provide tailored advice to meet the individual requirements of each project.

Can internal glass doors be used for walk-in wardrobes?

Internal glazing systems can be used to complete the design of walk-in wardrobes. There is a range of options suitable for this glazing application that are manufactured from bespoke aluminium or steel frames. Internal glass doors for walk-in wardrobes are an elegant and sophisticated finishing touch to these spaces to help draw natural light into these luxurious dressing rooms.

Both the aluminium and steel framed internal glazing systems come with a choice of designs and glass options to suit the interior design. The aluminium ADL range offers an abundant range of colours that are polyester powder coated (PPC) onto the aluminium frames and glazing bars can be incorporated within the design to create a chic industrial style aesthetic.

The ADL range of internal doors come in various configurations from internal pivoting doors to sliding doors and bi-folding doors. These doors are manufactured bespoke, therefore the number of sliding or bi-folding panes can be chosen by the homeowner to suit their requirements and the pivoting door can have optional fixed sidelights.

Do IQ Glass sell industrial style internal glass doors?

Contemporary broken plan living space featuring steel industrial style internal sliding doors

Internal glass doors have a huge effect on the look and feel of interior designs, and the recent trend of industrial style glazing adds an element of New York loft-style décor to residential properties. To cater to this beautiful interior design, IQ Glass provide a selection of artisan systems to create this industrial interior design.

Black framed interior doors are incredibly stylish and look stunning in almost every home. For a touch of luxury, IQ Glass can design and manufacture bespoke steel-framed internal doors – however, they do come at a higher price point to aluminium doors in this style, as they are manufactured by hand achieving an authentic industrial feel.

To provide cohesive interior design, steel-framed screens are also available. These black frames screens are increasingly popular for showers and bathrooms as well as kitchen, adding a real wow factor to interior design.

Which projects have IQ Glass completed that showcase steel-framed interior doors?

IQ Glass have completed hundreds of projects with interior glazing systems used in broken place interior design. Recent projects that utilise steel-framed interior glass doors include Mill Hill London and Broadhurst Gardens.

Contemporary open plan dining area in a modern glass walled extension with steel glass partition

Mill Hill London, designed by Andris Berzins & Associates / ArchitectYourHome Camden, aimed to create an open plan extension with a kitchen that could be separated off from the new dining and living spaces. An internal steel framed system was installed with two fixed screens surrounding the sides of a large double door. When the double doors are closed the steel-framed internal glazing allows natural light in abundance and visibility out into the garden. When the doors are open the homeowners can enjoy the breeze flowing from the garden.

Broadhurst Gardens which was designed by MW Architects, was a project that saw the conversion of two self-contained flats into a large family home. Steel framed glazing was used both internally and externally for this project to create a heritage and cohesive aesthetic throughout the living space. An interior steel-framed bi-folding screen was installed which is used by the homeowners to zone off the living room from the wider open plan living space.

To the kitchen of this renovation, an internal black framed sliding door was installed with a pocket door. The pocket door in this configuration allows the sliding door to be hidden away when it's not in use to reveal the open plan design but pulled out when the homeowners are cooking or would like privacy in the kitchen.

Can internal glass systems be frameless?

Yes, internal glazing can be completely frameless. In the project Victoria Road, IQ Glass installed frameless internal glass screens to allow natural light to penetrate the rooms in a basement refurbishment. These frameless glass walls have an integrated frameless glass door to allow maximum light ingress into this basement gym.

The frameless glass installed to this project creates an elegant room design that has zero obstruction to the visibility of the wider living space and therefore generates a sense of openness. Single glazed structural glass was used for this project for a beautifully sophisticated finish to the interior design. Structural glazing is essentially just glass, completely frameless, and therefore allows light to flow as if there was no separation between two spaces.

Can interior glass systems be installed with pocket doors?

Many clients are concerned about whether interior glass doors will minimise living space. Slim framed interior glass doors can be configured in a specific way that they nearly disappear when open. Installing these slim framed internal doors can actually maximise the use of internal living spaces by creating this separation between two rooms.

As with external sliding doors, many internal sliding glass doors can be installed with a pocket door configuration which allows the doors to be completely hidden away in a pocket within the wall cavity. There are occasional restrictions with pockets doors on some properties so it's recommended that the architect or builder for a project speaks to the technical advisors at IQ Glass at an early stage in the project to discuss the possibilities of an internal pocket door.

Get in touch

To speak to a technical advisor to the sales team regarding internal glazing systems for your projects, you can either email us hello@iqglassuk.com or call us on 01494 722 880.

Frameless glass door opening onto a contemporary kitchen area