A suitable home office door has to tick a few boxes. It has to provide the privacy you need and look good because you’ll be looking right at it most of the time. Unlike the workplace where you overlook drab-looking doors, the appearance of the home office door matters.
Besides, the door has to match your design theme for the house. Luckily, there are excellent options that’ll work magic for your home office space.
The design theme has a significant role to play in the selection of a home office door. There are various design options, from rustic to vintage and even minimalistic themed doors. A home office needs to emulate the feel of a workplace. The only difference is that you’ll be more comfortable.
To enhance comfortability, choose doors pleasing to look at, and those that perform their intended purposes.
Should a home office have a door?
A door is necessary for a home office. If the law is something to go by, the Internal Revenue Services (IRS) require separating the home office from the rest of the house. To achieve this separation, a home office door is a perfect solution. The door wards off other people and distractions. Moreover, it gives you the privacy you need to conduct a business meeting or call with a client.
Inarguably, it is easier to concentrate on whatever task with the doors closed. Also, a door helps simulate the feel of an actual office by locking out other areas of the home. Getting into the home office and shutting the door instantly resets your brain. Additionally, it is unprofessional to have others listen in on private business conversations.
Key factors to consider while choosing doors include:
Security
In an office, there are essential work documents that need safekeeping. Some people also store jewelry and personal documents like birth and financial records in their home offices.
While a lockable file cabinet may keep them safe, a secure door takes security up a notch. Select doors with a lock feature to ensure whoever accesses the office has permission. If others need access to the space, provide extra keys or the lock combination for easy access.
Acoustics
Doors with soundproof features are the best. This feature prevents other people from listening in on important and private conversations. Noise dampening is also vital for keeping external noise from distracting you as you work. Some doors are soundproof during purchase, while others can be modified and soundproofed.
Soundproofing is possible by using acoustic panels, door gaskets, and soundproofing rubber. It all depends on the level of privacy needed.
Invitation
Aesthetic appeal is essential in making spaces welcoming. The better your home office door looks, the more inviting it is. Therefore, working with the door in sight won’t be irritating. A more comfortable space heightens the chances of productivity.
Wider doors tend to be more inviting, and heavy doors are cumbersome to open. Consider these factors before settling on a home office door design.
Home office door ideas to make them look good
In most workplaces, doors are uninteresting. During construction, the focus is on functionality. Emphasis is placed on the provision of privacy and security. More often than not, design is never a big deal. However, the designs and styles matter the most in the home office.
Since it’s your personal space, making the door visually appealing and functional creates workspace heaven. This environment is critical for productivity.
Here are a few ideas to get you going:
French doors
French doors are as fancy as they sound. They come as two doors that close at the center and open away from one another. They are mostly made of glass, allowing a lot of light to go into the office. Although the thought of having a glass door is somewhat daunting, the doors are entirely secure since they come with different locking systems.
French doors are elegant and increase aesthetic value in your home. If the house goes on sale, these doors will increase the value because they are up to date with the latest designs, and look great.
Other benefits of French doors include:
- Durability: French doors are of high quality, thus last a long time.
- Reduction of heating bills: They are easy to open and close, restricting the escape of warm air from the office.
Jib doors
These doors are exciting because their design seamlessly blends in with the walls. Although some people use these door designs for secret rooms in the house, they are excellent for the home office.
Unlike regular doors, jib doors lack framing and sometimes hardware. Therefore, they require a lot of consideration on opening and closing methods.
Jib doors are perfect because guests won’t easily access your home office (since the door blends in with your wall). They assure privacy and security, thus allowing for the storage of important documents and expensive gadgets. Having extraordinary doors, like jib doors, is exciting for visual appeal and helps achieve design objectives for the house.
Benefits of jib doors include:
- They ensure wall continuity and seamless design
- Jib doors add mystery to the home
Barn doors
Barn doors are rustic. They bring a natural look to the home when used as office doors. In today’s world, rustic elements fit right into many design themes. In this breath, barn doors bring textural beauty and contrast modern mechanized designs.
Apart from the aesthetic appeal, barn doors are soundproof as long as they are heavy. The door’s mass determines the sound that passes through.
There are numerous options, including the following:
- Reclaimed barn doors: These are available locally at affordable prices. All that’s needed is a bit of sprucing up.
- French barn doors: French barn doors are like regular French doors but with a more natural and textural touch.
- Custom barn doors: Customized barn doors are excellent because they match your design and aesthetic. They are custom-made from scratch according to your preferences.
Fortunately, they are all sliding doors, so the heavy weight won’t make them any more complicated to open than regular doors.
Barn doors are also easy to install, and they take up less floor space than traditional doors.
Pocket doors
These doors are the most stylish and practical on the market. Pocket doors slide into the wall and disappear when opened. A pocket door is a perfect solution for smaller spaces, which do not allow for doors to open inwards or outwards. Single and double door pocket doors are available and those with frosted glass or mirrors add more visual appeal to the space.
The doors can be left open whenever the office is not in use to create a more open-plan atmosphere. Since the doors disappear into the wall, they give an illusion that there are no doors. They only need to be pulled out when in use.
Depending on your field of work, pocket doors can be bold, with bright colors and loud patterns, or subtle and simple. There are fun and conservative options to suit everyone.
Louvre doors
These types of doors are becoming more popular today. Most of them come painted in white, but they can be customized into any color you want. Pine louver doors, in particular, are suitable for painting and finishing. With louver doors, ventilation is 100% assured. People living in warmer regions choose these doors to enhance air circulation in the room and minimize electrical costs from the use of fans.
The use of louver doors dates back to the Middle Ages, but they are still in style. A good example is cafe-style louver doors. These are excellent for people who do not mind experimenting. However, the security aspect of these doors is a bit compromised since most of them cannot lock.
Most louvered doors are wooden. However, there are also PVC and plastic louver doors.
Glass doors
Most of these doors are made of glass entirely. Some may have a bit of wood paneling to accentuate the glass. As delicate as glass doors seem, many manufacturers make them sturdy enough not to break easily. There are various types of glass doors, from frosted to clear glass. These glass doors can also be single door or come in pairs.
Here are a few options to choose from:
- Assisted close sliding glass doors
- Glass barn doors
- Glass pocket doors
- Acoustic double glazed glass doors
- Pivot frameless swing glass door
- Automatic sliding doors
Glass doors are elegant and create a clean, minimalistic look. Besides, they let in plenty of natural light and are not cumbersome to clean. Privacy is possible with clear glass doors, but there is visual access. Being able to see outside keeps you alert if someone wants to come in. From the outside, people also know that you are busy. Contemporary designs accommodate glass doors because they are edgy and unique.
References
- Designing Idea: Jib Door (Hardware Needed and Design Guide)
- Schlage.com: Stylish and practical pocket doors for every home
- Jeanne Sager, Realtor.com: What Are French Doors—and Are They Even Really French?
