Posted 19 October 2016 by
Ben SalisburyBi-fold doors are an increasingly popular option for new build homes because they enable homeowners to open up the entire face of a building, benefitting from increased light and space.
Bi-fold doors also give homeowners the opportunity to increase the size of a room or cordon it off to create a quiet, separate area.
The first market report on bi-fold doors from AMA Research analyses and forecasts how the market for bi-fold doors will grow in the UK between 2016 and 2020. It concludes that the market is relatively new but expanding quickly with particularly strong growth in the residential sector in recent years.
One particular use that has become very popular is to use bi-fold doors to open out onto the patio or garden, blurring the distinction between the inside and outside of a property, perfect for the summer to create a bigger space to enjoy entertaining.
Similarly, bi-fold doors work really well in a kitchen/diner giving the option of a large combined family space where parents can be in the cooking area while children play in the front room, allowing the family to be together or, when for instance in the winter, the living space in the kitchen/diner is better used as a cosy setting for watching a film together, the bi-fold doors can be utilised and shut creating a different environment.
Bi-fold doors also create views because you can see through them, bringing in light and the illusion of space to make a home seem bigger than it actually is and this can work in rooms apart from the kitchen/diner, increasingly seen as the hub of the home.
Bi-fold doors can be designed to fit into hidden pockets of a home, within external walls or over the internal or external face of buildings. They can be either be a single pane, multiple panels or bi-parting, sliding into opposite pockets.
Bi-fold doors have become very popular recently because they can create an indoor-outdoor living space and opening up whole faces of a room.
WhatHouse? looks at four fantastic properties that utilise bi-fold doors in a variety of ways. Each of these properties has been nominated in various categories for the WhatHouse? 2016 Awards.
High Croft, Sway (Pennyfarthing Homes)
This development is in the New Forest village of Sway. The exterior of the family homes are designed to blend in harmony with their unique location.
The hand crafted interiors feature large open-plan shaker style kitchens forming the heart of the home and use bi-folding doors along 90% of the rear elevation which allow for the bustle of family life but also provide a setting for formal entertainment.
The bi-fold doors are a leading feature in both of the two homes in this development. They offer generous views of the surrounding woodland from inside, connecting the home with nature and encourage the modern trend for inter-connected living through the kitchen, dining room and living room.
The bi-fold doors are large and contemporary and the glass walls wonderfully reflect the surrounding context blending in as part of the interior.
Prices: £1.7m
Find out more: www.pennyfarthinghomes.co.uk
Riverdale House, Lewisham (Galliard Homes)
Riverdale House is a new development close to Lewisham town centre. A former office block, it has been converted by Galliard Homes into a luxury development of 137 studios and one- and two-bedroom apartments with communal gardens and is aimed at first-time buyers.
Each floor benefits from open-plan design and large windows that generate enough natural light to illuminate large areas of open-plan interior space.
Particular attention has been given to maximising space in each property, for example, each studio apartment has an open-plan living area with an adjacent bedroom to give maximum space and a sliding screen allows for instant separation of the living area from the bedroom area, eliminating the need for doors and reducing the space required for opening and closing doors.
Prices: From £225,000
Find out more: www.galliardhomes.com
Park View, Chesterton, Cambridge (Bloomhall Ltd)
This beautifully designed new home near Cambridge has been carefully orientated to ensure sunlight is captured throughout the day and each property is arranged over four floors, with expansive living spaces flooded with natural light.
The rear ground floor offers open plan living. A large kitchen area looks out over a large living and dining space. It features edge-to-edge bi-fold doors which provide a seamless transition to the outdoor patio space and garden.
On the first floor, double doors access a large living room with edge-to-edge glazing and sliding doors opening up onto a full-width balcony looking out over the garden and park beyond.
Prices: POA
Find out more: www.bloomhall.com
The Beaufort, Marine Drive, Teignmouth (Bovis Homes)
The Beaufort is a stunning, modern five bedroom home in Devon. It features a striking glass frontage, chrome fittings, modern colours, wooden cladding and multi-level balconies.
Key features include a large dual-aspect open-plan kitchen dining room, with bi-fold double glazed doors to the balcony and French doors to the garden, perfect for entertaining.
The sitting room on the third floor continues the theme of doors and large windows accessing the views, showing off Shaldon Bay in all its glory and views out to the sea and across the Teign estuary.
Prices: From £479,995
Find out more about The Beaufort from Bovis Homes