Can a pocket door be used as a room divider?
The pocket door has been back at the forefront of interior design for a number of years now. Its 21st century renaissance has seen it positioned as an innovative and stylish home improvement feature, but the primary benefit most people see is its ability to create precious space in a home or workplace. Because the pocket door opens into a wall cavity and disappears from view, this immediately eliminates dead space behind and in front of the door, creating new space and opportunities to use space more effectively. But the pocket door has other functional benefits in modern buildings and creating flexible spaces as a room divider is perhaps the most popular.
What is a room divider?
Using a pocket door as a room divider means you are taking an open plan space and giving it multiple uses. The pocket door can be left open to create free-flowing space and the ability to use a room for communal gatherings or for free movement between rooms, and then the pocket door can be closed to create two smaller rooms, which can be used for entirely different purposes. So the pocket door acting as a room divider enables a seamless transition between an open-plan layout and private zones for different uses, and all without taking up any extra floor space.
What are the benefits of room dividers?
There are multiple benefits to using pocket doors as room dividers:
- Invisible walls – The pocket door disappears from view meaning you have false walls which provide no visual clutter.
- Flexible spaces – You can connect and disconnect spaces as required throughout the day. During the day or evening smaller spaces can be used for study or as a home office, or for intimate family meals, and at other times these rooms can be opened up for family get-togethers or for entertaining. The same principle works in a business environment, where open plan office space can be opened and closed for meetings or more private work as required, and then opened up for training exercises, product demonstrations or general open plan working.
- More space – Traditional hinged doors encroach into a room and create a physical obstacle. This means you have dead space you can’t use. So as well as enabling you to use the same space for many different things, the pocket door also gives you more space. This enables you to add more furniture, more features, and to use a space for multiple uses as needed.
- Natural light – Because the pocket door disappears from view when opened, it is not a barrier to the flow of natural light like a traditional hinged door is. This means you can maximise natural light and allow it to flow between rooms. This helps with energy efficiency, but also makes a home or workplace more welcoming, and improves the mental wellbeing of the people occupying these spaces.
- Cost-effective – Using one space for multiple uses removes the need for loft conversions, extensions or conservatories, and makes sure you are efficiently using every square inch of the home productively.
- Energy efficiency – Closing off space and utilising small spaces as and when you need to helps to reduce your energy demands. If you are only using a small space during the day, rather than a large open plan space, and managing your heating and lighting accordingly, there is a reduced need for energy and this can add up to considerable cost savings over time.
- Permanent room changes – Most of these examples above are talking about using pocket doors as temporary room dividers, ie. false walls which open and close as necessary. You can also use pocket doors as permanent room dividers, ie. to convert one large bedroom into two small bedrooms, or into one bedroom and a home office, kids’ playroom, en-suite or valuable storage space.
High-quality pocket doors as room dividers from MB Direct
So using the pocket door as a room divider means you can seamlessly connect spaces in the home or workplace according to the time of day, or the needs of the moment. It allows you to eliminate wasted space and to improve the spatial flow of your home or workplace as needed. Using pocket doors as room dividers is a simple solution to many home improvement considerations, and can save considerable money on significant extension plans. At the same time it can offer flexibility, seamless transition between rooms and provides great visual appeal also.
Search and buy your pocket door today with UK specialists MB Direct.