Of our favourite jobs, I think the top of the list would have to be when we modernise a home with custom internal doors and an open floor plan. When we add windows, it’s even better. Why do we love this so much? Let’s take a look why.
Why an Open Floor Plan?
First of all, an open door plan is the least expensive and most versatile way to not only modernise your home but also make the best use of the space you have. Not only does it increase the efficiency of your space, providing what might as well be extra living space, it also makes the space you have look even bigger.
An open floor plan can take a home that is almost claustrophobic in design and turn it into one that looks cavernously large. It is accomplished by knocking out a few walls, which does create more space. This can almost always be done without affecting the overall structure of your home. If there is a beam that needs to stay up, it is still a lot better than an entire wall and can be incorporated into the open design.
But Can We Keep Our Bedrooms?
Of course you can keep your bedrooms. An open floor plan works best for your kitchen, dining area, living room and/or family room. There can also be additions such as a reading nook or a hobby nook. Laundry rooms can be open or closed. Bathrooms and bedrooms will always remain private.
There are two main designs. The one we prefer is for your home to have two floors with the bedrooms on the second storey. However, we have helped open up the floor plan with a lot of homes that only had one floor. Either way, the rooms that work best with an open floor plan help to let a lot of light through and make an old, tired home more cheerful.
How do the Custom Internal Doors Work?
With an open floor plan, we like using bifold doors to mark rooms off. A bifold door has two or more panels that fold together when not in use. You may already have solid or slatted bifold doors on your bedroom closet. Our bifold doors have solid timber frames and custom made glass that is manufactured specifically for us at a facility here in WA.
When they are closed, they can extend all the way across the home to separate rooms. If you want the entire space open, they can be opened and they rest with the panels side by side at the sides of the room. They take up very little space when opened. When closed, they still let a lot of light through due to their design. However, if you want privacy or less ambient sound, the glass takes care of the sound and you can put a curtain on them to block the view.
The Finishing Touch: Custom External Doors and Windows
Once you have taken care of the inside of your home with custom interior doors, it is time to finish the job with custom external doors and windows. They can be installed without affecting the structural elements of your home. If you choose bifold doors or sliding doors, they let a lot of light into your home. This works synergistically with the open floor plan to give you a jaw-dropping design for a lot less money than a full home renovation would cost.
If you plan to turn your patio, deck or garden into an alfresco living area, bifold doors are perfect because they can be opened across the entire width of the door. A sliding door lets in a lot of light but the opening can only be half of the width of the door because the panes are on two different tracks and one slides next to the other to open the door.
You can add servery windows to your kitchen if you want to have an eating area outside of the kitchen. There are also a plethora of other tasteful options that are limited only by your imagination.
To learn more about modernising your home or for a free design consult, call Fremantle Door & Window Company today: (08) 6500 6888.