How to close a doorway instead of a door: 15 original ideas

Doorway, Miscellaneous

A standard doorway with an ordinary blank door is boring and uninteresting. In addition, such a familiar opening design is not suitable for modern studio apartments and small-sized dwellings. There are actually many options for how to close a doorway instead of a door, you just need to use your imagination.

Opening decorated with curtains

How to choose the type of opening

According to designers, arched structures have great potential for increasing the visual appeal of the opening. This makes the premises look more interesting. It is especially worth considering making an arched doorless opening in the case of a narrow corridor. Thanks to this solution, you can improve not only the interior design, but also increase the convenience of moving around the apartment.

If the apartment has standard ceilings, you can make an arch that has a slight rounding. Typically, the radius of such structures is selected based on the size of the doorway. The radius should be twice the width of the free space under the arch.

Important! Gentle arches visually enlarge the space, raise the ceiling, and can also be combined with many interior styles. To decorate an opening with a high ceiling, you can use arches of unconventional shapes

For example, they are trapezoidal, elliptical and asymmetrical. If, for example, an arch is erected over the space between the corridor and the living room, you can make it in the form of a structure with slopes that imitate half-columns

To decorate an opening with a high ceiling, you can use arches of unconventional shapes. For example, they are trapezoidal, elliptical and asymmetrical. If, for example, an arch is erected over the space between the corridor and the living room, you can make it in the form of a structure with slopes that imitate half-columns.

Openings made in Baroque or Empire style look interesting. If the apartment is small, you should not overload the space with small elements. This will visually reduce the space.

Many designers pay more attention to symmetrical designs. If you decorate such an opening with low-relief polyurethane stucco, you can get a great look

To make an arch, you should understand the rules for working with drywall, as well as purchase the necessary materials for the frame.

Blinds

You can aesthetically close a doorway with the usual blinds and their fabric subtype - roller blinds.

Plastic blinds

These products will be a good solution for decorating an opening, but they should be carefully selected to match the style of the interior. Models with printed patterns look original. Plastic blinds are easy to care for because they do not fill with dust like fabric curtains. They can be easily washed or wiped clean.

To decorate the opening, you will have to order blinds, since the standard height intended for windows will not work. The colors of the blinds are also varied, which opens up the possibility of matching them to the color palette of the room.

Idea! To make a door frame decorated with blinds look original, you can order a multi-colored version (each strip has a different shade).

Choice

If the room that you plan to cover with blinds has high traffic, then it is worth considering the option of vertical products - they can be moved aside by hand. If the room is not frequently visited, then horizontal blinds are also suitable.

Roller blinds

They are convenient because they fit tightly to the opening provided they are installed correctly. Roller blinds are varied in stylistic design, and the range of sizes is also impressive.

Due to the fact that they have a weighting material at the bottom, the position of the curtains when closed remains stable. Their key drawback, like blinds, is the duration of opening - you won’t be able to quickly get into the room, and this is not always convenient.

Multi-colored blinds for the opening - fresh and original

Non-standard solutions

Decorative plaster. Beautiful and original decoration with a variety of colors and textures. The composition is applied to a flat, plastered wall. Material with stone chips is considered the most durable.

Tiles and mosaics. The slopes are durable and wear-resistant, resistant to moisture and scratches

It is important to choose a tone and design that matches the door design.

Dye. Allows you to brightly decorate the slope, making it the color accent of the hallway. You can apply a stencil design or painting to the main background.

Natural/artificial stone. An exclusive solution for a house or apartment. The material used is limestone, sandstone, slate or their imitation. Marble and granite are used for luxury finishing. Elements are laid out in even rows or offset

Parquet board. A natural material with high decorative and performance properties to create a harmonious composition with the door surface and floor.

Features of using curtains

A few main points:

To visually expand the room, it is appropriate to use light, light and flowing fabrics, such as veil or organza.
Curtains of a dark and deep shade will help correct the disproportionate width of the room.
Interior canvases with small prints will visually expand the spatial boundaries, and products with large patterns, on the contrary, will narrow them.
In small rooms it is not advisable to use heavy and complex curtain compositions with draperies.

Interesting design options

When planning a room, many people wonder how to beautifully decorate a doorway? The stylish and practical design of a doorless passage built into a storage area that occupies the entire wall area from floor to ceiling is gaining increasing popularity. Depending on the preferences of the owners, the storage area is designed as a large shelf for books, figurines, photographs and other pleasant little things. In the bedroom, a wall with shelves can replace a full-fledged wardrobe for clothes.

A small doorway, for example, between the dining room and kitchen, living room and loggia, is interestingly complemented by windows on the sides, through which additional sunlight penetrates, giving the room lightness and weightlessness. Side windows are replaced with built-in niches with lighting, shelves, narrow cabinets, decorative elements made of metal or plastic, onto which photo frames, paintings, and climbing plants are attached.

For lovers of nature and natural styles, an interesting design solution would be a living green frame or a moss wall around an open portal. The built-in drip irrigation and fertilization system gives owners of this decoration the opportunity to admire natural greenery for many years without any effort.

Thread curtains

One of the varieties of curtains are products made from threads for decoration. Thanks to the use of this option, you can achieve a feeling of lightness in the interior. Such curtains are almost weightless and do not interfere with the passage.

Curtain thread as decor

Such curtains fit perfectly into the interior of the premises. Such curtains will be an excellent alternative to conventional doors. They harmoniously combine with furniture and other interior items.

Natural wood to decorate the opening

It would seem that so much has been said and listed, but we cannot fail to mention natural wood. It has been used for a very long time and successfully for finishing the entire interior decoration of a house. The advantages are relative strength, aesthetic appearance, environmental friendliness and ease of operation. But only one of the disadvantages can be named, but it is significant - dependence on temperature and moisture changes. In our climate, with frequent and sudden temperature changes, you will have to carefully monitor the condition of the doorway. Well, in order to finish the arch accurately, you will need an additional, specialized tool.

Photo from dveridoma.net

It's up to you to decide - if you have enough energy and time to deal with wood every season and bring it into proper shape, this design option will be a real godsend and will decorate the room.

This is interesting

If you want the wood to last longer, treat it with a special compound and varnish.

Advantages

From the examples of photos of curtains on doors, you can see that their purpose and appearance are different.

Door curtains have a number of advantages:

save from drafts;
create a barrier against insects entering the room;
block from the sun;
serve for zoning space;
hide from unnecessary eyes;
allow air to pass through well;
provide additional sound absorption;
are combined with a certain idea of room decoration, are part of it;
serve a decorative role.

2. Advantages and disadvantages of doorless doors

Once we've figured out when it's appropriate and when it's not to use free doorways, it's time to talk about the clear advantages and disadvantages of this technique. Let's start with the disadvantages:

When dismantling door frames, there is no clear demarcation of where one functional area begins and another ends. Using the example of combining a kitchen with a living room in a similar way, we realized that this is not always appropriate. Of course, there are exceptions. For example, when you visit the kitchen in the morning to make coffee or in the evening to have a light snack. However, this same effect of blurred boundaries in other cases can be an advantage;
If we consider that the lack of private spaces for a person who lives alone is not critical, then there are still rooms in the apartment where doors are simply necessary. For example, in bathrooms. This lack of open openings is not critical, however, it does occur.

Now let's talk about the advantages of organizing portals:

First of all, this is a simple and “painless” way to visually expand the space. This does not require any radical measures. For example, redevelopment or complete dismantling of partition walls;
By freeing the opening from the door leaf, you will allow sunlight to penetrate unhindered into the adjacent room. This is especially true in the case of combining the living room and hallway. After all, usually the corridors are narrow, long and dark;
From a financial point of view, we can also say that this is a profitable decision. Even if you decide to decorate the opening with expensive finishing materials, it is unlikely that this will require more money than buying decent doors. And don’t forget that you will need to spend money on installation work. While you can finish the opening yourself;
With the help of open openings it is very easy to implement zoning. This technique is especially relevant in apartments with an open plan. In this case, in order not to clutter up the space, but to mark its boundaries, plasterboard partitions with wide open openings are erected;
A room with doorways without doors, especially if they are played correctly, will instantly become more interesting. This is a great way to enliven and diversify a boring interior;
The indoor microclimate will be more favorable due to improved ventilation and air circulation.

Features of an interior without doors

A doorway without a door is a popular design technique. This is a practical and fairly inexpensive way to increase usable space and use it more intelligently. By choosing the right finish, you can turn an ordinary opening into a spectacular and unique interior detail.

In what cases would such a method be relevant?

If necessary, separate the food preparation area from the living room area.
When zoning large areas.
When combining adjacent rooms.

8. Finishing the opening with plastic panels or siding

Plastic panels have long gained immense popularity. In addition to the fact that they have excellent performance characteristics, they also boast a variety of colors and textures. Panels that imitate the structure and surface of natural wood are very popular. Plastic panels are very easy to install. Even those who hold the panel in their hands for the first time can cope with the process. In addition, in this case you can simply glue the strips with glue.

If the opening depth is small, you can replace PVC panels with siding. It is stronger and more durable, and much narrower in width. To give the opening a finished and neat look, you should glue a decorative plastic corner around the perimeter, which will hide the ends of the plastic. Please remember that PVC is a synthetic material that can release toxic substances.

Do not buy too cheap panels for finishing inside your home. Take care of your health and choose materials from trusted companies. In addition, more expensive plastic has greater thickness, which means higher strength, and it looks more believable. Plastic finishing is one of the cheapest and most economical ways to transform a doorway. You will also be pleased with the ease of care of this material. It is enough to periodically wipe the panels with a damp cloth. And if you accidentally damage the panel, it can be replaced without much effort. To avoid any difficulties in purchasing the same panel, purchase a couple of strips in reserve.

Difficult choice

Decorating an interior doorway is not an easy task, but you can cope with it, the main thing is the desire. As with window curtains, curtains can be bought in a store or made yourself. The main thing to remember is that hanging curtains on doors made of light fabrics runs the risk of tearing, so you need to choose dense fabrics. The latter do not allow light and sound to pass through; even odors pass through thick material worse.

And if you need a curtain for a closet, then it is better to think about bamboo curtains so that they elegantly blend with the wood of the closet. So there are many options, the main thing is not to be lazy and choose an individual one for yourself.

Kinds

Open doorways are classified into two types:

Classic option. It is not much different from sets with a door; it has the same rectangular shape. Classics are distinguished by primitivism.
Arched doorway. In this case, use the variety of types that these decorative designs can boast of.

Arches have a strict classification according to shape:

Roman (romantic). Their arches are made in the shape of a circle, the diameter of which is equal to the width of the doorway.
Turkish (Eastern). The arched vault is shaped like a dome.
British. The vault is a truncated circle. It is a “stripped down” Roman version.
Gothic (lancet). The lines of the vault smoothly stretch towards a single center.
Ellipsoidal. The arched vault is similar to the “elongated” Roman version.
Slavic. Arches with a “domestic” name are similar to classic open-type doorways, but have slightly rounded corners.
Transoms. The vault of the structure is blind, that is, it is glazed or decorated with other translucent material.

There are also Thai versions, in which the arch seems to be cut in half and only one part is left. In rare cases, a completely round version is used, as in the fairy-tale dwellings that John Tolkien described on the pages of his books. Such options are difficult to install, but become an elegant element of the interior.

Possibilities of door curtains

Door curtains are used where sound insulation is not required, most often these are apartments with one tenant or vice versa, multi-room apartments and houses in which there are enough doors to ensure insulation of the necessary rooms.

Hanging door curtains are often used to allow people to walk through them freely. The visibility of the insulation and the freedom to move through it will be a good solution for the living room or dining room, as well as in other rooms that do not require insulation from free passage.

One option is to separate the living room and dining room, allowing you to separate the room in one second and create an isolated and cozy smaller room. If necessary, simply tie up the curtains and open the passage completely, visually expanding the room.

In addition, compositions can be used for doorways in which the doorway is not closed, and the curtains form a decorative component of the interior. Using folds, bows and other decorative elements, designers achieve the best combination of door curtains with the rest of the room, avoiding angular door designs.

This creates a cozy atmosphere that allows you to relax in the evening with your family.

Doorway finishing options

To give a doorway without a frame completeness, a wide variety of facing materials are used.

Wallpaper

Finishing the portal with liquid or paper, vinyl, non-woven or other types of wallpaper allows you to take a particularly creative approach to design and transform an ordinary interior, making it truly elegant and fashionable.

Laminate

Laminated panels, characterized by a variety of textures, colors and easy installation methods, provide an excellent opportunity to create a rather interesting design in any style, for example, minimalism, modernism and others.

The photo shows a rectangular doorway without a door, lined with laminate in a modern-style interior.

Plaster

This finish has a unique visual depth and can imitate, for example, marble tiles, various rocks or other textures. In addition, due to its structural nature, Venetian plaster allows you to create a variety of patterns and effects on the surface.

Wood finishing

Wooden finishing is perfect for any style solution and for cladding an entrance with a threshold. It can differ in its simple appearance or be decorated with curly carvings.

Another important advantage of this material is its environmental friendliness.

Stone

It is a very popular finishing option for openings without doors. Artificial or natural stone, for example, limestone, marble, malachite and many others, will add notes of the Middle Ages to the decor and form a unique design, most often used for rustic country or Provence style.

The photo shows stonework in the design of a doorway without doors in the interior of the hall.

Decorative brick

Charismatic and aesthetic brickwork, both outside and inside the entrance, combined with other less textured surfaces, creates a rather original contrast, focuses attention and places the necessary accents.

Tile

With the help of clinker tiles, which can be not only straight, but also angular, it is easy to beat and finish doorways, both traditional rectangular in shape, and passages in the form of an arch or semi-arch.

The photo shows a kitchen-living room with a doorway without a door, decorated with dark tiles.

MDF panels

They are quite beautiful, high-quality and at the same time inexpensive finishing for a portal without doors. MDF panels can be easily machined and are easy to install, maintain and operate.

PVC panels

Due to their flexibility, they are perfect for doorways of different shapes, heights and widths. The plastic coating can have a textured wood pattern or have a wide variety of other colors.

Textile

It is considered a fairly simple design option that will allow you to create a secluded, cozy, homely chamber environment and close the space from view, without cluttering the interior.

The photo shows a kitchen with access to a balcony, decorated with textiles in the form of thick curtains.

Photo gallery: the most successful doorway decor ideas

Let's look at some examples of successful design options.

Option 1. The simple shape of the opening with a curved upper end looks pompous and majestic, thanks to the classic columns along the edges of the portal. You can make such an arch from plasterboard. The presence of straight lines and the absence of complex decor allows you to maintain restrained proportions of the design. A single color with the walls outside and inside allows you to create a holistic interior.

Design of the opening for the kitchen Source lt.dikidaycare.com

Option 2. Stucco decor is suitable for spacious rooms. The arch allows you to combine two rooms - the dining room and the living room. And at the same time, it allows you to delimit rooms in accordance with their functional purpose. In any case, the overall space is perceived as brighter and more spacious. Stucco decoration is suitable not only for strict classical, but also for modern interiors, for example, Scandinavian.

Stucco molding and columns are appropriate to use in living rooms

But it is important to remember that such decor looks massive, and therefore looks organic on wide, high openings. If it is possible to adjust the width of the opening, then it is worth considering that for a small room it is better not to make a wide opening - it will look awkward and will upset the proportion of the room

White plasterboard archSource frombaltic.ru

Option 3. Decorating an opening with natural materials always looks impressive. The stone looks massive and is suitable for country or rustic styles. For a modern interior, you can choose artificial stone, which may look lighter, but at the same time creates the necessary texture. The contrast with smooth neutral walls looks especially impressive. This material has many advantages - it is easy to install, hides unevenness, does not require complex maintenance and has a long service life. You can choose an imitation of any stone existing in nature, even a very rare and expensive one.

Stone decorationSource no.aviarydecor.com

Option 4. An arch made of a wooden frame and stained glass can be mounted into an opening of sufficient width. This design looks light and elegant. It lets in light and visually expands the space. In this example, the shape of the arch follows the shape of the window, but is the main accent.

Doorway decoration Source maz-sirena.ru

Option 5. This arch is suitable for interior design in the Art Nouveau style. Smooth lines, a noble shade of wood and an elegant pattern on frosted glass emphasize the nobility of the design with a sliding door.

Design of an opening into a hall with two doors Source vplate.ru

Types of open openings

Portal

One of the simplest solutions to make an opening in the form of a portal is a rectangular passage, decorated in a restrained style. As a rule, to arrange such a passage it is necessary to remove the door leaf, dismantle the frame, extensions and trim, level the slopes and decorate with the selected material. Typically, such passages are finished with wood (or materials imitating it), decorative stone, and less often with plastic.

Arch

Unlike strict rectangular portals, the passage in the form of an arch has a semicircular shape, the shape of an inverted bowl or cone. Typically, arch openings are designed in a classic style. But there is one thing: the semicircular opening visually lowers the ceiling, so it is not recommended to install it in rooms with low ceilings.

Irregular shape

By the way, when decorating an opening there are no clear design rules. Each owner is free to decide for himself what shape to arrange the opening, as long as it matches the style of the rest of the premises. Sometimes it is the opening in the wall that becomes the object on which you want to “have a blast,” so they make it in a wide variety of shapes: trapezoidal, triangular, with beveled corners, wavy or asymmetrical. Usually, such solutions are resorted to when thinking about how to design a doorway to a hall or living room - the room that is most visited and visible.

Choosing the shape of the opening depending on the style of the interior

Before choosing ways to design a doorway, you should think about its shape. Of course, you can leave everything unchanged. And rectangular open portals look very impressive. Or you can try to choose the shape of the opening, focusing on the interior style of the room. After all, the opening must fit harmoniously into the overall picture and emphasize its features. Let's consider the most suitable forms for various styles:

Chic movements such as Baroque, Rococo or Renaissance imply a predominance of symmetrical, regular lines. This simplicity is compensated by a large abundance of decorative elements. It can be complex carvings, various stucco moldings with gilding or complex arched bas-reliefs;
The discreet and noble classic style is best complemented by arched openings. In this case, arches are preferably oval, three-centered or semicircular in shape. Of course, the classics cannot do without such material as wood, which can be decorated with decorative carvings or milling;
Eastern directions also prefer arched openings, but their shape can be more varied. They can be pointed or keeled, in the shape of a heart or a circle. In general, in this case you can give free rein to your imagination and focus on the shapes and silhouettes of pieces of furniture;
Romantic destinations should not be overloaded with complex curves. All elements in them should remain light and airy, smooth and graceful. Openings with a semicircular, gently sloping shape without sharp transitions are ideal. At the same time, you should not abuse the amount of finishing materials and choose rough and heavy options;
Modern and laconic styles, such as minimalism, hi-tech or techno, recognize only strict, regular geometric shapes. There can be no talk of any ovals. Strict symmetry must also be present. Therefore, in this case, it is better to leave the shape of the opening unchanged and just carefully align all the corners and edges;
Such interesting and extraordinary movements as modern or pop art must necessarily have an object of a very unusual shape in the interior. This is usually a small piece of furniture, such as an armchair, stool or coffee table. But why not show your imagination and create an opening with a winding, asymmetrical shape? It is this solution that will best complement and emphasize the stylistic identity of the room.

When choosing the most suitable form, you should rely not only on the above recommendations, but also on the height of the ceilings in the room

Otherwise, you risk once again drawing attention to an existing shortcoming.

If the ceilings are low, then it is better to choose arched openings, where the radius of the arch exceeds ½ the height of the opening;
If you decide to install an arch in a room with high ceilings, then the recommended radius should be equal to half the height.

Thus, the ratio of the ceiling height and the shape of the opening will be optimal and most aesthetically pleasing.

Varieties

Open door portals can have a classic rectangular shape, differing little from the usual door design, or they can be made in the form of arches of various shapes and sizes.

The shape of the arched opening can be:

Roman (romantic) with a vault in the shape of a half circle, the diameter equal to the width of the opening;
Turkish is characterized by the oriental design of the vault in the form of a dome;
The British one is considered a smaller version of the Roman arched doorway, since the vault is made in the form of a truncated circle;
The ellipsoidal one is considered a more elongated analogue of the romantic arched opening;
The Slavic opening is distinguished by smooth rounded corners of the classic rectangular shape of the passage;
Gothic is distinguished by a pointed form of the vault, the upper edges of which extend to a single point;
The Thai opening has the shape of an arch cut in half, one of the halves of which was replaced by a wall;
The transom has a blind arch, decorated with stained glass, relief, frosted, mirror glass or other light-transmitting material.

Folding structures

The accordion door is becoming popular. Since many apartments have narrow passages, it becomes the only worthy option for replacing an interior door. The operating principle is similar to an accordion. The doors, fixed in the upper part of the structure, fold left and right when opened. As a result, a lot of free space on the sides of the opening is not required.

Related article: How to assemble a door handle with a spring

Accordion with glass

Accordion doors are made from various materials. To lighten the weight of the structure, glass or fabric inserts are used. The advantages of such designs include ease of operation, space saving and low price. Disadvantage: poor sound insulation. An accordion will be an ideal decorative element for any room, the main thing is to choose the desired color and structure.

A unique type of accordion

Decorative rock

The decoration of doorways with decorative stone looks great. The decorative stone used can be either natural (also called natural) or artificial. As a rule, natural stone is used for finishing the facades of buildings, that is, for exterior work. But artificial decorative stone is used to line doorways and interior walls.

To ensure that doorways are finished professionally with decorative stone, you should consider the following recommendations:

If the wall passage is rectangular, the trim at the bottom should be slightly wider than at the top. This will create a smooth transition from the decorative stone to the finishing material used for wall cladding. This will create the illusion of naturalness.
The arch must be completely lined with stone: this will highlight the structure against the background of the rest of the wall and emphasize the roundness of its shape.
If the finishing of the opening is done to a minimum, experts recommend “supporting” it by cladding other elements of the room, for example, mirrors, with the same stone.
It is better to line a passage in the wall that does not include the installation of a door with stone on both sides, otherwise it will be impossible to make a natural transition from this facing material to another (used for wall decoration).
It is better to leave the edge of the finish uneven, which will create a natural effect.

And gluing decorative stone is carried out in exactly the same way as laying ceramic tiles. For this, special glue or “liquid nails” can be used.

As you can see, there are many ways to cladding an opening with your own hands. The choice of one or the other is a matter of taste for the home craftsman.

How to separate the kitchen from the hallway without a door?

If the kitchen opens into a narrow corridor or hallway, then eliminating the door can be a good solution.

The advantages of this option:

increasing the functional space of the kitchen - by moving some of the cabinets with kitchen utensils to the hallway;
the appearance of an additional light source in the corridor, where there are usually no windows;
greater opportunities for realizing creative design ideas;
savings on doors. Even the most expensive materials for finishing an opening will cost less than installing a door.

Minuses:

the kitchen becomes a passage room, which may not suit all residents;
there is a risk for young children;
dirt and debris from the kitchen quickly spread throughout the house;
to demolish part of the wall and expand the kitchen through the corridor, you will need to obtain permission;
different smells will constantly be heard from the kitchen, and not always pleasant ones;
you will need a powerful, silent hood.

Related articles:
Constant freshness: kitchen hoods with ventilation outlet
Recirculating kitchen hoods without venting: 12 questions and answers

If some disadvantages turn out to be critical for you, then consider dividing the kitchen and hallway with a sliding partition.

How can you play with the transition of the kitchen into a corridor without a door:

Place the same wallpaper (washable, of course) in the kitchen and hallway to emphasize the unity of the space. Or vice versa, hang contrasting wallpaper to visually expand the kitchen.
The same zoning of the kitchen and hallway can be done using the same or different types of floor coverings. For example, there are tiles in the kitchen, laminate or linoleum in the hallway. You can also separate the kitchen with a podium.
As for the color scheme: it is recommended to use lighter shades in the kitchen, which turn into darker shades at the entrance to the corridor.
Around the doorway or arch, you can arrange lighting from small light bulbs or LED strip. In the hallway the light should be more subdued, in the kitchen it should be brighter.
Make the same contrasting accents in the kitchen and in the hallway. These can be any decorative elements in the same style (clocks, lamps, paintings, candlesticks, shelves, etc.).
An interesting solution for small apartments is the use of transformable furniture. This can be a folding or retractable bar counter in the opening, a folding table and chairs.
Try to use as little furniture as possible in the hallway. And if you install equipment, then choose a built-in one to save space.

As you can see, there are many ways to refine the opening between the kitchen and the corridor, with the help of which these rooms can be combined or separated - it all depends on your preferences.

Pros and cons

The main advantage of an opening without a sash is the increase in usable area. Also, the absence of such an obstacle in the form of a door allows air to circulate freely throughout the rooms. But it is worth understanding that this advantage is also a disadvantage in some cases. For example, the likelihood of odors, steam and grease moving from the kitchen into the living areas increases. As a result, the housewife is forced to wash the curtains more often and wash various surfaces to remove dust that has settled on the wet, greasy film.

The visual expansion of the space, including the feeling of a higher ceiling than before, appears due to the free penetration of sunlight. But this advantage is overshadowed by a significant reduction in noise insulation from other rooms and the inability to be alone. Therefore, it is not recommended to install open portals in bedrooms, children's rooms, offices or home libraries. For people living alone in small apartments, this recommendation does not apply, since there is no one to retire from.

Another undeniable advantage of this stylistic decision is the financial benefit. This occurs due to savings on the purchase of interior doors, even in the case of purchasing expensive finishing materials, since the operational life of the opening is longer than the life of the door leaf. It is also worth considering the cost of installation and dismantling work when installing the door.

Where else can you hang roller blinds?

The wide range of application of roller blinds allows you to come up with something new every time, experiment and create a unique design in a single home.

Designers recommend replacing doors with roller shutters in the following cases:

When the kitchen is small. In Khrushchev-era apartment buildings built in the middle of the last century, the size of the kitchen rarely exceeds 6 square meters. m. As a result, you have to literally “fight” for every additional centimeter of usable space. A roller blind for the kitchen impregnated from odors and dirt, installed on a doorway instead of a door, will be an excellent replacement. During cooking, to prevent kitchen odors from seeping into the common room, it is lowered, and when the need to isolate the kitchen area disappears, it is raised to the very top. Another current solution is to install such a curtain on a glass insert.
When you need to arrange a corner for storing things. Sometimes designers recommend installing roller blinds instead of doors to the dressing room or instead of doors to the pantry, arranged in a niche. Behind a beautiful curtain you can quickly hide unnecessary things before guests arrive, and during cleaning, lift it and slowly sort out the accumulated trash. Such decor is always relevant, since in every room it will be in harmony with other textile elements, and if you get bored with the colors, over time it is not difficult to replace it without any special financial costs.
Instead of cabinet doors. Such canvases are used to decorate built-in wardrobes, ordinary wardrobes in small rooms, cabinets on balconies, loggias, and under window sills. Safe and easy to use fabric blinds are suitable for closets in a child's room.

Opening sizes

They are largely determined by the parameters of the rooms. Properly calculated width and height of the opening allow you to visually correct the shortcomings of the premises. For example, wide passages, especially with gentle arches, will make an apartment with a low ceiling more spacious, while narrow passages, on the contrary, will “compress” an already tiny space.

Photo: Instagram chapter_one_interiors

Photo: Instagram instaraskrutka_piter

Photo: Instagram yakuba.denis

Photo: Instagram parketovich

In any case, the opening should not be lower than 2 m, and if it is an arch, it is better to make it higher, since in the dark a person may not miss the narrow parts of the arch. If the owner of the apartment wants to combine two zones to the maximum, then the opening can be made almost to the ceiling.

When choosing an asymmetrical arch, the size depends on the intricacy of the shape. The more sophisticated it is, the wider the passage is made, so that a pile of decorations on a small structure does not make it look pretentious. Textured decor sometimes works positively to optically narrow the opening if the latter is too wide. Without relief cladding, it will simply “dissolve” in the decor of the room.

Photo: Instagram ladogaloghome

Photo: Instagram niart_interior

Conclusion

There are many options for closing an interior opening instead of a door. But when choosing, you should take into account practicality and functionality, and not just aesthetics.

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Using MDF panels

You can decorate your portal beautifully and inexpensively using MDF panels. From the outside you will need to use platbands. The only thing that needs to be taken into account is the vulnerability of the material to moisture. Under such conditions, the slabs swell and deform. Therefore, it is better not to use MDF to finish the passage between the kitchen and living room or kitchen and dining room. An exception may be rooms with well-functioning forced exhaust.

Simple wood finishingSource happy-room.com.ua

To cover the portal with MDF tiles, you will need to build a wooden slatted frame. Then the panels are cut into fragments of the required length and width and fixed with special metal clips. The planks are fastened to each other using a tongue-and-groove locking connection.

Wood design optionSource airgpm.com

If the panels are not equipped with a groove and tongue, then they are fixed using a special adhesive solution using a frameless method. In this case, the base must be perfectly level. To disguise the joints, a decorative strip is used, and casing is installed along the edges.

Using polyurethane stucco molding

Polyurethane stucco molding replaced gypsum - heavy and fragile. It is used to decorate openings in interiors decorated in Venetian or other classical style with sufficient area and height of the room. This stucco molding is highly durable, lightweight and can be painted in colors other than white.

Framing the doorwaySource kakpostroit.su

The surface for attaching polyurethane stucco molding must be clean, level and durable. To do this, it is first leveled and primed. To install parts, use special glue. When the parts are dry, the joints between them are treated with putty and sanded using fine-grained sandpaper. The stucco molding can be left snow-white or gilded and patina applied to it.

Decorative gypsum stucco Source www.doverie-omsk.ru

The advantages of polyurethane cladding include the following:

Low weight, which allows you to mount this decor on weak foundations, such as drywall.
The ability to adjust the shape of the product due to its plasticity - polyurethane can be cut and sanded.
The material is not afraid of moisture and temperature changes, so it can be used in the kitchen.
Polyurethane has a long service life, the decor does not crack or crumble.
The range of decorative elements is varied and is represented by false columns, moldings, pilasters, rosettes and other elements.
The stucco molding is easy to install using adhesive, so you can do all the work yourself.

Curtains

Curtains are made of beads, glass beads, wood, and tubes. They create a characteristic noise when opening. Often, such products are hung motionlessly in the doorway, so they should not be used to decorate the opening where something needs to be carried frequently.

Stylish curtains

Note! Such curtains are quite fragile, so if there are children and/or animals in the house, it is better to avoid them.

There are various models of such curtains:

Wooden - with beads or pieces of wood, which are connected by staples or wire;
Made from glass beads, which are strung on a dense fishing line or thread;
From straws – yes, that’s right, from ordinary drinking straws – you can make such curtains yourself;
Textile - felt and satin ribbons are used in production (various figures are cut out of felt and connected to each other with ribbons).

To avoid the inconvenience of using such curtains, they can be hung not along the entire opening, but only along the edges, and in the middle the bead threads can be made much shorter.

The transparency of the opening is regulated by the number of beads or the selected element on each thread. The rule works here: the denser the beads are placed, the less you can see what’s behind the doorway.

Installation is easy - the curtains are nailed to the bar, which is located above the doorway.

Original curtains: options

Ways to design an interior passage

The simplest and cheapest option for finishing an open doorway is to cover the ends with wallpaper and hang a transparent curtain. The method is applicable in home renovation conditions, when wallpaper is re-pasted in two adjacent rooms, otherwise the difference will be noticeable.

How you can finish the opening in other ways:

install decorative panels made of MDF or plastic, made in the form of platbands;
instead of wallpaper, make a mosaic of artificial stone or clinker tiles at the ends, imitating brickwork;
use ready-made gypsum stucco elements or imitation polyurethane;
sew up the ends with classic wooden platbands and extensions.

Framing the arch with ready-made sets of platbands

We have listed the most common cladding options. There are other methods - painting with a water-based composition, applying liquid wallpaper, and so on.

Lining the arch with plastic corners

This is a simple and affordable way to improve an arched portal at minimal cost. The materials you will need are flexible corners made of plastic or MDF and high-quality glue (liquid nails will do). Before installing the facing elements, the walls must be puttied and covered with wallpaper.

The design of a doorway without a door with corners is carried out using the following technology:

Cut the material to height and degrease the internal surfaces.
Apply liquid nails or glue to the corners, wait 1-5 minutes (the exact time is indicated in the instructions).
Bend and press the piece tightly against the corner of the wall. Temporary fixation of the ends of the element using small nails or masking tape is allowed.

Finishing a standard rectangular portal is even easier - you don’t need to bend the material, just trim the ends correctly so that they fit nicely at the corners. More useful information about the use of corners can be found in the video:

Clinker tile finishing

The color of artificial stone or clinker tiles is selected according to the color of the walls. To purchase the required amount of material, it is recommended to mark the future drawing on the wall with a simple pencil. For finishing, a construction adhesive mixture such as Ceresit CM11 or liquid nails is used.

Options for facing artificial stone tiles

Substrate preparation includes leveling and applying a deep-penetrating primer. How to decorate an opening yourself with clinker tiles:

Prepare the adhesive according to the instructions on the package.
Carefully apply a continuous thin layer of adhesive to the back of the tile and press it against the wall in the designated location, as shown in the photo below. Check the horizontality of the facing element with a building level.
Remove the squeezed out excess solution with a spatula.
Using calibration slats from any available material, glue the following tiles at the same distance from each other, forming an overall pattern.

After the adhesive mixture has hardened, remove the slats and carefully clean the edges of the tiles. The final stage is grouting the joints with a composition that is in harmony with the interior of the room.

Installation of polyurethane stucco molding

Real gypsum stucco is distinguished by its considerable price, decent weight and fragility. Polyurethane imitation of columns, pilasters and overhead patterns looks no worse, but costs much less. In addition, plastic lends itself well to painting in any desired color.

Visually, polyurethane stucco is no different from plaster

The technology for installing polyurethane moldings is similar to finishing with plastic corners. Each element is cut and adjusted into place, then glued to the walls on both sides of the opening. To join the shaped parts to each other, a special glue for plastic is used.

When the glue has dried, the cracks and joints must be puttied and carefully treated with sandpaper. The last stage is painting in the required color (preferably with an aerosol can or spray gun).

Use of wooden platbands

Wood is a material traditionally used for finishing any openings. In the case of an arch, you will have to find a top element on sale or order production in a carpentry workshop.

Before installation, wooden panels should be treated with sandpaper and coated with 2-3 layers of protective varnish. The latter is selected according to the required color - you can use stain and transparent varnish or a composition with the addition of the desired dye.

Wooden cladding requires maintenance and periodic renewal

The platbands are fastened in the classic way - with screws or nails

It is important to recess the fastener heads so that they are not conspicuous. At the top, the attachment points are carefully covered with putty and painted.

Opening made of polyurethane stucco

Using stucco in decoration

Visually, polyurethane overlays (moldings) resemble stucco.

But for this finish to look perfect, the surface must first be leveled with plasterboard or plaster.

In order for the decorative elements to be sufficiently plastic and flexible, it is necessary to keep them in the room for some time before gluing them.
The stucco molding is fastened according to pre-applied markings using special mounting adhesive. It is applied to the back side of the moldings
To prevent the decor from slipping, it is additionally attached to dowels. To do this, holes are pre-prepared for them. The screw heads need to be slightly pressed into the stucco molding by a couple of millimeters so that they do not stick out
After the adhesive has completely dried for 24 hours, the holes for such fasteners must be sealed with putty matching the color
If necessary, the stucco molding can be painted to match the walls or a contrasting shade. For this purpose, dyes that do not contain acetone are used.
Painting the walls or gluing wallpaper is carried out after gluing the stucco decor. In this case, you will not have to adjust the edges of the molding to the edge of the wallpaper or re-plaster and paint over accidental damage
Polyurethane stucco molding will look good if similar decor is present in other parts of the decor - ceiling panels, ceiling rosettes, columns. You can also decorate part of the walls with polyurethane molding

In small rooms, stucco molding with small patterns is used. More voluminous designs will look ideal in a spacious room with high ceilings.

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What should be the opening for installing an interior door?

If you do not want to overpay 20-50 percent for non-standard interior doors, then you need to decide on the doorway in advance.

You need to start from the doors you like, the variety of which can satisfy even the most fastidious taste. Basically, doors are produced in standard sizes: 2 meters high and 60, 70, and 80 cm wide.

Less common is a standard with a width of 40, 55 and 90 cm and a height of 1.9 meters. The thickness of the door frames can vary in the range of 1.5-4 cm.

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Depending on the room, standard door sizes may be used.

This is how they usually put it:

in the bathroom and toilet, the height of the opening is usually from 1.9 to 2 meters, width 55-60 cm, depth 5-7 cm.
in the kitchen height 2 meters, width 70 cm, depth 7 cm.
in the bedroom or living room, the height of the doorway will be 2 meters, width 80 cm and depth from 7 cm to 20 cm.
if the door to the bedroom has double doors, then only the width will change: it will be either 2*60 cm, or 40+80 cm.

After plastering and leveling the walls, the depth of the doorway will increase accordingly.

These dimensions of doorways are very difficult to overestimate. After all, if you did not take them into account in your calculations, you may encounter a problem when your door frame does not fit into the opening. And not every opening can be enlarged; sometimes this is impossible due to the specific layout or design of the wall. If this is a load-bearing wall, then you will also face a number of difficulties.

Please note: Handles for interior doors: how to choose and install

Even a simple plasterboard wall is not easy to reduce due to the transfer of metal profiles. In this case, you will have to overpay for non-standard sizes of the interior door.

There is also the opposite situation, when the doorway is much larger than the door. Here you will also overpay specialists when installing the door, for narrowing the opening.

An unpleasant situation may arise when, as a result of reduction, the platband cannot close the hole in the doorway. In this case, you will need to seal up the uncovered sections of the wall, glue wallpaper or lay tiles. It’s good if the room hasn’t been glued up yet, but if it has been, then everything will have to be re-glued.

Therefore, even at the project stage, you need to decide on the size of the doorways, then you won’t have to overpay for non-standard doors or redo the opening.

What you need to know to calculate a doorway:

height and width of the proposed door
door frame thickness
box width
width of platbands
the box will be with or without a threshold.

Suppose you need a door measuring 2 by 0.8 meters and 2.5 cm thick. To calculate the dimensions of the doorway, you need to add the dimensions of the frame to the dimensions of the door, plus an installation gap of 1 to 2 cm on each side.

Calculation of the width of the doorway

Figure y shows a diagram of a doorway with a door and dimensions. Using these data, we can easily obtain the opening width of 800+30+30+10+10+4+2=886 mm or 88.6 cm.

You can find out the width of the frame on the website of the manufacturer of the doors you like.

Calculation of the height of the doorway

Similarly, we can calculate the height of the doorway. We look at the data in the picture:

with a threshold of 2000+30+30+10+5+3=2078 mm. or 2 meters and 7.8 cm..
without threshold 2000+30+10+5+3=2048 mm. or 2 meters and 4.8 cm..

Calculation of doorway thickness

Please note that the most common thickness is 7.5 cm and therefore many manufacturers adhere to this particular size. Please note: Sliding glass doors: features of choice

Please note: Sliding glass doors: features of choice

If the wall is thicker or thinner than the box, then you will need to install an extension or cut the box lengthwise, respectively. Without these operations, you will not be able to install trim on the door and everything will look much worse.

Naturally, these operations will lead to an increase in the cost of installing an interior door. Which, by the way, you can install yourself.

Using our recommendations, you can make an opening under the door, which subsequently will not lead to a significant increase in the cost of installing an interior door.

Materials for making doors

The very concept of a “kitchen door” does not exist. Doors are divided into interior and exterior, so the same materials are used to make kitchen doors as for any interior doors. By design, interior doors can be: panel, panel, molded, drawer (prefabricated), all-glass, etc.

Types of interior door coverings:

solid wood;
laminated wood;
natural veneer;
painted MDF;
laminated MDF;
PVC film on MDF;
CPL coating on MDF (eco-veneer);
tempered glass, etc.

There are also special doors: sanitary, heat-resistant, fire-resistant, etc. But they are usually used only in public and industrial buildings.

So which door to choose for the kitchen from this variety? Everything is very simple here: despite the fact that food is prepared in the kitchen every day, water flows and gas burns, this does not affect the quality of the door leaf material.

Even for the bathrooms of residential apartments, the use of sanitary door panels is not necessary, not to mention the kitchen. Therefore, feel free to choose the doors you like for all rooms at once, since with different door leaves the interior of the apartment will be inharmonious.

When choosing a door leaf material, first of all you need to pay attention to the quality of the coating. A budget option is panel doors made of MDF; they can be either laminated with special paper or covered with PVC film

Their weak point is the edges, which can peel off at the joints. But these doors, if they are made with high quality, will last for many years.

The most expensive options are made from solid or laminated wood, as well as from natural veneer. It is better to choose them from the collections of reliable manufacturers known for their quality. If the wood has not undergone the required technological processing cycle (for example, it has not been dried enough), or it is of low grade, unpleasant surprises await you in the future.

It is worth paying attention to drawer (prefabricated) doors covered with PVC film or a special durable CPL coating. Their advantage is the absence of edges

Each canvas is assembled from individual elements, which are covered with PVC or CPL film before assembly. The joints of the coating are tucked inside the assembly and are not visible from the outside. This option is practical and wear-resistant.

Molded doors to the kitchen must have glass, which, in addition to its decorative function, is also a load-bearing element of the door leaf. These are reliable multi-layer impact-resistant glasses with a wide variety of textures. Glass takes up one or two thirds of the door leaf area. These doors look stylish and can decorate any interior.

Paneled doors, one of the main elements of a classic interior, have not gone out of fashion for decades. They are made from both natural wood and MDF. They can come in a variety of colors and textures, as well as with glass inserts. Paneled door panels are lighter than panel doors and look more aesthetically pleasing.

All-glass doors appeared on the market not so long ago, but have already found a buyer. Their disadvantages are heavy weight, labor-intensive installation and high cost.

A kitchen door with glass is the most common option, regardless of the type of door leaf material. This is dictated, first of all, by the need to illuminate the deaf dark corridor next to the kitchen. In addition, a door leaf with a glass insert always looks lighter and more elegant than a solid one.

Almost all modern interior doors have a fairly reliable moisture-resistant coating; stains and dirt on them can be easily wiped off with a damp cloth. Abrasive sponges and detergents should not be used to clean door panels (except for glass doors and eco-veneer).

The location of the opening matters

It is unlikely that anyone would argue that it is textiles that make a room cozy - even if there is little furniture in it and it has the simplest design. The same goes for wall decoration: it can be neutral, without any decor, but well-chosen curtains can enliven the interior and make it memorable.

And this applies not only to window textiles; you can just as easily hang curtains in the doorway.

Opening in the living room

Apart from the nuances regarding the regulation of light in the room, curtains for doors are selected according to the same principles as for windows. Moreover, often the same curtains are hung on them.
For some styles this is the most correct solution. But here a lot depends on where the opening is located and what the purpose of the room behind it is.
This will look good if the room is a walk-through room and has several openings, or if there is an exit to a terrace or balcony next to the window.

We have presented several photos where the same curtains were hung on both the window and the doorway:

But, of course, everything is very individual, since each room has its own geometry. If it is correct, that is, when the opening is strictly opposite the window - or next to it and is proportional to it in size, the option with identical curtains will always be appropriate.

Opening at the entrance or in the corridor

However, curtains are not always chosen for a doorway without a door. A curtain can also decorate an opening with a door: either an interior door or one opening onto a terrace, which, as a rule, is glass, or at the entrance to the house.

The latter option is usually used instead of a second door, or simply as decorative curtains on a doorway.

Functionality as such is not required here, except that sometimes there is a need to protect your home from the invasion of insects, which inevitably rush inside when the doors are open.
In this case, curtains with magnets are hung at the entrance, or even door mosquito nets are installed. But for our latitudes this is a purely seasonal decision, and we are talking about decorativeness, which should constantly please the eye.
As a “two in one” option - on the front door, or in the corridor separating the vestibule from the hall, you can hang wooden curtains on the doorway - or rope (thread) curtains.

Note: As practice shows, hanging curtains in a doorway can be called protection against insects with a big stretch. And to be honest, from an aesthetic point of view, wooden curtains are much inferior to well-chosen and beautifully picked up textile curtains. Unless you are decorating the interior in an eco-style - then wood and bamboo will be most appropriate.

Why replace the door

The problem of rational distribution of free space in an apartment or house is an issue that interests many owners. People tend to resort to all sorts of tricks, thinking about how to close the opening. They buy a sofa bed and use a window sill instead of a table, that is, they limit the functionality of the furniture in every possible way and make life as uncomfortable as possible.

Image from pinstake.com

To prevent such a situation, you can save space by replacing a conventional swing door with other interior ceilings that save space and match the interior. There are cases when zoning of a room is necessary (studio apartment, large room that needs to be divided into zones), in which case interior floors can also help, some of which can be used as space dividers.

There are several replacement options, with each it is necessary to take into account a number of factors such as noise insulation, protection from odors, protection from prying eyes, the need to delimit the territory or the lack thereof. Instead of interior flooring, you can install:

arch;
curtains;
folding structures;
door-pencil case;
compartment door;
radius doors;
roto-door;
door-book.

Let's take a detailed look at each of the listed options, their pros, cons, materials of manufacture and methods of use.

Image from diadom.pl