A Lifestyle Choice

When the Thomas's moved into their house in 2002, they had a number of renovations planned including a garage conversion and a loft renovation. In 2012, the Thomas's began their latest project, to create an open plan kitchen and dining area.

The Thomas's wanted to maximise the view and light in the kitchen by creating a huge open plan space. “I knew exactly how I wanted it to be, I just needed to find the company that could make it happen,” says Pam Thomas.

Bi-folding Doors the Number One Choice

Pam had made her mind up that she wanted Bi-folding Doors, and knew what design she wanted after visiting exhibitions and getting ideas from homes and interior magazines. The Thomas’s met Origin at the Homebuilding & Renovating show in Birmingham, and were impressed with the fast lead time, the 20 year guarantee and the slick engineering of Origin’s system. Origin’s Doors were the obvious choice as they offered everything the Thomas’s were looking for – a panoramic view, bespoke design, durable aluminium, excellent thermal efficiency and a fixed timescale for delivery.

“In terms of engineering, the doors are the best on the market. The non-weathered threshold design allows for equal floor finishes inside and out. The doors are made from high grade aluminium, in keeping with the contemporary kitchen.

“We decided upon aluminium after talking to the experts at Origin – we knew it was the most suitable material for Bi-fold Doors and would stand the test of time. As Origin manufactures everything in its UK factory, they have control over the quality of the product and were able to customise our doors, even down to the colour of the hinges, which we wanted to match the door colour,” says Pam.

Modern Doors for a Contemporary Space

Work on the kitchen and dining area renovations took place between May to September 2012, with the new extension adding an entire extra room onto the home. The Thomas's chose a five door and a four door set of bi-folding doors for their modern kitchen. The design included two sets of doors that are divided by a narrow brick wall which supports the roof and the new gable-end glass roof.

The five door set opens up the kitchen to the garden and fills an aperture of 4354mm, with each door leaf measuring 836mm wide by a standard height of approximately 2191mm. The four door set was fitted in the dining and lounge area into a 3434mm aperture with each door measuring approximately 805mm by 2191mm. The Thomas’s chose a classic slate grey for the power coated finish to their aluminium doors to complement the modern fresh look of the area.

Each door leaf has a long wheelbase solid aluminium carriage with four wheels that run inside a low threshold base track. The wheelbase makes the doors extra secure as the trolley is encased within the track and also makes them very easy to open and close. Origin use nylon type 6-6 for the doors’ wheels, a material that resists degradation from heat and friction. The nylon wheels spin around a 6mm hardened stainless steel shaft on a set of needle bearings along a stainless steel track, ensuring the doors can be easily opened and shut.

Personal Finishing Touches

Pam Thomas took a hands on approach with every design element of the renovation, she said “Since the doors went in, it immediately became the family room and our heating bills have been dramatically reduced as we all congregate in the kitchen so we don’t need to heat the whole house.

“The new extension has not only increased the value of the house, it has changed the way we live and this is mainly due to the bi-folds creating an open-plan living space connecting the garden to the house. The Bi-folding Doors were not only a luxurious choice, but also a lifestyle choice I would recommend to everyone.”

The kitchen is now flooded with natural light and the modern design of the doors connects the kitchen and dining/lounge areas seamlessly with the garden beyond. The Thomas's are delighted with the updates to their home and have a real sense of pride in the intelligent and contemporary design.