A Bi-fold Renovation That Gave a Home the WOW Factor

The view from a lounge looking through open bifolding doors, which cover a whole wall, into the garden

A full wall of floor to ceiling glass doors, each with a blind partially closed, looking into the garden

Looking over a dining table, through open patio doors and out into a paved area with wicker sofas

The view from the garden into a property with different types of patio doors

Open-plan living is still the layout of choice in many people’s homes and the stunning effects of an open-plan home can be enhanced further with bi-folding doors, as Alex and Mark discovered. When the couple decided to open up their home to their garden, Origin’s doors gave them the freedom they needed to create a truly open-plan design.

Making the Most of Available Space

Alex and Mark have lived in their family home for over twenty years and wanted to create more of a sense of space in their property, increase the light level in the rooms and improve the access to the garden.

The couple had seen bi-folding doors in action on home renovation programmes, so they knew that adding this feature would make the dream of a spacious home a reality.

Mark is a structural engineer which means he was already familiar with the benefits of using aluminium for bi-folding doors. Origin’s aluminium doors are durable, thermally efficient and low maintenance, so they were an obvious choice for this project.

Bespoke Design Details

Origin were recommended to Alex and Mark by one of their friends, and after looking at the variety of configurations, colours and hardware options available, Alex chose the doors she wanted and booked the installation. As the doors are bespoke, Alex was able to customise every element of the design, even down to the colour of the hinges.

Alex and Mark specified three different sets of doors: a five door set for the lounge, a three door set for the dining area and an additional three door set for one of their son’s bedrooms. They chose a dark silver powder coat to finish the doors to keep in with the fresh, modern look throughout the home.

The five door set was fitted into an aperture of 5080mm with each door leaf measuring 969mm wide by a standard height of approximately 1971mm.

The three door set for the dining area was fitted into an aperture of 3290mm with each door leaf measuring 1047mm wide by a standard height of approximately 1986mm. A final three door set was situated in the ground floor bedroom, completing the integrated look with the outside garden. The three door set fitted into an aperture of 2400mm with each door leaf measuring 751mm wide by a standard height of approximately 2016mm.

A Warm and Light Family Home

The lounge and dining area is now flooded with an abundance of natural light, helping to create a relaxed living space which opens up seamlessly into the garden.

“Opening up our space has also reduced our heating bills,” remarks Alex. “The doors are so thermally efficient that we no longer require the additional radiators we had installed a few years ago.”

Alex has continued the modern feel with other aspects of the interior design, introducing wooden floors, cream carpets and modern functional furniture against a backdrop of painted white walls. It’s now the room where the family spend their time eating, relaxing and socialising. “It’s the best room in the house,” says Alex. “We’re in here all the time.”

To complement the doors, Alex and Mark fitted Origin’s made-to-measure blinds in Bali linen. Origin’s bespoke electric roller blinds are made-to-measure and once installed, are discreetly tucked away in a colour-matched cassette within the reveal of the door, so they complement the design without adding thickness to the top of the frames.

Alex and Mark started the renovation project in May 2013, and the whole project took two months to complete, with the doors taking just 11 days to be manufactured and delivered. Fitting bi-folding doors has transformed the home and the once cold rooms with outdated patio doors have now been opened up, creating an open-plan living space and connecting the garden to the house.