Design & Trends

Stylish and practical pocket doors for every home.

Do you cringe at the mere mention of pocket doors? Have flashbacks of cheap closet sliders? If so, let us try to change your perspective. With new styles and better functionality, pocket doors are back and better than ever. Keep reading for some of our favorite pocket doors for each room in your house and how to choose the right locks and door hardware.

What is a pocket door and why should I get one?

A pocket door is any door that slides inside the wall and “disappears” when open. They differ from other sliding doors and barn doors, which remain visible regardless of whether they’re open or closed.

One of the main appeals of pocket doors is how well they work in spaces where clearance is a concern. If you have a narrow hallway that doesn’t allow for a standard door to swing open without hitting another wall or furniture, for example, a pocket door is a perfect solution.

Pocket doors are also ideal for open floorplans that you might want to occasionally close off. Consider the combination kitchen-dining room. Perhaps you leave the space open in most situations, but when hosting a dinner party, you want to hide dirty dishes while you’re entertaining. Pocket doors offer you that versatility while maintaining the clean, sleek look of a room.

Which style of pocket door should I choose?

The right style is your favorite style. That being said, here are some factors to consider and some ideas to spark your imagination.

Master suite

A pocket door can provide additional privacy between the bedroom and bathroom. Depending on the size of your master suite, you could choose either a single pocket door or a double, which slides into each side of the wall.

Because you’re likely looking for that extra privacy, we recommend steering clear of doors with glass. If you absolutely love the look, however, try frosted glass. The most practical options are a solid door, which can be especially striking when matched to the color or finish of the wall in a contemporary space, or one with mirrors.

Kitchen pantry

The entry to your pantry, even if it’s a walk-in, is probably fairly narrow, so choose a single pocket door. In terms of style, the world is your oyster. If you’re someone who likes to hide your pantry, choose a subtle design that blends with the surrounding surfaces. You might paint a solid door the same color as the walls around it. But if you’re looking to make more of a statement, a bold color, decorative patterns or paned with glass can do the trick.

Laundry room

Let’s start by saying that we love pocket doors for laundry rooms that started off as something else. Maybe you expanded a closet or installed plumbing in a spare room to put the laundry where it’s more convenient for you. When that happens, you might have found that a traditional door didn’t quite work with the new space. An outward swinging door blocked the hallway and an inward swinging one hit your appliances. Enter, pocket doors.

Follow the same suggestions above for kitchen pantry doors and you should be in good shape.

Powder room or small bathroom

Small bathrooms can be one of the most troublesome spots in your house. Overhauling the tile, fixtures and everything else can be expensive. A new door is an easy way to add some color and personality without the huge price tag. And when it’s a pocket door, you won’t give up valuable space in the process.

Because of the … ahem … pocket-sized space of your powder or small bathroom, look for single door options. You can then go as subtle or decorative as your heart desires. We like the idea of a frosted glass window. It provides the necessary amount of privacy while still letting in extra light, which can mean the difference between the room feeling cramped or airy.

Home office

Some of our favorite pocket doors for home offices have windows. It’s that balance between the privacy you need when you’re conducting business and the open airiness to help you feel inspired and productive. Depending on your taste or the kind of business you do, you can go either fun and funky or conservatively professional.

Kitchen-dining

The most classic of all pocket doors might be those on combination spaces. Originally popular in Victorian architecture, we often saw pocket doors leading to the drawing room or closing off the ladies’ sitting room from another area. Today’s versions can make just as classic a statement while still adding a modern twist.

Because openings between kitchen-dining rooms tend to be larger, you have more room to play with design. Solid doors with some kind of paneling or architectural detail can give a more traditional look. Glass panes can go either way in terms of traditional or contemporary, depending on how you execute them.

How do I choose locks for pocket doors?

The key to hardware for pocket doors is keeping a low profile. You don’t want your hardware to stick out and catch on the wall when you slide the doors open. There are locking options for pocket doors, most common for home offices, bathrooms and other areas where you want some extra privacy. These come in the form of a simple turning latch rather than a keyed lock or deadbolt. If you require something more secure than a latch, a pocket door probably isn’t the right fit for that space.

If you still aren’t sold on the idea of pocket doors, you can explore other stylish door options on the Schlage blog. There you’ll find tips for styling French doors, learn how to make a DIY Dutch door, hacks for making hallow core doors look more expensive than they really are and more.

There’s more inspiration where that came from, too. Find us on Instagram and Pinterest.