November 2026
Whether hinged, sliding, pocket, bi-fold, barn, French or Dutch, there is a door to match every need in your interior space and designed for how you live.
Bi-Fold Door, notice the UD hardware!
Most bi-folds are found in a closet situation rather than a door situation. I would treat it like a cabinet rather than a door. The solution is creating access to objects in the closet rather than exiting or entering a space. For more information/ideas go to the blog , Closets: Time to Steal an Idea.
Features of age friendly/UD are important to interior doors but there are other reasons for an interior door.
It serves to quiet a space…can bring light in a space… welcomes you in a space… offers privacy/separation… controls the flow of traffic… defines what happens in the space (office, baby sleeping, someone resting, reading, or exercising). A door can control temperature and air flow in a home. Finally, a door can signal safety/security.
Optimum UD/Age friendly Checklist for Interior Doors:
Door is easy to open and close.
Blocks noise if necessary.
Easy to maintain.
Reflects your esthetics or style.
Intuitive to use(where do you push to open the door).
Allows light in the space if needed by a transom or glass options.
If using glass, meets safety and privacy needs. IE: frosted, opaque or clear.
UD hardware on the door. See blog Hardware and Handles.
Door is minimum of 36” wide.
6” turning radius of space present in front and behind the door.
One Double Duty Door
This barn door does double duty. The door allows for privacy in the shower area on right while the toilet area is open.
Barn door is closed on left, the toilet side has privacy but the shower is open.
This is a very clever way to manage small spaces. The track hardware must be on the outside for this to work. For this option to be UD, each opening needs to be 40” wide.
Inside Sliding Doors
This inside Sliding Door with no floor track has a ceiling track which makes it a zero entry. Allows for light to enter the space but has no real privacy. Imagine if there were drapes or blinds over the glass slider then one has even more flexibility.
If used in a very private space, this glass slider offers great light and a sense of spaciousness along with dampening of sound.
Can you see how this slider has features of UD but with slight modifications would have even more age friendly/UD features: safe, secure, flexible, obvious to use and easy to use. The dark sliding door contrasts with the lighter floor and ceiling, thus easier to see.
Frosted Interior Sliding Door with Grid.
Allows for a lot of light even though frosted glass is being used and the dark grid helps to make sure you can see the glass and not walk into the door. Offers a degree of privacy along with sound dampening.
This is a better UD/age friendly option.
Glass Transom over Hinged Panel Door
Allows for light to enter into the space.
Opaque doors indicate privacy, potential sound elimination and can indicate a quiet space, like a bedroom. When the door is open it indicates something quite different. This hardware is UD. The door has flexibility, easy to use, intuitive all great UD.
Transom over Hinged Panel Door
This rustic cabin’s interior panel door has a transom over it allowing more light in the space. What is unusual about the transom is there is no glass in it! It’s just an open space. This doesn’t sound proof the space but allows for more light and ventilation into the space behind the door.
This barn door provides privacy on this side of the house, separates the main living space from the bedrooms and defines the space. The stained glass allows light to go through it and because it is not a solid door it feels softer and has an esthetic. UD hardware make it easy to open and close.
Here is the other side of the barn door. A barn door is a pocket door, sliding along a noticeable track. Depending on your esthetic you may want to make the track hardware not as obvious with it’s placement.
Interior Dutch Doors
The Dutch door is being used in memory care facilities as well as with animals and children. When someone or an animal can see or hear what is happening outside their door but remain in a secure environment that is a win-win situation. Great design.
A person will obviously lack a degree of privacy with a Dutch door. Plenty of light in this space but minimal sound proofing. This is a zero entry with good UD features including flexible, easy to use, and safe.
Interior French Doors
French doors define a space , in this photo an office, provides a degree of privacy, can eliminate sounds inside the space, offers viewing inside a space, gives additional light into the space, provide a zero entry into the office and can act as a barrier to prevent someone from entering when a person is working. These are all age friendly/UD features.
You need to be aware of hinges when you have any door except the pocket or barn door. Are the hinges on the left or right on the door. The position of the hinge dictates which way the door swings, in or out? Do you have sufficient space to open the door fully and manage in the space once in? When you have minimum space in the room you are entering, a door swinging out is better. In the photo above the doors swing in and the desk sits close to the doors, which makes it difficult for a person with a wheelchair to enter the space. This is easily remedied, move the desk back! Use your UD principle of a 6’ clearance in front and behind any interior door, use at least a 36” door width and you will be comfort, independent and safe!
Interior Panel French Doors
Can you feel the “keep out” with these doors that offer no additional light, great sound dampening and a sense of please don‘t bother me! Quite a different interior door from the French doors above! Think of your needs, what gives the greatest flexibility for those needs when selecting interior doors. Doors that meet in the middle are helpful in getting a 36” opening or when you need to maximize the space and want a wheelchair or scooter to get through. Notice these doors open to the hall great UD!
Interior Pocket Doors
Pocket Doors can provide a zero entry into a space, define a space, offer privacy, and can dampen sound all great features of age friendly/UD. I find the available hardware for a pocket door problematic. We need better options as most require great dexterity to use.
In the Netherlands, they are using door decals in memory care units to orient the residents. Each resident has a unique door that replicates their previous home door. This is so helpful in not only orienting a person but gives comfort with familiarity to the individual. That is great thinking outside the box!
Memory Care Decal Doors
You can have Interior Doors that will Enhance Everyday Living.
Ready for More?
