Best Places to Install Folding Doors in a Home
Modern homes are increasingly designed with open-plan living spaces, flexible rooms, and multi-purpose areas. While open layouts create a sense of space, there are times when homeowners need to close off a room for privacy, quiet or functionality.
This is where folding doors (also known as concertina doors or accordion doors) provide an excellent solution.
Unlike traditional hinged doors, folding doors allow you to open up or close off spaces instantly, making them ideal for modern Australian homes where rooms often serve multiple purposes.
Below are some of the best places to install folding doors in a home, including a real installation where a homeowner used our ACOUSTICflo folding door to create a quiet home office.
1. Home Offices and Study Rooms
With more Australians working from home, many houses are being adapted to create dedicated study spaces and home offices.
However, not every home has a spare room with a traditional door. Often, studies are located in:
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hallway nooks
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open study areas
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converted living spaces
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rooms originally designed without doors
In these situations, a folding door provides an ideal solution.
Real Installation Example – Acoustic Concertina Door for a Study
In this recent installation, a homeowner needed a way to close off their study room so they could conduct online meetings without noise interruptions.
The study originally had no door at all, meaning sound from the rest of the house easily travelled into the room.
To solve this, the homeowner installed our ACOUSTICflo soundproof accordion door, designed to help reduce sound transfer while maintaining a clean interior look.
When closed, the folding door creates a quiet workspace, perfect for video meetings, phone calls and focused work. When not needed, the door folds neatly to the side, keeping the hallway open.
This type of installation is becoming increasingly popular as families look for flexible work-from-home solutions.
2. Pantry Doors
Pantries are another excellent place for folding doors.
Traditional hinged pantry doors require clear floor space to swing open, which can make tight kitchens feel crowded.
Folding doors solve this by:
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taking up minimal space
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opening smoothly along a track
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allowing full access to shelves
Many homeowners choose folding doors for pantries because they are lightweight, easy to operate and space-saving.
3. Laundry Rooms
Laundry areas are often located in hallways, kitchens or small utility spaces.
Using a folding door allows homeowners to:
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hide appliances when not in use
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reduce noise from washing machines
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keep the space visually tidy
Because folding doors stack neatly to one side, they work particularly well in narrow corridors or compact homes. Some houses have laundry rooms in tight spaces such as hallways, with swing doors or bifold doors installed in the doorway of the the laundry room. When these bifolds or swing doors are opened to get to washing machines or dryers, the doors completely block the narrow hallway, creating an issue of access to all occupants. This is when owners of these properties choose to swap out the traditional doors or bi-fold doors with folding doors. Wondering what the differences are between concertina doors and bifold doors? Learn more here.
ACOUSTICflo doors have also allowed homeowners with European laundries close to living spaces or dining areas to dampen the sound of the washer and/or dryer running while entertaining, relaxing after a long day, or having a meal.
4. Living Room and Dining Room Dividers
In open-plan homes, folding doors can be used to divide larger living areas when needed.
For example:
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separating a living room from a dining area
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creating a quiet reading room
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closing off a media room
This allows homeowners to enjoy the benefits of open spaces while still having the option for privacy. The added living area, rumpus or new study / working nook can be an added benefit when evaluating the value of their homes as well.
5. Wardrobes and Storage Areas
Wardrobes and storage rooms are another common use.
Folding doors are often preferred because they:
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allow wide openings
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save space compared to hinged doors
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are easy for children to operate
This makes them practical for bedrooms, linen cupboards and storage rooms.
Why Folding Doors Are Ideal for Modern Homes
Homeowners increasingly choose folding doors because they offer several advantages over traditional hinged doors.
Space Saving
Folding doors stack neatly to the side, making them ideal for tight spaces and narrow hallways.
Flexible Room Layouts
Rooms can be opened up or closed off instantly.
Lightweight and Easy to Use
High-quality folding door systems glide smoothly and can be operated easily by all members of the household.
Optional Acoustic Performance and Insulative Properties
Specialised products such as insulative and/or acoustic folding doors help reduce sound transfer between rooms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Are folding doors good for home offices?
A: Yes. Folding doors are commonly used to create quiet work-from-home spaces, especially where a study area originally has no door.
Q: Do folding doors reduce sound?
A: Acoustic folding door systems can help reduce sound transmission, making them suitable for studies, meeting rooms and home offices.
Q: Are folding doors suitable for small homes?
A: Yes. Folding doors are ideal for compact spaces because they require less clearance than hinged doors.
Q: Where else can folding doors be installed?
A: Common locations include pantries, laundries, wardrobes, study rooms and room dividers.
Explore Folding Door Options
If you're considering installing folding doors in your home, you may also find these helpful:
Folding Doors for Home Offices in Melbourne
Many Melbourne homes feature open study areas or flexible living spaces. Installing an acoustic folding door can help create a quiet work-from-home environment while maintaining the ability to open the space when not in use.
Homeowners in Melbourne often install folding doors in:
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study rooms
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hallway offices
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spare bedrooms converted to offices
Our ACOUSTICflo folding door system is particularly suited for home offices where reducing sound transfer is important.
If you're looking for folding doors in Melbourne, you can learn more about our installation options on our Melbourne folding doors page.
Folding Doors for Home Offices in Adelaide
Adelaide homes increasingly include dedicated study spaces, especially with hybrid work arrangements becoming common.
A concertina folding door allows a study room to be closed for meetings or focused work while keeping the space open when the door is folded away.
Many Adelaide homeowners install folding doors in:
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home offices
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study nooks
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converted guest rooms
More information on concertina door applications, lead-times for manufacture and delivery to Adelaide and greater South Australia regions can be found on our dedicated Adelaide Folding Door guide page. As a Melbourne-based concertina folding door manufacturer, we make all doors locally, and supply residential and commercial projects nationwide safely and securely, anywhere in Australia.
Folding Doors for Home Offices in Darwin
In Darwin homes, open-plan layouts are very popular, but they can make it difficult to keep air-conditioning cool for a large room - making bills higher than they need to be and the appliances involved work harder.
Installing an insulative folding door helps create a private office environment while keeping the home flexible.
For more information on how our folding doors have helped custromers in Darwin, please visit our Darwin page - which also includes delivery lead-times for Darwin and the far reaches of the Northern Territory.
Other Popular Uses for Folding Doors in Australian Homes
Folding doors are commonly installed in:
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division of room to accomodate home office and professional consultation room(s)
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home business space in garage or rumpus
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home theatre, games room, computer roopm and audiophile setups
Real Installation: Acoustic Folding Door for a Study Room
Our customers in Brisbane were a young couple welcoming a newborn into their home, and so they were requiring to acoustically insulate their study - because it was just the two of them before this, they did not need a door or were not bothered by any noise while they WFH. However, with the baby on the way, they knew that they would need to insulate their study where they work remotely, and decided on our ACOUSTICflo doors, which are the most slimline, easy-to-install and cost-effective soundproof concertina doors in the market for its size and cost.
Final Thoughts
In this day and age, when gas and electricity bills are surging, environmental consciousness is growing exponentially, and square meterage in homes are a commodity, concertina folding doors certainly have their place in modern architecture, with more and more homeowners turning to accordion doors to subdivide rooms, insulate spaces and/or create quiet zones.
If you are thinking of doing the same, and have some ideas of how you would like to use concertina doors in your home, send us an enquiry, and one of our folding door specialists will help to assess your existing system / space and explore options suited to your budget and function requirements.
More information:
• Our Concertina Folding Door Range
• COMFORTflo - thermal insulation folding door product information
• ACOUSTICflo - soundproof folding door product information
• Folding Doors Guide Australia
• Folding Doors Cost Australia
• Our Residential Concertina Door Applications
• Our Commercial Concertina Door Applications
