Best Hinge Fold Door Designs for Small Apartments: Space Optimisation Made Easy

At A Glance

• Struggling to make the most of a small-ish apartment? Installing a hinge-fold door could help!
• These doors are great for maximising space without having to compromise on the aesthetics
• Using bifold door hinges helps to make sure doors can open both ways, not just one way
• Change to a set of lightweight, modern, smooth-folding door hinges for the best results
• Always invest in high-quality hinges, though; cheaper hinges are not usually worth the money

Apartment life comes with many challenges, especially when it comes to space. Take your doors, for example. Do your doors only open one way? Then you’ll already know how annoying that can be. It means you usually need to compromise on the room layout and space because the door must open in one direction or the other. That’s why, according to UK security experts locksandhardware.co.uk, fitting a hinge-fold door is best. 

In this quick guide to hinge-fold door designs, we’ll help you understand exactly what to look for. If you fit bifold door hinges on any compatible door, it means the door can open in either direction. You’ll be surprised – just as we were – about how much of a difference having a two-way opening can make. The days of having to work everything around door opening and positioning will soon be over!

Why Hinge-Fold Doors Are Perfect For Tight Spaces

As you have probably already found out, your doors take up much more room than we assume. Yes, they take up the space on the wall, but the door takes up more room than just its position on the wall. Your door also takes up space as it opens. Without bifold door hinges, your door only opens one way, right? 

That means having to adjust the entire room design based on how the door opens. Try to fit a cupboard or a table behind the door, and you might find that the door no longer opens up in full. In the past, you would need to install a door design that might not be a good match for your home’s aesthetic. 

Who wants to have to deal with a door that looks so out of place just for functionality’s sake? 

Well, that’s where bifold door hinges come in. Hinge-fold doors are perfect for making sure you avoid this problem. Instead, you get a modern, minimalist design that pairs perfectly with modern apartment designs. Installing a bifold door gives you a much more space-saving design without compromising aesthetics. It’s a fantastic proposition for tight, small apartments.

Most of the time, we would recommend installing a hinge-fold door in a space like your kitchen, dining room, or the entrance to your home office. However, they can work well just about anywhere in your apartment. 

Door Design & Hinge Options That Work Best In Small Apartments

If you decide to go down the hinge-fold door route, it pays to know where to start. Now, you have a choice: do you install bifold door hinges on the door you already have? Or do you fit an entirely new hinge-fold door setup? The choice is yours, and it likely depends on your budget.

Generally, we recommend considering the following parameters when making your choice. While just about any door design could work in theory, you should look for a door that is:

Lightweight

First and foremost, you want to find a door – whether a normal door fitted with folding door hinges or a hinge-fold door – that is lightweight. The more strain you can take off your hinges, the better!

Hinges take some of the weight off your door, so you want a door that isn’t too heavy. If you buy an extremely heavy door, it’s likely to see the hinges bend a little over time. That means either repairing or replacing the hinges sooner than you would if you used a lightweight door.

So, first and foremost, look into door weights. Lighter-weight doors work better for most apartments, too, as many apartment walls aren’t really designed for large, heavy-duty doors. It also means you can get away with a lower-profile door frame, so less wall space is taken up by the door and frame. 

Modern

Now, this is more of a personal choice, and you will need to make it yourself. Regardless of the door type you choose, you want it to be modern. Why? Well, it should fit your current aesthetic.

Most smaller apartments are modern builds, so they align with modern design principles. Modern designs tend to be thinner and smaller, making them more likely to fit with the minimalist style most people go for. The days of large, ornate doors are slowly dying out. Most of us prefer minimalism in our door designs, and you are likely no different. So, focus on finding modern designs.

That might be a full-hinge fold door design, as these are the perfect example of modern design. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s modern enough to still look fresh in the years to come!

Smooth-Folding Hinges

Lastly, make sure that whatever door type you choose can be fitted with bifold door hinges. These hinges should ideally be flush to the wall, minimising the space they take up. They should also be able to fold smoothly into position, without sticking out from the door or making the frame look too large.

No matter which door you choose, make sure the hinges are a proper fit for the door and the frame. That might mean replacing the frame, but it’s worth it. Smooth-folding hinges take up little to no space and ensure the door opens smoothly without unnecessary resistance.

Pro Tip: Invest In Premium Hardware

Our final piece of advice for you might seem like common sense, but it’s worth noting. When buying hinge-fold or bifold door hinges, invest in quality.

Cheap doors and/or cheap hinges come with a cost. They save you money today, yes, but trust us when we say that they will cost you more in the future. They are more likely to fray or weaken, or to rust and corrode. Also, cheaper door hardware and fixtures tend to look a little generic and dated, making it harder to blend with your property’s aesthetic.

Whatever you choose to buy, always invest in premium, high-quality hardware. Yes, the cost is higher today, but the long-term savings are worthwhile because the likelihood of needing to repair or replace the door and/or hinges in the near future is lower.