Our new home has more bi-fold doors than we expected. A large pair separates the future dining room from the main hallway, and another set closes off the corridor that leads to most of the bedrooms. We even removed one of those doors during the move so a daybed could fit through.
In the master suite there’s a wide set of bi-folds that hides the bathroom sink area, plus a single bi-fold next to it that closes the walk-in closet. That doesn’t count the three additional bi-folds that close other bedroom closets. In short: there are a lot of them, and most were working against the open, airy feeling we want in the house.
After removing several of the doors, the hallway immediately felt more spacious and welcoming. Taking down the remaining door that led to the back bedrooms contributed to that open look as well. We still need to go back and patch and paint where the hinges used to be, but the visual payoff made it worthwhile.
Removing the door in the master bedroom also made the room feel lighter and more relaxed. We kept the bi-folds on most of the other bedroom closets for now, but we did take the one off our personal closet because we found ourselves constantly bumping into it. We’re considering replacing it with a thick, floor-length curtain to maintain privacy while preserving the room’s airy vibe.
Not every bi-fold was removed. One between the kitchen and the laundry/mudroom remains in place for a practical reason: it prevents a direct line of sight from the carport straight into the kitchen. Without that barrier someone walking in from the carport could see directly into the heart of the house, and since the side door is the one most visitors use, we prefer some privacy there.
Because my wife nurses in various spots around the house — sometimes even at the kitchen table — it makes sense to keep that door for now. Our plan is to frost the glass so the room retains plenty of natural light but the view is obscured. Once that’s done, we’ll likely remove that bi-fold as well, keeping the design consistent throughout the rest of the house.
Instead of throwing the removed doors away, we donated them to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore. It felt better to pass them along so they can be reused in someone else’s home rather than end up in a landfill. ReStores are full of salvageable building materials and fixtures, and donating items helps support affordable housing projects in the community.
Small, practical updates like removing a few doors or frosting a window may not be the most dramatic renovations, but they have a meaningful impact on how a space feels and functions. Opening sightlines and simplifying circulation in the home have already made daily life more pleasant. We’re enjoying the change and are taking things one modest, thoughtful project at a time.
Psst—this week I wrote about how we helped Clara settle into the new house so she didn’t feel unsettled during the transition. The tips we used made a big difference in easing her adjustment.