Interior Door Ideas: 10 Styles to Transform Any Room

Most homeowners treat interior doors as an afterthought—basic white slabs that close off rooms and nothing more. That's a missed opportunity. The right door style can make a small room feel bigger, add architectural interest to a plain hallway, or become the focal point of an entire space.

This guide breaks down ten interior door styles worth considering, from space-saving sliders to statement-making pivot doors. Each section covers where the door works best, what it costs, and whether it fits your home's style—so you can make a decision that actually improves your space.

Quick Comparison: Interior Door Styles at a Glance

What Are the Best Interior Door Styles?

Sliding Barn Doors

Barn doors slide along a wall-mounted track instead of swinging outward, making them ideal for tight spaces where a traditional door would eat up valuable floor area. They've evolved far beyond their farmhouse roots—modern versions come in sleek glass, metal, and painted finishes that work in contemporary homes just as well as rustic ones.

Best for: Bedrooms, closets, pantries, bathrooms, laundry rooms, home offices, and room dividers.

Cost: $300–$1,800 installed, depending on materials and hardware quality. DIY installation can cut costs significantly since barn doors don't require frame modifications.

Key benefits: Space-saving design (the door slides flat against the wall when open), easy DIY installation, huge variety of styles from rustic wood to modern glass, and they add visual interest as a design element rather than just a functional necessity.

Watch out for: Small gaps around the edges can let light and sound through, which matters more in bedrooms and bathrooms. You'll also need clear wall space equal to the door's width for the track.

Style match: Farmhouse, modern, industrial, rustic, transitional.

French Doors

French doors feature glass panels framed in wood or metal, typically installed in pairs that swing open together. They create a dramatic, elegant opening while allowing natural light to flow between rooms—perfect for connecting living spaces without completely closing them off.

Best for: Living rooms, dining rooms, home offices, sunrooms, and anywhere you want visual openness with the option to close off the space.

Cost: $600–$3,000 for interior French doors, plus $250–$500 labor per door. Glass quality and frame material drive most of the price variation.

Key benefits: Maximizes natural light between rooms, creates elegant transitions, makes spaces feel larger and more connected, and adds significant aesthetic value.

Watch out for: Requires swing clearance on one or both sides, glass provides minimal privacy (unless frosted), heavier than standard doors so installation is more involved, and the glass panels need regular cleaning.

Style match: Traditional, French country, transitional, coastal, Victorian.

Pocket Doors

Pocket doors slide into a hidden cavity inside the wall, completely disappearing when open. This makes them the ultimate space-saver—no swing arc, no visible door when open, just a clean opening between rooms.

Best for: Small bathrooms, tight hallways, closets, laundry rooms, and any space where door swing would create traffic problems.

Cost: $800–$3,000+ installed. The wide range reflects installation complexity—retrofitting a pocket door into an existing wall requires removing drywall, possibly relocating electrical or plumbing, and rebuilding the wall cavity.

Key benefits: Maximum space efficiency (door literally disappears), clean aesthetic when open, excellent for small rooms, and provides full privacy when closed.

Watch out for: Expensive and complex installation, especially in existing walls. The pocket wall can't contain electrical outlets, switches, or plumbing. Track mechanisms can develop issues over time and are harder to repair since they're hidden inside the wall.

Style match: Modern, contemporary, minimalist, any style where clean lines matter.

Panel Doors (Shaker, Raised Panel, Flat Panel)

Panel doors are the workhorses of interior design—the most common door type in homes for good reason. They come in three main styles: Shaker (flat recessed panel with clean lines), raised panel (center panel bevels outward with decorative edges), and flat panel (completely smooth surface).

Best for: Bedrooms, bathrooms, closets—essentially any room. Panel doors are the default choice when you want something reliable that won't compete with other design elements.

Cost: $150–$500 installed for standard sizes. Shaker doors tend to cost slightly less than raised panel due to simpler construction.

Key benefits: Most affordable option, excellent privacy and sound insulation (especially solid-core versions), fits any home style depending on the panel type chosen, and extremely durable.

Watch out for: Requires swing clearance, and they don't make much of a design statement on their own. Raised panel doors can look dated in ultra-modern spaces; shaker doors can feel plain in traditional homes.

Style match: Shaker suits modern, farmhouse, and transitional. Raised panel works for traditional, colonial, and Mediterranean. Flat panel fits minimalist and contemporary.

Glass Panel Doors

Interior glass doors incorporate clear, frosted, reeded, or textured glass into the door design—either as full panels or partial inserts. They're increasingly popular for home offices and studies where you want natural light but still need the ability to close off the space.

Best for: Home offices, studies, hallways, and rooms connecting to bright spaces where you want light to travel through.

Cost: $300–$900 depending on glass type and door construction. Reeded and frosted glass typically cost more than clear but add privacy without blocking light.

Key benefits: Brings natural light into darker rooms, modern aesthetic, privacy options range from clear (no privacy) to heavily frosted (silhouettes only), and creates visual openness even when closed.

Watch out for: Less sound insulation than solid doors, fingerprints show on clear glass, and breakage risk (tempered safety glass is worth the upgrade).

Style match: Modern, contemporary, transitional, Scandinavian.

Bifold Doors

Bifold doors fold in half when opened, typically mounted on a track at the top. They're most commonly used for closets because they provide full access to the opening without requiring the clearance of a full swing door.

Best for: Closets, pantries, laundry rooms, and utility spaces where full access matters more than aesthetics.

Cost: $100–$350 installed. They're among the most budget-friendly door options.

Key benefits: Budget-friendly, provides full-width access to closets (unlike sliding closet doors that only expose half at a time), and space-efficient compared to swing doors.

Watch out for: The folding mechanism and track hardware can feel flimsy on cheaper models, limited style options compared to other door types, and they can look dated in modern homes.

Style match: Works with most styles but rarely becomes a design feature—they're functional rather than decorative.

Pivot Doors

Pivot doors rotate on a vertical axis near the top and bottom of the door rather than swinging from side hinges. This allows for much larger, heavier doors than traditional hinges can support—some pivot doors span floor to ceiling and weigh hundreds of pounds.

Best for: Grand entryways, large openings, modern and minimalist homes, anywhere you want architectural drama.

Cost: $1,000–$5,000+ depending on size and materials. The specialized pivot hardware adds to the cost, and professional installation is typically required.

Key benefits: Dramatic architectural impact, smooth effortless operation even on very heavy doors, allows for oversized door designs, and some models have completely hidden hinges for a clean look.

Watch out for: Expensive, requires precise installation, and the unique swing arc (the door pivots rather than swings) needs to be accounted for in the floor plan. Not practical for standard doorways.

Style match: Modern, contemporary, minimalist, high-end architectural.

Dutch Doors

Dutch doors split horizontally in the middle, allowing the top half to open independently while the bottom stays closed. Originally designed to let light and air in while keeping animals out, they've become popular in homes for their farmhouse charm and practical functionality.

Best for: Kitchens (great for passing food through), nurseries and kids' rooms (acts as a baby gate), home offices, mudrooms, and any space where you want partial access.

Cost: $600–$1,200 installed. The split design requires additional hardware—extra hinges, a latch to connect the halves, and sometimes a shelf on the bottom section.

Key benefits: Ventilation without fully opening the door, natural baby or pet gate functionality, unique farmhouse aesthetic, and practical for kitchens and mudrooms.

Watch out for: More hardware means more potential maintenance issues, the horizontal seam can allow drafts if not properly weatherstripped, and they cost more than standard doors for relatively simple functionality.

Style match: Farmhouse, cottage, country, coastal, traditional.

Louvered Doors

Louvered doors feature horizontal slats (like window blinds) that allow air to circulate even when the door is closed. They're primarily functional—designed to prevent mustiness in closets and provide ventilation to utility spaces.

Best for: Closets (especially in humid climates), pantries, laundry rooms, utility rooms, and anywhere airflow matters more than privacy.

Cost: $150–$450 installed. Available in full-louver or partial-louver (slats on top half, solid panel on bottom) configurations.

Key benefits: Excellent ventilation prevents musty closets, allows some light through, and provides a relaxed coastal or casual aesthetic.

Watch out for: Minimal privacy (you can see through the slats at certain angles), poor sound insulation, and the slats collect dust that requires regular cleaning.

Style match: Coastal, tropical, casual, cottage.

Hidden Doors (Flush-to-Wall)

Hidden doors, also called invisible or flush-mount doors, are designed to blend completely into the wall when closed. They use concealed hinges and frames, and are typically painted the same color as the surrounding wall so they virtually disappear.

Best for: Modern minimalist homes, media rooms, secret rooms or panic rooms, and anywhere you want uninterrupted wall surfaces.

Cost: $1,500–$4,000+ installed. The specialized frames and concealed hinges are expensive, and installation requires precision to achieve the seamless look.

Key benefits: Ultimate minimalist aesthetic, creates clean uninterrupted walls, can hide utility rooms or create "secret" spaces, and makes a strong architectural statement.

Watch out for: Expensive, requires very precise installation (ideally during new construction or major renovation), and finding the door can be confusing for guests.

Style match: Modern, minimalist, contemporary, high-end architectural.

How to Choose the Right Interior Door

Start with your constraints. If space is tight, sliding barn doors or pocket doors eliminate swing clearance issues. If budget is the priority, panel doors or bifolds deliver function without the premium price.

Next, consider privacy and sound. Bedrooms and bathrooms need solid-core doors that block noise and provide complete privacy—barn doors and louvered doors fall short here without modifications. Glass doors work for offices where you want light but can close off sound.

Finally, match the style to your home. A pivot door looks out of place in a cottage just as a full-louver door feels wrong in a modern loft. The comparison table above can help narrow options, but trust your instincts about what fits your space.

Finding the Right Hardware

Once you've decided on a door style, the hardware becomes the finishing touch—or, in the case of sliding barn doors, a central design element. Track finish, handle style, and roller design all contribute to whether your door feels rustic, industrial, or modern.

The Barn Door Hardware Store carries complete hardware kits for single, double, bypass, and bifold barn door configurations. If you're exploring barn doors for your space, their selection covers everything from classic black steel to stainless contemporary finishes.