Door Models-Sorting It Out

Door models vary from one door manufacturer to the next. One door company will call their 5 Panel door a Mission style while the next door company may call it something flashy like N410. I know that a homeowner can get confused, in a way, by the verbiage used so I will attempt to sort it out here. Heck, I get confused and I've written a book All about doors!

At the most basic level, keep in mind that function (how the door works) and form (how the door looks) are separate elements, no matter what they are called. The type or style is a basic description.

I use the "type" of door mainly to refer to its structure or how the doors function. You may see it as "application" on some websites since it refers to how the door is used.

The five different types mainly refer to whether the doors are set in a double opening, single opening and how the doors operate: swing, fold or slide. The names of the types are very commonsense, like pocket, bifolding, single, double or bypass doors.
The door models are typically how the doors look (their style). All door models achieve their look from several different factors: the material made from, paint or stain, panel configuration, panel profile, plus other elements. Broadly, there are 4 styles: flush, panel door, glass door and louvered door.

One main thing to keep in mind, even with the varying descriptions, is that you can use any style of door to fit in any type of opening. For instance, a glass door could be used as a pocket door. You could install two paneled doors in a double opening. Louvered doors could be used as bifolds. Hopefully, you get the idea.

Consider function first when deciding which type of door or opening to use. The function comes from the flow of the room, furniture placement, art on a wall, that sort of thing. Next, the door type can add variety to the overall look or style of a room. Consider how different a closet with a 6 ft wide opening would look with bifold, bypass or double doors. It changes it completely.

The other day, in my guest room, I wondered why it had such a good feel. It felt almost like a tropical resort. Ok, the rug is red with lots of details. Then, it dawned on me that the two closets have louvered bifold doors on them. Wow, what a difference that one detail made to the entire feel of the room. The other room feels different because those closets have a Panel door.

Have fun choosing your door models!