Choosing Internal Doors That Feel Right for Your Home

The Dilemma

Internal doors are one of the most overlooked design decisions in a home. They influence how rooms connect, how light flows, how tall or generous a space feels and even how sound moves through the house. Yet many people choose doors in a rush, often defaulting to whatever the builder has priced.

The dilemma is choosing doors that support your home’s architectural language without overwhelming smaller rooms or feeling incongruous with the wider interior.

The Options

Option 1: Shaker Doors

Subtle recessed panels create gentle character.

Pros:

• timeless

• flexible across styles

• works well with both period and modern homes

• visually soft

Cons:

• more joints mean more visible lines

• painted versions require touch-ups over time

Option 2: Flat-Panel (Slab) Doors

Simple, clean, contemporary.

Pros:

• minimal

• easy to clean

• suits modern renovations and extensions

Cons:

• less forgiving of installation mistakes

• can feel cold without the right handles or materials

Option 3: Glazed or Part-Glazed Doors

Brings light into corridors and internal rooms.

Pros:

• brightens darker areas

• improves perceived space

• great for small homes

Cons:

• reduced privacy

• needs good detailing to avoid appearing cheap

The Decision Criteria

1. Consider the architecture first

If your home has original details — ceiling roses, picture rails, cornices — Shaker doors complement them naturally.
If you have a more modern extension or a clean-lined interior, flat-panel doors reinforce the architecture.

2. Think about ceiling height

Standard doors (often around 2.0–2.1m) can feel short in tall rooms.
Taller doors elongate the space and feel instantly more premium.

3. Decide how much visual weight you want

Shaker doors add subtle detail and shadow lines.
Flat doors disappear more, letting wall colour and furniture take precedence.

4. Light flow

Glazed doors are excellent in homes with dark central corridors or small ground-floor rooms. They can transform a layout without structural changes.

5. Handles and ironmongery

The handle choice is as important as the door.
Brass adds warmth; black is graphic; nickel is soft and versatile.

Handles also anchor the style — a flat door with a classic knob can feel transitional; a Shaker door with a slim bar handle feels modern.

The Recommendation

Choose a door style that matches the overall intent of your home.
For many homes, a modernised Shaker door is the safest, most elegant option — neither too traditional nor too minimal.

In architecturally clean extensions, flat-panel doors can enhance the clarity of the spaces.

If your home is dark, consider at least one glazed door to help borrow light.

Above all, be consistent: a mix of three or four door styles quickly feels chaotic.

A Quick Tip

Order one door early and install it. Seeing a full-scale sample in context makes the rest of the decisions dramatically easier.