Commercial and residential markets alike are taking advantage of the sliding door trend and noticing that the climb has shown no signs of slowing down its expansion in the years to come. Designers are constantly finding more innovative ways to expand the use of sliding doors and how to place them into spaces where they can function most effectively.
Manufacturers in the door and hardware industries have noticed the spike in growth and are working to meet the rise in demand. Even just a few years ago sliding barn doors would need to be custom designed and built by a professional, but now pre-fabricated doors number in the thousands and will only continue to grow. More and more finishes, styles and durability options continue to arrive on the scene giving architects and designers a better range of options from which to choose.
It was only very recently that the most common place for sliding doors were healthcare and office settings. These areas are still strong, but sliding doors are now found in more than these initial areas such as:
City Loft Apartments
More sliding doors are being used in revitalization projects. Old warehouses and manufacturing buildings are now being developed into loft apartments, and sliding doors are selected much more frequently than regular standard doors. These projects use a mixture of exposed bricks and columns which give the space its rustic industrial feel. Sliding barn doors are installed for the privacy needs of bedroom and bathroom primarily. It’s all about making work out looking hardware look new and vice versa.
Churches
Youth centers might feature a sliding barn door designed to break up a meeting space from a casual break area. A large-scale barn door can help to match the rough look and industrial feel of a space. Generally, anywhere you want a large-scale opening, a barn door is a great choice if you are planning to leave it open most the time as well.
ADA Applications
Sliding doors save valuable floor space and satisfy the ADA requirements which makes it easy for people with disabilities to use. A sliding door is much easier for someone in a wheel chair to operate than a regular wide swing door. People with motorized wheelchairs and who have limited access to using their hands will appreciate the ease of access a sliding door offers.
Hotels
Most of the major hotel brands are currently integrating plan to add to their facilities sliding doors. Hotel doors tend to be sleek and shiny rather than giving off an industrial or rustic atmosphere. Eliminating the door swing plays a huge role and keeps guests happy not to deal with the congested foot traffic that normal doors are often known for. Bathroom and closet doors especially are being replaced in hotels with one sliding door for the bathroom that slides from side to side, closing the adjacent closet door.
Restaurants
More for looks than functionality, restaurants often use a separate door for the kitchen/food prep area than from the main restaurant. Sliding barn doors are also great for sectioning off a back room for private meetings or extra busy days.