How to choose interior doors by color: expert advice

Interior doors perform practical and aesthetic functions indoors. The practical purpose of the design is to protect against noise, provide coziness and comfort in the room. In addition, it emphasizes the advantages of the interior, hides flaws, and zones the space. And the doors also bear a serious load - just count how many times a day you have to open or close them.

It is not easy to choose a design on your own, since an ignorant person gets lost in the variety of designs, shapes and materials. What to do if you need interior doors: which ones are better to choose, reviews from professionals, design features of products, all this is in our article.

What types of interior doors are there?

Interior doors are selected according to a number of criteria, including design characteristics, its purpose, material of manufacture, external appearance (design). A secondary but important role is played by the quality of the fittings, as well as the cost of the product - too cheap products can quickly lose their original qualities.

Canvas design

Masters distinguish four types of door leaf design. Externally, they are the same, but are manufactured using different technologies, so the differences between them are significant.

Panel (frame)

The basis of the structure is a wooden frame (made of timber or solid wood), which is sheathed with MDF boards on both sides, and the space between them is filled with insulation or special honeycomb material. The top of the product is covered with laminate, veneer or PVC film; decorative materials, ornaments, surface corrugations, etc. are used for finishing. Structures made of laminated veneer or laminated profiled timber are considered the most durable. Solid timber is less resistant to humidity, negative factors, and dries out over time.

Panel doors consist of a frame, stiffeners, filler and cladding

A budget option is smooth hollow structures made from inexpensive MDF panels, but cost is the only advantage. They do not protect against noise, warp, lose their aesthetic appearance, warp or stop closing.

For reference! Most often, coniferous trees (pine, spruce, larch) are used to make frame doors. They are easy to process, have reasonable cost, and high performance.

Paneled

The design of paneled prefabricated products is based on solid wood, but differs from panel ones. The frame contains horizontal and vertical internal parts, and the space between them is filled with panels - decorative elements made of wood, glass or other materials. The products use from 2 to 10 panels of any configuration.

Experts consider paneled structures to be a reliable option - they are resistant to negative factors, do not shrink, and look presentable. With proper quality materials and assembly, such products can last for decades.

Paneled doors are resistant to negative factors and are suitable for living rooms, bathrooms, kitchens or bathrooms

Simplified paneled structures are called molded - they consist of wooden or metal slats, which are filled inside with glass or opaque paneling, with an additional stand in the center. Sometimes such products are classified into a separate category.

Tsargovye

In drawer products, the base (wooden frame) is filled with bars, called drawers, connected using special fasteners. A special production technology gives them additional strength and rigidity , and all parts are covered with protective materials - PVC film, laminate, enamel.

Tsar doors are durable, but at the same time bulky structures

The disadvantages of side doors include their increased weight - in small rooms they look too bulky and can deform the opening.

Combined

Combined structures combine the characteristics of prefabricated and panel structures. They combine the advantages of both options - the strength of the canvas, the rigidity of the frame, and the protection of the room from extraneous sounds. The canvases are made from solid wood, and the voids are filled with “honeycomb” material, which improves the quality of the products. In terms of aesthetics, combined doors are not inferior to paneled doors.

If the manufacturing rules are followed, combined doors last for years

In some stores, interior doors are divided into two categories - prefabricated or panel doors. The first category includes drawer, paneled, and sometimes combined structures, and the second category includes frame structures.

Important! When choosing interior doors, you need to check the quality of materials and their connections. Even a reliable, well-thought-out design will lose its positive qualities if production standards are not met.

Prices for popular models of interior doors

Interior door

Video - Criteria for choosing interior doors

What types of doors have the best sound insulation?

One of the functions of interior doors is to dampen extraneous sounds. Folding, sliding models cope with this function worst of all. The best way to insulate a room from sound is with panel boards, whose internal volume is filled with cardboard laid using the honeycomb method.

Soundproofing interior doors will allow you to achieve maximum comfort in your home.

Methods for opening interior doors

The ease of use of the doors depends on the method of opening the doors - the leaves open in the traditional way, turn, move away or fold.

Sliding doors look aesthetically pleasing, but they break at the movable fasteners.

This criterion determines not only the ease of use or appearance of the structure, but also the mechanism for fastening the canvas.

1. Swing . Classic type - the canvas is fixed on hinges, and during operation it moves in one or both directions. Hinged interior doors retain heat, protect from extraneous sounds, are inexpensive , and can be easily repaired or removed if necessary. The only drawback is that installation requires free space.
2. Sliding . The category of sliding doors includes compartments, radius, cascade designs, “accordions”, “books”. They open not forward or backward, but to the side, and each type is mounted in its own way. Such designs fit well into small rooms, but do not protect well from the cold and last no more than 5 years . Their weak point is the hinges on which the door leaf is attached. If the door is fixed on several hinges (no more than 2-3), the elements quickly fail even under reduced loads, and with an increased number of fasteners, the structure becomes difficult to operate.
3. Rocking . Swinging structures are less common than others and open in both directions at once. They have great inertia, which is why they require caution when opening, otherwise you can injure someone standing on the other side. The canvases are fixed on rollers, rotate in both directions and do not “eat up” the space in the room. When closed, they look like traditional swing doors, but have a different operating principle. It is not practical to install such products in residential premises, so they are used in public places or corridors.

Traditional swing doors fit into any interior

Advice! When choosing a door opening method, designers recommend taking into account the size of the room so that it does not “steal” free space. For small apartments, it is better to choose sliding doors that move on rollers along the opening.

Prices for popular sliding door models

Sliding doors

How to choose interior doors for your interior

As previously said, the door cannot exist separately from the interior - visually, of course. You need to fit its space (or vice versa, but this solution is suitable for very expensive antique models). Our task is to show how to do this. We cannot list all the options for choosing doors, but we will try to highlight the basic rules.

Dark sliding doors combined with dark furniture elements and dark floors

• Style: a door made of solid wood covered with enamel will be alien to a minimalist interior. A panel room with a glossy finish and hidden hinges will suit you. Also - barn canvases, metallic coatings - for lofts. Provence is a natural massif, brightly visible wood patterns, etc.;
• The rooms in the house are decorated in different styles: focus on the style in the hallway. If possible, use a door with different colors of facades: in the hallway it is a wood texture, in the living room it is a delicate light green, cream, blue, etc.;
• If you want to add more luxury to your design, look for doors in dark colors, even if they are not very expensive and made with natural veneer. It is advisable to use richly decorated platbands and cornices;
• A small room requires more light. Choose doors in light colors. If permissible, you can enhance the effect with glass inserts, mirrors, or glossy coating;
• Calmness and comfort - this is a light brown palette. All naturalistic shades and wood textures are here. For children's rooms, look for these;
• The door as the dominant object in the interior - this is possible. The decision is bold and requires careful study. Do not forget to repeat the shade, for example, in the decoration of lambrequins, in a picture frame, or in a porcelain vase.

Doors in palace style with golden patina and painting in the corresponding interior

Combinations are allowed - with flooring, baseboards, furniture, windows, textiles. Never - the door cannot have a similar color to the adjacent walls. There are 2 exceptions to the last rule:

• White interior;
• Masking the door: what kind of walls, what kind of canvas. Example: door and walls using trompe l'oeil technique.

Which manufacturing material to choose

The material from which the structure is made is a criterion that determines the service life, cost of the product and other characteristics.

Solid wood

Wood is a common material used to make interior doors. Wooden structures provide reliable sound insulation, are strong and durable. The array looks aesthetically pleasing and gives scope for design imagination and the use of additional finishing materials.

Solid wood is a natural, non-toxic and reliable material for the manufacture of interior doors

The disadvantages of solid wood structures include:

• sensitivity to high humidity;
• impressive weight, which requires strengthening of the locking mechanisms;
• tendency to dry out;
• significant time costs for processing and finishing.

Pine requires minimal additional processing, as it contains natural antiseptics

To increase the service life and improve the performance of wooden doors, special impregnations and agents are used that increase their resistance to negative factors. Most often, coniferous wood is used to make doors - they are affordable and require almost no additional processing, since the wood contains resins that resist rotting, mildew and mold.

Beech and oak are durable materials, but are prone to drying out and cracking after several years of use. Doors made of mahogany are considered elite - they are used for the manufacture of custom-made pieces.

Attention! Wood is an environmentally friendly, non-toxic material, but the use of harmful substances during processing poses a health hazard.

Artificial materials

Inexpensive structures are made from artificial materials, and the low cost does not affect their reliability. For the manufacture of interior doors, MDF and chipboard boards are most often used. Experts recommend buying products made from MDF, a wood-fiber material with the addition of natural resins. They are durable, non-toxic, insensitive to high humidity, easy to process and allow you to create structures of any complexity.

MDF boards are safe for health, while chipboard can emit harmful substances

Chipboards are made from synthetic binders, which over time can emit harmful fumes . In addition, they weigh a lot, which requires strengthening of the fixing elements - hinges and frame.

Standard sizes of interior doors

As a filler for interior doors made of artificial materials, wooden blocks or cellular materials, often cardboard, are used. Products with cardboard filling have minimal strength - a thin outer covering with unreliable material inside can easily be pierced through by catching it with a heavy object.

Prices for chipboards

Chipboards

How to choose

It is often quite difficult to choose the right door color. Therefore, most people first consult with specialists. But sometimes you still have to make a decision on interior doors yourself.

When choosing the color of the door leaf, the following criteria must be taken into account:

• General design solution for the room;
• Color of the floor base, walls and ceiling;
• Color solutions for furniture and other accessories;
• Shades of window blocks;
• Color of platbands, baseboards.

Dark door designs attract more attention and add sophistication to rooms. But they are not recommended for small spaces. At the same time, defects and dirt are more visible on dark surfaces.

If all interior doors open into one room - an entrance hall or corridor, it is desirable that they be made in the same style and color, have the same fittings and decorative elements. This will help maintain a unified perception of the corridor (hallway).

Before choosing the color of doors for different rooms, you can focus on the color shades of the furniture used in the apartment. In this case, it is recommended to install door blocks with a matte leaf. Such models are ideal for any room decor.

Interior doors made in light colors are considered quite practical: beige, ivory, ash. Various contaminants are less noticeable on them: dust, grease stains, etc. At the same time, light-colored canvases combine well with different textured inserts and original door handles.

Which external covering to choose a door with?

Their appearance and performance properties depend on the characteristics of the materials used for the external decoration of door panels.

1. Laminate . The most common option for covering interior doors, which protects them from negative influences. Products finished with laminate look presentable and allow you to implement any design solutions.
2. PVC film . Resistant to mechanical and chemical stress, high humidity, and fading. PVC film is made in different colors and can imitate natural wood, brick or other surfaces. In addition, photo printing can be applied , which is important for non-standard interiors.
3. Natural veneer . Veneer is a thin section of wood (thickness 0.1-10 mm ), insensitive to temperature changes, humidity, and ultraviolet rays . In appearance, natural veneer is practically no different from natural solid wood.
4. Eco-veneer . A budget coating option that consists of natural wood fibers bound with synthetic resins. Its performance characteristics are not inferior to those of other materials, but eco-veneer can be toxic , since formaldehyde or other harmful substances are used to bind the fibers.

To improve the appearance of products, decorative materials are used, most often special door glass (sometimes solid door panels are made from it). Unlike ordinary glass, the material is safe - it does not form sharp parts even with strong impacts.

Doors with PVC coating do not fade and allow you to implement any design solutions

Glass can be painted in any shade, trimmed with metal or wood, and stained glass and mirrors are made. The only disadvantage of the material is that it does not provide such a high level of sound insulation as wooden ones .

Natural veneer is almost indistinguishable from natural wood

Advice! The best solution for residential premises is considered to be doors made of MDF with natural veneer. A cheaper, but no less high-quality option is structures made from artificial slabs finished with eco-veneer or laminate.

No. 3. Door color and furniture color

When choosing the optimal color for interior doors, it is important to find something that unites all the rooms in the apartment . If it's not the style or color of the floor, then perhaps it's the color of the furniture. In this case, you should start from it. Choosing a door of the same color as the furniture is not always a good idea - it is better to choose a couple of shades darker or lighter. If the rooms use dark furniture, for example, wenge color, then it is better to take the door leaf in a much lighter shade to avoid creating an overly gloomy atmosphere. Another option that will save you in this case is the use of glass inserts or stained glass.

When choosing an interior door, you can only rely on the color of the furniture if you are going to use the furniture for quite a long time, otherwise there is no point in such a decision.

Manufacturers and prices

The interior door market is conventionally divided into three segments, each of which includes products with different prices and quality:

• elite structures are made of natural solid wood (alder, oak, mahogany) finished with natural veneer and other materials, the initial cost is 35-40 thousand rubles ;

European products belong to the elite category (Spain, Italy)

• the middle segment is represented mainly by products made from coniferous timber and MDF boards covered with veneer, the price is about 10 thousand per sheet;
• for budget doors , coniferous wood is most often used, finished with laminate, eco-veneer or varnish, the average cost is 1.5-4 thousand rubles .

The most popular in the interior door market are budget designs and products in the mid-price segment. Most products are produced in Russia, Belarus and China; products from Israeli and European manufacturers are less common.

Finnish doors are of high quality, but have a minimalist design

Table 1. Countries producing interior doors.

Country/Region	Product Features
Israel	Products that combine reasonable prices with reliable materials. Lack of products - limited assortment (stores stock mainly Israeli-made entrance doors)
Europe (Spain, Italy, Finland)	Products with high performance and decorative characteristics, minus – cost from 30-40 thousand rubles. Finnish-made doors belong to the middle price segment, but they usually have a minimalist design without any frills
Belarus	Inexpensive but reliable designs that are popular among Russian consumers. There are practically no disadvantages to doors manufactured in compliance with standards and technologies.
Russia	Russian interior doors are inexpensive, affordable for the average buyer, but not always durable
China	Cheap products that require a careful approach when choosing, since the reliability, strength and performance properties of many of them are lower than those of products from European and Russian manufacturers

For reference! Due to international sanctions, it is difficult to find original goods from Europe on the Russian market. Most often, joint ventures present their products, but their quality is not inferior to European ones.

Types of door leaf

Interior door leaves are selected from four types:

1. panel;
2. paneled;
3. solid glass;
4. metal-plastic.

Shield

The panel board is a smooth panel, rarely with decorative overlays, and even less often with relief (we’ll talk about exceptions below).

It is based on a frame made of wooden beams, preferably from laminated veneer lumber. The frame is covered with MDF boards, laminated fibreboard (Fiberboard) or fiberboard for painting. Empty cavities are filled either with wooden blocks or with a honeycomb structure made of fiberboard or cardboard (honeycomb filling).

interior door with a rounded doorway - an original solution in bedroom interior design

A special type of panel boards is masonite canvases, to which manufacturers give a paneled relief through crimping.

Sometimes the panels are covered with veneer or decorated with overlays that imitate panels. The panel door can be decorated with glass inserts, frames, and imitation binding, but its price increases significantly.

Panel fabric is the cheapest. Used in both swing and sliding doors. Panel interior doors are chosen when the low cost of repairs is essential, or when the interior design involves the most laconic designs.

The white color of interior doors gives the room lightness and spaciousness

Paneled

It is made of a frame and binding - horizontal, vertical, solid wood.
Thus, this structure is divided into several imposts, each of which has a wooden frame and filling. The filling – panels – are plates made of solid wood, plywood, chipboard, fiberboard, frosted or transparent glass, stained glass. The highest quality paneled doors made of solid wood are assembled not with glue, but with special tenon joints.

Quality also depends on the type of wood. Coniferous species are considered to be of the least quality. For interior doors, it is recommended to choose walnut, teak, oak and hornbeam - noble wood, which is distinguished by both durability and decorative advantages.

color combination of interior door, casing and baseboard

Paneled doors are distinguished by the richness of the binding pattern, carved frames and a variety of inserts (panels). These are expensive, but expressive doors, without which it is impossible to imagine historical and country interiors, including Provence. Moreover, for Provence and shabi-chic they use a special multi-layer painting technology - artificial aging.

Traditionally, paneled fabric is chosen for swing doors, but it can be successfully used in sliding doors, and even in folding doors (accordions), thanks to the successful combination of strength and weight.

All glass

Glass door leaf without frames and frames is made of thick tempered glass. In residential premises, transparent glass is rarely used, more often it is frosted or with a sandblasted pattern.

classic interior door with matte inserts

Visual lightness and freely penetrating light make them attractive to designers who choose them for high-tech, techno, and minimalist rooms.

Despite the fact that the strength of tempered glass is beyond doubt, it is better not to choose all-glass interior doors for a house where there are small children - how and who can predict their pranks?

Metal-plastic

This is a sheet of aluminum profile coated with plastic, glass or double glazing as filling. They are usually used for offices; they are almost never used in residential premises, except perhaps for access to the loggia. However, nothing prevents you from choosing metal-plastic interior doors for the implementation of some original design project in a modern style, where they - durable, moisture-resistant, with good sound insulation, although modest in terms of decorativeness - will come in handy.

the color of the wenge door is in harmony with the color of the furniture

Practical advice - step-by-step instructions for choosing an interior door

Step 1. To avoid problems with the operation of interior doors, you need to take measurements .

Be careful when taking measurements

Note! When purchasing doors, knock on the door leaf - a ringing sound indicates that it is hollow or filled with cellular cardboard.

Step 2. An important role in choosing doors is played by the quality of the fittings - quiet clicks of locks and smooth closing indicate reliable locks, and ringing, loud mechanisms that operate with force signal the low quality of the locking elements.

Find out how to repair the door handle of a metal door with your own hands in a special article on our portal.

Types of accessories

Step 3. You can check the reliability of the canvas as follows: put your foot in the opening and gently pull the door towards you - if the frame is bent, it is better to refuse the purchase.

A weak structure can quickly be overthrown

Step 4. Designs for bathrooms and kitchens require special attention - difficult operating conditions require increased resistance to humidity, high temperatures, and chemical attack.

Types of interior doors

Step 5. Additional finishing (glass, metal) increases the weight of the structure, which is why it requires reinforcement of the hinges and opening.

Pay attention to the hinges too

Step 6. When buying doors, you should not chase price at the expense of quality - replacing interior doors costs more than installing them.

Low quality doors are susceptible to mechanical damage and negative factors

Video - Selecting interior doors

Please note that you can also consider this option: Hidden interior doors for painting. In this article, we took a closer look at the main differences and features of the installation.

Correctly selected and installed interior doors will serve the owner uninterruptedly for a long time, complement and decorate the interior of the room. If it is too difficult to choose a suitable design on your own, it is better to seek advice from experts, otherwise serious problems may occur in the future.

Choosing a design

Having decided on the design of interior doors, you need to choose the right type of door leaf . It is this choice that to a large extent determines the design of the interior door and its role in interior design - whether it will become invisible or a rich accent, or perhaps it will enter into dissonance with the general concept, which, of course, is undesirable. When choosing interior doors, pay attention to the material and finish of the door leaf.

glass door in the interior - fashionable and modern