Details help make the interior memorable and give it an unusual, exclusive appearance. These include interior doors with a mirror. The use of mirrors is one of the popular design techniques, which is aimed at visually transforming the living space, adding volume and light to it. Today, a door leaf with a mirror surface can be made in any style - excellent options are offered by both domestic and foreign manufacturers of interior doors. What to look for when choosing such a door, how to properly use this or that model in the interior, the types and features of designs - today’s material.
Interior doors with mirror
Types of designs
There are two large categories of doors with a mirror: interior and entrance. In the second case, the mirror surface is installed indoors, and the outside door has a standard appearance. This design is relevant for small hallways: a full-length mirrored door leaf allows you to inspect yourself before leaving the house and at the same time visually enlarges the space.
Entrance mirror door
Interior apartments can be divided into types depending on the following factors:
- Opening method (hinged, sliding, folding).
- Frame material (metal, plywood, plastic, wood, chipboard).
- Decoration options (sandblasting graphics and engraving, presence of relief).
Barn door with mirror
Note! The mirror surface visually expands the space, but it is worth remembering that it doubles the number of reflected objects. In a small room, when using a mirrored door, it is not recommended to use massive dark-colored furniture and a large number of small details in the interior.
By opening method
You can immediately identify the three most popular groups of interior doors: swing, sliding and folding.
Table 1. Types of interior doors by opening method.
| Illustration | Description |
| Swing | The traditional swing opening method is simple and reliable. Fastening and movement of the canvas occurs using loops. In this case, the mirror can completely cover the canvas or be made in the form of decorative inserts. Depending on the style of execution, it can be used in many interior solutions, since this method of opening is universal. There are one- and two-leaf ones. The advantages include maximum sound insulation of the room and a simple, durable opening mechanism. The downside is the need for sufficient free space to open the door. |
| Sliding | The sliding opening mechanism is convenient and functional, it saves space, so it is relevant in small rooms. The movement of the leaf occurs using a guide fixed in the upper part of the doorway. In this case, the canvas can be positioned when opening along the adjacent wall - then it should be free, or, as in the photo, hide in a niche - thus, the wall on both sides can be occupied by furniture or equipment. Sliding doors are relevant for modern interior styles aimed at minimalism in design and maximum functionality of the living space. The advantages include silent opening and saving of free space. The downside is the need to maintain the guide and rollers. |
| Folding | The golden mean between hinged and sliding doors is folding doors of the “accordion” or “book” type. They are often used to decorate built-in wardrobes and dressing rooms, but as practice has shown, they are also convenient as interior doors in small premises. |
| Hanging | The principle of opening a hanging door is similar to a sliding mechanism - the leaf moves along a guide, but here the control mechanism is one of the main elements of the door decor. This design is relevant for industrial interior styles. |
| Radial | Radius doors are not so often found in standard interior solutions, but they can become a real decoration for an apartment where the partition between rooms is made rounded after redevelopment. Such designs are made to order according to individual sizes. |
Prices for popular models of sliding glazed doors
Sliding glazed doors
According to the material of manufacture
When choosing a mirrored interior door, an important criterion is the material from which the frame is made.
There are three most popular varieties: wood and wood-based materials, metal and plastic.
Steel door
A door in a metal casing is distinguished by its heavy weight, external massiveness and high cost. Often these are entrance doors. Less commonly, custom-made designs for kitchens or hallways decorated in an industrial style.
Door with metal frame
The metal frame is durable and resistant to negative influences, but it is limited in terms of decorativeness - usually it is a simple metal frame.
In the bathroom they use a moisture-resistant mirror that will easily withstand temperature changes
The greatest variety of models have wooden interior doors and structures based on natural wood (fibreboard). In this case, the frame can be completely hidden behind a mirror panel or film. When there is a need to emphasize the natural beauty of a wooden texture, the mirror plays a supporting role and is used as decorative inserts.
Double swing door
A wooden door can be used in any room: bedroom, living room, kitchen and bathroom. At the same time, its model and method of opening are selected depending on the area of the room, its configuration and design style.
Longitudinal inserts visually increase the height of the room
Small thickness and weight, as well as affordable cost, make plastic interior doors in demand. The opening can be hinged or sliding - its main feature is noiselessness.
Metal-plastic doors in the interior
PVC structures have recently appeared on the interior door market. Their advantages include the following:
- High performance.
- Resistance to deformation.
- Easy care.
- Moisture resistance.
- Mechanical resistance.
- Strength and durability.
- Wide range of colors and textures.
- Low cost.
- Possibility of production according to individual sizes.
PVC structures
The main advantage of PVC door structures over their metal and wooden counterparts is the wide range of shades and textures. The canvas can be plain or imitate the texture of any type of wood or other material.
Note! You should not choose bright, flashy colors for residential interiors, especially for a nursery or bedroom, where they will have a tiring effect. However, for a kitchen or living room, a mirrored door with a bright frame may be quite suitable. It is worth remembering that the mirror should not have additional decor. If the door frame is made in neutral black, white or gray, then the mirror can become the main decorative accent and be decorated with engraving.
The white color of the door visually lightens the interior
When choosing an interior door material, it is recommended to take into account that fire safety requirements apply to wood and plastic. The thickness of mirror inserts on PVC doors is less than on leaves made of metal or wood - this allows you to get a natural combination when combining materials.
By decoration method
There are several options for decorating the mirror surface of the door.
Hanging mirror door
The classic version looks like a simple mirror sheet without decorative details or patterns. This door is practical and versatile, as it is suitable for many interior solutions.
Tinted mirror cloth
The tinted mirror door looks original. It is also worth remembering that the mirror can have a graphic, golden, bronze or silver tint.
Gold mirror plastic
A popular way to decorate a mirror surface is engraving and sandblasting.
Sandblasting drawings on the mirror
Mirror fragments on the door leaf can be presented in any quantity: either completely covering the door or individual sections of it.
Advantages of mirror doors in the interior
The advantages of mirrored interior doors include the following:
- The ability to visually enlarge a room and make it lighter and more voluminous.
- Highly decorative mirror surface, which can completely cover the canvas or be made in the form of decorative inserts of any shape.
- The ability to make the interior memorable and original.
- Relevance for small rooms.
- Excellent performance properties and strength - a fragile, at first glance, mirror is able to withstand serious shock loads, since it is made using tempered glass technology.
- Easy care - to clean the mirror surface, just use a regular glass cleaner.
- Versatility of designs, simple installation and maintenance.
Mirrored doors visually expand the room
Among the disadvantages, they note the need to regularly clean the mirror from fingerprints and other dirt, which are very noticeable. And also the high cost of some models.
Table 2. Average cost for various models.
| Name | Description | Average cost as of March 2020, rubles |
| Onyx Prestige with mirror | To make the frame of this model of interior door, pine wood without knots or other defects was used. Veneer made from valuable wood species was used as a facing material. Solid beech wood was used to make the frame and glazing bead. The finishing is done using two-component polyurethane varnish. The mirror is safe. | 10 200 |
| Stella 2 | For the manufacture of the canvas, glued solid pine without knots was used. Exterior finish: natural veneer. The set consists of a door leaf, frame, trim and seal. | 9 600 |
| Aqua-1/2 Bianco Veralinga Reflex (eco-veneer) | Moisture-resistant model made of wood-polymer composite. Coated with anti-vandal eco-veneer, treated with protective varnish, with a safe mirror. In production, “edgeless” technology is used. | 6 900 |
| S-13 Reflex Wenge Veralinga BRAVO | Moisture-resistant model made of wood-polymer composite. Coated with anti-vandal eco-veneer, treated with protective varnish, with a safe mirror. In production, “edgeless” technology is used. | 6 600 |
| Dariano Vita-3 | To make the canvas, high-quality dried wood without knots was used. The water-repellent varnish coating reliably protects tightly from deformation and cracking. Ideal sound insulation of the structure. | 23 400 |
Prices for popular models of interior doors with mirrors
Interior doors with mirror
Design features
Each of the designs has distinctive features that affect not only the appearance, but also the operational features of the doors.
Swing structures with mirror
The design can be framed or frameless. Externally, the completely mirrored canvas looks weightless. The sash is secured using fittings and a clamping profile located at the bottom and top.
Clamping profile for glass
Silent and easy opening of the doors is ensured by hinges, which are divided into three categories. The following types are used for frame structures.
Table 3. Types of loops.
| Name | Description |
Mounted | Universal. Suitable for any frames. |
Screw-in | Using pins, the hinges are screwed into the box and into the canvas. The number of pins is selected depending on the plumb line of the web. |
Hidden | Such hinges are cut into the canvas and into the box: the movable hinge is inserted inside the metal case. |
The number of door leaves is selected based on the width of the opening. If the opening is high (above 2.1 m), then a transom is installed above the door - the upper vertical sash. Due to this, the massiveness and weight of the door leaf is reduced and its reliability is increased.
Door with transom
To make a swing mirror door, a clear, colored or matte mirror can be used.
Note! The colorless mirror comes in aluminum and silver. The former are cheaper, but have low wear resistance. The latter have moisture resistance, ideal reflection and a long service life.
Colored mirror
When choosing a swing mirror door, consider the following:
- Sound and heat insulation properties of the structure.
- Service life declared by the manufacturer.
- Wear resistance level.
- Resistance to external influences.
These indicators largely depend on the frame material, which can be metal-plastic, aluminum, wood, PVC or steel.
Note! The listed materials can be combined to give the structure optimal performance.
Sliding mechanism
When opening a sliding door leaf, only one plane is involved, which saves free space. However, in some cases it is not possible to install a sliding door. For example, if the corridor is narrow and the length of the guide is greater than its width
The design of a sliding door consists of a door frame, leaf, trim, moving mechanism, guide and fittings. If the canvas moves with the help of one - the upper guide, then this design is called suspended. If there is additionally a lower guide, then this is a “compartment” door.
Sliding door for a modern interior
The sliding mechanism consists of the following elements:
- A roller device with which the web moves along the rail.
- Stopper and limiters.
- Some designs include a cassette into which the door leaf slides.
The sliding design can be double or single-leaf.
Folding mechanism
Depending on the number of leaves (modules), the folding door operates as an “accordion” (from 3 more leaves) or as a “book”. The folding door looks original and saves space. If we compare the duration of operation, then “book” type doors are more reliable.
Accordion folding door
The control mechanism includes aluminum guides. Smooth and silent movement of the elements is ensured by plastic or steel carriages and rollers with a polymer layer. The doors are fastened together with hinges.
Disadvantages of mirror doors
The disadvantages include the following:
- High complexity of fittings installation. Especially if the insert occupies the entire surface of the canvas, it is difficult to insert a peephole or handle.
- Difficulty replacing glass. Often the door has to be disassembled almost completely and only in a workshop. That is, it will have to be removed.
- High price. High-quality glass, for example, Venetian, is very expensive.
- A large mass of the structure with a mirror inside, which places special demands on the reliability of canopies.
- Difficulty of care. Glass often has to be wiped. Any speck of dust is immediately visible.
Glass is more often used, smaller in size than metal door leaves. In this case, the peephole is mounted not in the center, but on the side. Visibility is reduced.
If the mirror is thin, it distorts the image. It is difficult to find the golden mean between mass and quality of the latter.
If the lock embedded inside the glass jams, this will cause a lot of problems with its removal - the glass may be scratched or cracked.
To the credit of manufacturers, we can say that most of these problems are solved at the production stage. Metal structures entering the apartment with mirrors inside are immediately equipped with hidden locking devices - invisible ones. The absence of a keyhole protects the mirror from scratches and chips that inevitably appear when the key is used carelessly.
Installation is carried out with some non-adherence of the sash, which provides the possibility of automatic opening/closing when the lock is locked/unlocked.
This has a negative impact on burglary resistance. Due to the fact that the sash is not pressed tightly against the block, resistance to mechanical opening is reduced.
Entrance steel doors decorated with mirrors are sometimes contraindicated from a medical point of view. This applies to people with mental disorders. Some people simply cannot stand the sight of mirrors. Feng Shui supporters are also against it. In their opinion, a mirror should be enclosed in a luxurious frame. Only then does it multiply positive energy.
What kind of mirror is used in making doors?
The mirror organically combines with any colors, materials and objects in the interior. The desired visual effect can be enhanced by using amalgam of cold or warm tone, as well as the method of decoration. The color and structure of the glass also affect the appearance of the mirror surface.
Craquelure (technique for aging a mirror surface)
When choosing a mirror, operating conditions are taken into account. If the door is installed in the bathroom, the mirror surface must be moisture resistant. For “dry” rooms, you can purchase a cheaper door with a non-moisture resistant mirror.
The mirror happens:
- Colorless (silver and aluminum). The first type has long-term operation, moisture resistance and ideal reflectivity. The second one is vulnerable to moisture and will last less.
- Colored. The bronze color has a golden warm tint, the graphite mirror is distinguished by the presence of a gray tint, and due to the use of colored glass, the mirror can be blue, red, green or any other.
- Satinov. Such a mirror does not reflect only light, but not objects.
- Matte with silk-screen printing. The design is applied to the mirror surface using natural silk (or artificial fabric) stencils.
- Matte with engraving. Thin lines of a pattern or design are applied using a special mechanical or hand tool with an abrasive.
- Matte with a pattern applied by sandblasting: the stencil is matted using compressed air with abrasive particles.
- Aged. Patterns or drawings using the crackle technique are applied to the mirror surface in the form of cracks and cobwebs, externally giving the mirror surface an aged appearance.
- Acrylov. Spraying occurs using acrylic. As a result, the impact resistance of the mirror increases, its weight decreases, and it becomes possible to use mechanical force on the product, for example, drilling holes.
- Double-sided, which is obtained by gluing two mirrors.
Matte mirror with a pattern
Features of use in the interior
A mirrored door will help transform the interior of any room, make it more spacious, and give it a complete, organic look.
Mirror door in the bedroom
Interior doors with a mirror can be used in any room. The main thing is what is reflected in them. It is worth remembering that a mirror plane located opposite a window from which direct sunlight falls on it will cause blinding glare. The light should be at an angle.
Mirrored door in the bathroom
Note! A mirrored door in a room should not create the illusion of space curvature, which will have an overwhelming effect on a person’s emotional state.
The wooden layout gives the door an original appearance
The most practical solution would be to install an interior mirrored door in the bedroom, bathroom and hallway. These rooms usually do not have a large area, but they definitely need a large mirror.
Entrance door mirror with panels
In the bedroom there is a place for a wardrobe, in the bathroom a mirror is a mandatory attribute, in the hallway you can use a mirror to evaluate your appearance before leaving the house. The practicality of placing such a door in these rooms is the ability to visually make them more spacious.
How to install a door with a mirror?
Installing a swing door with a mirror is the least hassle, which is why we recommend choosing this model for those who do not yet have experience in installation work.
The first step is to build a door frame: prepare four wooden blocks corresponding to the size of the opening and connect them together with screws. Advice. If you do not plan to install a threshold, the fourth block will be superfluous, and the two vertical ones will need to be shortened slightly to leave a gap for the flooring material.
Then insert the resulting box into the opening and secure it with screws or anchors. Make sure that there are 3 mm gaps between the two structures - after installing the box, fill them with polyurethane foam.
The next step is installing the hinges:
- overhead – fixed on top of the canvas and box with self-tapping screws;
- mortise - installed in pre-cut recesses in the box and canvas, and then secured with self-tapping screws;
- screw-in - screwed into the box and canvas using threaded pins.
A door with a mirror can be installed in any room
To make the doors as stable as possible, install the hinges at the same distance from the edges of the frame: the lower ones - at a height of 20 cm from the bottom edge, and the top ones - at a height of 20 cm from the top.
The final stage is direct installation: the canvas is inserted into the box and hung on hinges. An interior door with a mirror is a stylish, multifunctional interior detail that can instantly not only decorate, but also visually adjust any space. A solid set of advantages, a wide range of models and the possibility of do-it-yourself installation make such doors a design hit out of season - perhaps it’s time for you to opt for them?
Tips for choosing
There are several recommendations that will allow you to choose the right mirrored interior door:
- Particular attention should be paid to safety. Modern models are equipped with tempered glass. If the mirror is attached to one side, then the fixation should be reliable.
- The door design must have sound and heat insulation properties.
- Hinges should be selected depending on the weight of the structure.
- A practical solution would be to choose a door with a mirror that can be removed and replaced. Designs with geometric mirror inserts do not have this feature.
- The fittings are selected in accordance with the style of the door leaf.
Advice. Doors from trusted manufacturers have a long service life, high-quality assembly, attractive appearance and reliability.
A wide range of mirror doors, presented in specialized stores, allows you to choose a model depending on your personal preferences. In addition, there is always the possibility of making doors according to individual sketches.
Production Features
Iron doors with a mirror inside are made using the same technology as traditional models. The only difference is in the finishing of the finished metal structure, that is, in the process of attaching glass parts. There are two methods for fixing mirrors: using mounting adhesive (for small inserts) and using special fasteners.
Article on the topic: ?Comparison of manufacturers of interior doors [Choosing the best?]
When using the adhesive method of fixing small mirror elements, double-sided tape is used as an addition. This allows you to significantly increase the shock-absorbing properties of the fabric. The mirror can have any shape and size, which is what determines the variety of fixation methods. To install large mirror surfaces, you will need special frames around the perimeter, self-tapping screws, and screws.
There are three ways to finish a door - from the inside, from the outside and from both sides. The first method is more practical, the second is used only for installing inserts from the outside. In the latter case, the mirror canvas requires additional protection from mechanical stress (attacks of vandals).
In the video: how to glue a mirror on a door (an example from a master).
