5 Creative Ways to Use Patio Doors in Your Home

By definition, a patio door opens to an outdoor deck or patio. Simple as that. While this function alone is enough to justify the use of a patio door, it begs the question: what if patio doors could do more for your home? Let’s talk through five creative ways you can use patio doors to elevate the style of your home and make it next-level unique.

Placing multiple hinged patio doors, or French doors, in series along a wall is a unique way to add design interest and elegance to a space. Most people who consider adding a patio door to a room only think to add one. If your space allows for it, make a grand design statement by lining a wall with several patio doors side by side. Not only does this idea make the room look more inviting with natural light pouring in, but it also expands the boundaries of the space by opening to the outdoors. With more than one opening, the flow of a high-traffic entertaining space can feel smoother and less congested. When shopping for a new patio door, consider the benefits that a lineup of patio doors can bring to your home.

Another creative way to make your home look and function more uniquely is by incorporating a bifold patio door into your design. Bifold patio doors fold open like an accordion, stacking neatly on one side. These patio doors are rarer to encounter, meaning they are a sure way to set your house apart from others. Contributing an expansive span of glass, bifold doors extend your space by blending indoor and outdoor living. When open, exterior bifold doors create a large opening that can span the length of an entire wall.

You can also get creative by using bifold patio doors on interior walls as a partition between spaces like a dining room, living room or office. This can help with sound control without making the rooms feel confined like a glassless door might. Or scale down the size of a bifold door and use it as a pass through window. Pass through windows are commonly used on an exterior wall that faces the backyard, above a kitchen countertop or in a basement bar. This allows you to connect indoor and outdoor entertainment areas, conveniently passing food and beverages between spaces while hosting friends and family.

Sliding patio doors are a very common solution in homes. While they are beautiful and functional, there are ways you can use sliding doors to make your home look even more distinctive. For instance, using sliding doors as French doors can elevate the style of your space. Many people dream of hinged French doors but don’t have the necessary space in their home for the doors to swing open. Sliding French doors are the perfect solution, achieving the sophisticated appeal of French doors without requiring any additional space to operate. The doors slide in opposite directions from the middle, doubling the size of your opening compared to a single door and making your space more usable. You can also use multi-slide patio doors as French doors that span the length of a whole wall with multiple expansive panels.

Add a little (or big!) wow factor to your home with multi-slide patio doors that tuck away out of sight into a wall pocket. When open, this design idea gives the illusion of there being no door at all. It seamlessly blends indoor and outdoor living into one combined space, perfect for entertaining. This is a tried-and-true way to take backyard patio doors to the next level.

Last but not least, if you’re looking for a way to make your patio door seem more unique, surround it with windows to create a wall of glass. This invites more natural light into the home and makes the door itself seem bigger by increasing the glass around it. Adding windows to the sides of a patio door can make it feel wider, while placing windows above the door makes it seem taller. Either way, you gain light and elevate your home’s style with floor-to-ceiling glass. Plus, if you select operable windows with screens, you can enjoy a fresh breeze in the space without having to open the door.

The right patio door can be a game-changer for your home’s design, making the inside of your space feel larger and brighter. Add a unique statement to your home’s design by using patio doors in ways that aren’t so common.