For connecting the indoors with the outdoors, there’s nothing better than sliding glass doors. If you’re dreaming of that elusive lifestyle with a seamless union of your beautiful garden space with the indoor part of your home, your solution could be to add some stunning, glass sliding doors.
Frames in the Crittal style and large sliding panels are competing with bi-fold doors, which seem to have had their day. But both styles have their good points: Sliding glass doors don’t allow for a completely open vista, but they do if you close them. On a comprehensive building, glass sliding doors work perfectly, giving you the ultimate view of the garden areas.
The following ten examples will give you some idea of how to decorate to make the most of your sliding glass doors and to decide if they are suitable for your indoor/outdoor lifestyle.
Urban Theatre
Preparing meals will seem like a stage production in a flawless cooking area with fantastic accessories, and sliding glass doors with triple panels. Three glass panels of the same size create a satisfying sense of order and symmetry, reflected in a peninsular unit and generous dining table.
A Carousel Of Colour
You’ll be feeling in high spirits in a space that celebrates patterns, light, and color with a wall of glass in the superb sliding doors letting in full sunlight. On cloudy days your living area will be a sunny oasis thanks to a comfy sofa and vivid splashes of color in the décor.
Sculptural Angles
A smart and Spartan zinc-clad extension can combine with sculptural sophistication. Try two sets of sliding glass doors that wind around a corner at the back and join at a ponderous pond. Big roof lights supply plenty of light without making it feel like a glass box.
A Classic Charm Offensive
Sliding glass doors can live happily in any kitchen, even a more traditional one. Add Shaker-style cabinets and chrome handles for a classic look, with a pop of contemporary tech in an understated induction stove. If you want your interior décor and outside space to be in the spotlight, sliding glass doors can do the trick.
A Study In Weightlessness
For an unobtrusive and delicate look to fit in with clean lines in the kitchen, choose light-weight frames for your sliding glass doors. And for low-key cooking space, try slab-fronted cabinets and mesmerizing marble bench-tops. Warm up the subtle greys and whites with engineered-oak herringbone flooring that will meld beautifully with other nature-inspired essentials and greenery seen through roof glazing.
Lessons From Nature
If you’re converting a building and prefer not to reflect the look of the existing construction, try an iridescent glass extension, including sliding glass doors. This allows the garden to be seen from many vantage points and will inspire a natural, calming color scheme, perhaps with mauve splashes and woody elements.
Digging In
To make sure there’s plenty of light in the interior, try setting two sets of glass sliding doors below ground level. Match travertine flooring inside with an exterior design that’s coordinated for a seamless union. Improve your green credentials with a turf roof and provide a natural patchwork for those gazing down from upper storey windows.
Dining In Or Out?
When the weather can’t decide what it wants to do, it’s so convenient to be able to dine al fresco or indoors with only a moment’s notice. Although most al fresco dining areas are designed for all seasons, you can have it both ways with sliding glass doors that open up and link the outdoors to the kitchen for great entertaining.
Crystal Clarity
If you want to alter a heritage-listed building, it can be a long hard road. But adding a glass-box extension can be an unusual but effective way to modernize. Choose glass sliding doors to allow easy access to the outdoors or a patio.
Sky High Contrast
In a minimalistic kitchen, try juxtaposing an almost clinical and cool interior with cedar cladding, which gives a warm, tactile look. A polished-concrete floor moves seamlessly to paving outside, and glass sliding doors provide perfect views of the garden from many angles.
