Choosing Interior Doors That Actually Work: Bedroom, Bathroom & Beyond

Interior doors don't get much glory in home design conversations, but pick the wrong ones and you'll notice every time you walk through your house.

Too flimsy? They rattle and feel cheap. Wrong style? They clash with everything. Poor sound control? You'll hear every conversation through the walls.

Here's what actually matters when choosing bedroom doors, bathroom doors, and everything in between for New Zealand homes.

Interior Door Styles That Work in NZ Homes

Panel Doors

The classic. Typically 4-panel or 6-panel designs with raised or flat profiles.

Best for:

• Traditional villas and bungalows

• Character homes where modern doors would clash

• Anyone wanting a timeless look

Cost: $350–$700 for solid timber or engineered panel doors.

Flat-panel designs (sometimes called Shaker-style) work well in both modern and traditional homes - they're clean enough to suit minimal interiors but still have detail.

Flush Doors

Completely flat face with no interior door details. Modern, minimal, clean.

Best for:

• Contemporary homes

• When you want doors to disappear visually

• Spaces with bold feature walls where detailed doors would compete

Cost: $250–$600 depending on core type and finish.

These suit minimalist or Scandinavian-style interiors but can feel bland in more detailed homes.

Glass Panel Interior Doors

Inside doors with glass inserts - either full-height or partial panels.

Where they work:

• Between hallways and living areas to let light through

• Home offices where you want visual connection but sound separation

• Dark hallways that need borrowed light from adjacent rooms

Glass options:

• Clear: Maximum light but zero privacy

• Frosted or obscure: Light without visibility

• Textured: Adds interest but can date quickly

Cost: $500–$1,200 depending on glass area and door quality.

For bathrooms, use obscure glass rated for wet areas. For bedrooms, consider if you actually want the light transfer or if blackout is more important.

Bathroom Doors in NZ: What You Actually Need

Bathroom doors get humid, splashed, and used constantly. Not all interior doors handle this well.

What matters:

• Moisture resistance: Solid core with moisture-resistant coating or semi-solid with proper sealing. Hollow core will swell and warp.

• Privacy: Solid door or obscure glass. Nobody wants sound or visibility issues here.

• Ventilation: Undercut the door 15–20mm for airflow. The Building Performance website recommends adequate ventilation to prevent mould—this gap helps when the extractor fan is running.

• Hardware: Use bathroom-rated handles with indicator locks (red/green or engaged/vacant). Standard bedroom locks can jam from steam expansion.

Cost for a quality bathroom door: $450–$750 installed.

Bedroom Doors: Privacy vs Practicality

For main bedrooms, solid core makes sense—better sound blocking, better sleep quality. For kids' rooms, it depends on budget and how much wear they'll get.

Hinges matter more than you think:

Standard interior doors with hinges are fine, but if you want quiet operation, spend the extra $40 per door on soft-close hinges. They stop doors slamming (helpful with kids) and reduce wear on frames.

Standard indoor door sizes in NZ:

• 2040mm x 820mm (most common)

• 2040mm x 720mm (smaller bedrooms)

• 2040mm x 920mm (master suites)

Anything non-standard (taller ceilings, wider openings) will cost more and likely need custom ordering.

Bifold Doors NZ: Space-Saving Solutions

Bifold doors fold in half as they open, saving space where a full swing door won't fit.

Good for:

• Wardrobe doors

• Laundry cupboards

• Compact bathrooms or ensuites

The catch:

• Cheap bifold hardware fails constantly (panels jump off tracks)

• Hollow bifolds feel even flimsier than standard hollow doors

• Not ideal for heavy use

If you're going bifold, spend on decent hardware. Ball-bearing tracks and metal brackets will last; plastic runners won't.

Black bifold doors have become popular for modern wardrobes—they look sharp but show dust and fingerprints. Glass bifold doors with frosted or obscure panels work well for spaces needing light but not visibility.

Cost: $400–$900 for a pair depending on quality and finish.

For larger wardrobe openings, consider sliding or hinged doors instead—they're more reliable long-term.

Premium Bifold Doors from Phoenix

When it comes to larger openings connecting your indoor and outdoor spaces, Phoenix aluminium bifold doors offer a completely different level of performance compared to traditional interior bifolds.

Our bifold doors NZ range is engineered for smooth operation and weather resistance, with:

• Panels that glide effortlessly along bottom tracks

• Lay-back configurations that fold flat against adjoining walls

• Robust aluminium frames with double glazing for durability and energy efficiency

• A range of configurations to suit any opening size

While standard interior bifolds work for wardrobes and cupboards, Phoenix bifolds are designed for creating dramatic, unobstructed openings to your outdoor areas—perfect for entertaining spaces where you want to blur the line between inside and out.

Phoenix Folding Panel Doors Alternative

For spaces requiring flexible room division with superior performance, consider Phoenix aluminium sliding doors as an alternative to traditional wooden folding doors.

Our sliding doors offer:

• Clean lines that maximise views

• Large glass panels with slim aluminium frames for natural light

• Smooth operation even with larger, double-glazed panels

• Flush sills and easy-glide mechanisms

• Custom sizing to any width and height

• Optional cavity sliders that disappear into walls

While traditional folding panel doors can be fiddly to operate, Phoenix sliding doors provide effortless, reliable performance that stands up to daily use in New Zealand conditions.

Interior Glass Doors NZ: Bringing Light Inside

Internal glass doors NZ homeowners choose often serve a specific purpose: bringing natural light deeper into the home without sacrificing defined spaces.

Where indoor glass doors excel:

• Connecting hallways to living areas

• Home offices needing visual openness with acoustic separation

• Dark internal spaces that need borrowed light

Glass options for inside doors with glass:

• Clear glass: Maximum light transmission

• Frosted: Privacy with light

• Obscure or textured: Decorative while maintaining privacy

For larger openings where you want substantial glass area with excellent performance, Phoenix hinged and French doors provide a superior alternative to standard interior glass doors.

Our internal glass doors NZ range features:

• Smooth, flat aluminium surfaces with no grooves for a contemporary appearance

• Single panels ideal as utility or back doors

• French door configurations perfect for patio access or internal separations

• Double or triple glazing options for thermal and acoustic performance

• Multi-point locking for enhanced security

• Parliament hinges available for full 180° opening

Unlike timber-framed glass doors that can warp or require regular maintenance, Phoenix aluminium frames provide consistent performance and weather resistance ideal for New Zealand conditions.

Interior Door Hinges: Hidden But Critical

Most interior doors use butt hinges (the standard type). But there are better options:

• Soft-close hinges: Add about $40 per door but worth every cent. They slow door closure, prevent slams, and reduce frame wear.

• Concealed hinges: Hidden when the door is closed for a minimal look. More expensive and tricky to adjust, but very clean visually.

• Quantity matters: Use 3 hinges for standard doors (2040mm), 4 for anything taller. Two-hinge installations are code-compliant but sag faster.

Door Handles and Hardware

Lever handles are far easier to use than knobs—better for anyone with arthritis, full hands, or mobility issues. They also look more contemporary.

Popular finishes in NZ right now:

• Matte black (modern, shows fingerprints)

• Brushed nickel or stainless (timeless, practical)

• Aged brass (trending but can feel dated quickly)

Match hardware across the house for visual consistency. Mixing chrome in bathrooms, black in bedrooms, and brass in living areas looks confused.

Cost: $30–$120 per handle set depending on quality and finish.

Phoenix Hardware Options

All Phoenix doors can be customised with a wide range of handles and advanced locking systems for both security and style. Our hardware options are designed to complement our aluminium frames and provide reliable, long-lasting operation in New Zealand conditions.

Sound Insulation: When It Actually Matters

If you work from home, have teenagers, or value quiet, door choice affects your acoustic comfort more than you'd think.

How to improve sound control:

1. Solid core doors: These are the foundation. You won't get decent sound reduction from hollow doors no matter what else you do.

2. Proper sealing: Gaps under and around doors leak sound. Use draft excluders or seals on bedroom and office doors.

3. Acoustic-rated doors: Available but expensive ($800–$1,400). Only worth it if you're genuinely sound-sensitive or have specific needs (music rooms, home studios).

Standard solid doors with good seals will handle typical household noise fine.

For spaces requiring serious acoustic performance, Phoenix doors with double or triple glazing provide superior sound insulation compared to standard interior doors, particularly when creating home offices or separating noisy living areas.

Door Finishes: Paint, Stain, or Pre-Finished?

• Painted doors: Clean, modern, easy to touch up. Most popular in NZ. Use low-sheen or satin for durability.

• Stained timber: Shows the wood grain, suits traditional or mid-century homes. Needs re-oiling every few years.

• Pre-finished: Doors arrive painted or stained and sealed. More expensive upfront but saves painting time and mess. Plus, factory finishes are usually more durable than on-site work.

• Cost difference: Pre-finished adds $80–$150 per door but eliminates painting labour.

Phoenix Colours & Finishes

All Phoenix aluminium doors come with extensive powdercoat and anodised finish options to match your home or project. Our factory-applied finishes are durable and designed to withstand New Zealand's harsh UV and coastal conditions without the ongoing maintenance timber doors require.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Skimping on bathroom doors: Using hollow core in wet areas is asking for warping and mould issues.

• Ignoring door swing: Make sure doors don't hit each other, furniture, or light switches when opening. Sounds obvious but happens constantly.

• Mixing styles randomly: If you've got panel doors in the living area, flush doors in bedrooms look odd. Pick one style and stick with it.

• Cheap hardware: Handles and hinges that feel flimsy will annoy you daily. Spend an extra $30 per door and get something decent.

• Wrong undercuts: Doors need 10–15mm clearance for carpet, 20mm for bathrooms (airflow). Too tight and they scrape; too much and they look wrong.

Budgeting for a Whole House

For a typical 3-bedroom home replacing all interior doors:

• 6 bedrooms/living doors: $450 each = $2,700

• 2 bathroom doors: $550 each = $1,100

• 1 laundry door: $400

• Hardware (handles, hinges): $60 per door = $540

• Installation: $80 per door = $720

• Total: $5,460 for solid core doors with decent hardware

Go hollow core to save $1,500–$2,000. Go custom timber or high-spec and add $2,000–$4,000.

Working with Standard vs Custom

Standard sizes (2040mm x 820mm) are cheapest and readily available. Need something taller, wider, or unusually shaped? You're custom ordering, which adds:

• 3–6 weeks lead time

• 30–50% cost premium

• Potential for mistakes if measurements are wrong

If your home has non-standard heights (old villas, modern high-stud), measure every opening. Don't assume they're all the same.

Upgrading to Premium Performance: Phoenix Doors

While traditional timber interior doors serve their purpose for internal room separation, there's a significant performance gap between standard interior doors and Phoenix aluminium doors designed for New Zealand conditions.

When to Consider Phoenix Doors

For connecting indoor-outdoor spaces:

• Our sliding doors create seamless transitions with maximum glass area and minimal frames

• Bifold doors provide dramatic, unobstructed openings for entertaining

• French doors offer classic style with modern performance

For light-filled internal spaces:

• Aluminium-framed glass doors bring substantially more light than timber alternatives

• Slim sightlines maximise glass area

• Double or triple glazing for acoustic separation

For high-performance requirements:

• Superior weather sealing

• Enhanced security with multi-point locking

• Minimal maintenance compared to timber

• 25+ year lifespan with consistent operation

Phoenix Door Features

Every Phoenix door includes:

• Premium-grade aluminium frames engineered for smooth operation and weather resistance

• Advanced sealing systems for thermal and acoustic performance

• Customisable configurations to suit any architectural vision

• Choice of colours and finishes with extensive powdercoat and anodised options

• Double or triple glazing for improved thermal and acoustic performance

• Optional ThermalHeart+® technology for industry-leading insulation and compliance with H1 Building Code requirements

ThermalHeart+® for Maximum Efficiency

Upgrade to Residential Series ThermalHeart+® for the highest thermal performance available. This innovative polyamide barrier within the aluminium frame dramatically improves insulation, reduces condensation, and supports a healthier, more comfortable home.

Combine with AGP System® high-performance glass and optional Centrafix™ installation for an additional 20% boost in thermal performance - ideal for passive house projects or homes prioritising energy efficiency.

Final Thoughts

Interior doors are one of those things you interact with dozens of times a day. Cheap ones remind you constantly that you cheaped out. Good ones just work - and keep working for decades.

For bedrooms and main living areas, invest in solid core. For bathrooms, make sure they're moisture-resistant. And for the love of quiet mornings, get soft-close hinges.

But when you're connecting spaces where performance, light, and indoor-outdoor flow truly matter, standard interior doors have limitations. That's where Phoenix aluminium doors deliver a completely different level of quality.

If you're building new, renovating, or upgrading your home's joinery, consider where premium doors will make the biggest impact:

• Sliding doors for maximising views and deck access

• Bifold doors for creating flexible entertainment spaces

• French doors for classic style with modern reliability

• Internal glass doors for bringing natural light deeper into your home

The doors themselves are only part of the equation—installation quality matters just as much. At Phoenix Windows & Doors, our experienced installers ensure your doors hang perfectly and operate smoothly for decades, whether you're choosing traditional interior doors or upgrading to our premium aluminium range.

Ready to explore how Phoenix doors can transform your home? Our team can help you choose the right door solutions for every space, combining practical performance with the style your project deserves.