The dining room is often the room people feel most torn about. Knock it through to the kitchen or living room and you get space and light. Keep it separate and you get a quieter place to eat, work or host, away from the washing up and the television.
A pocket door lets you have both. With the door slid away inside the wall, the opening feels as generous as a knock-through. Pull it across and you’ve got a proper room again. This guide explains how to plan pocket doors for dining rooms, and the details that make them work day to day.
Why a pocket door suits a dining room
Dining rooms tend to be full of furniture. A table, chairs, a sideboard and sometimes a dresser all compete for the walls and floor. A hinged door needs a clear arc to swing through, and that space is often right where a chair or cabinet wants to go.
A pocket door slides into the wall instead, so:
- No swing space is lost, which helps in smaller dining rooms or where the table sits close to the door.
- The opening can stay fully open without a door standing out into the room.
- You can change the layout quickly, opening up for a family meal or closing off for a dinner party or a home working day.
Single or double pocket doors?
Single pocket door
A single pocket door suits a standard doorway between a dining room and a hallway. It’s the simplest option and needs the least wall.
Double pocket doors
Double pocket doors are popular between a dining room and a kitchen or living room. Each leaf slides into its own pocket, one on each side of the opening, giving a wide opening that still closes off fully. It’s the modern take on the period double doors you often see between front and back reception rooms.
Our 70mm and 90mm pocket door kits can be used for double doors by ordering two single kits, as joining brackets are included in each one. Our guide to single vs double pocket doors goes through the pros and cons in more detail.
Check the wall before you commit
The pocket has to go somewhere, and that’s usually what decides whether the plan works.
Clear wall length
The pocket needs a stretch of wall roughly as long as the door is wide. For double doors, you need that clear length on both sides of the opening. Within that length there can’t be sockets, switches, light switches, pipes or radiators, because the door slides into the space where they’d sit.
In dining rooms the most common clash is a radiator or a run of sockets on the wall beside the opening. Moving them is possible, but it’s best to plan it from the start.
Wall type
Pocket door kits are designed to be built into stud walls and then boarded. If the wall between your dining room and kitchen is masonry, it’s still possible, but it’s a bigger job. Our guides on fitting a pocket door in a stud wall and a pocket door in a brick wall explain both routes.
If the wall is load-bearing, get advice from a structural engineer or builder before making any changes, and check whether Building Regulations approval is needed.
Finished wall thickness
Kits are built for a particular finished wall thickness. Measure yours, or decide what you’re building, and choose a kit to match. Our wall thickness guide has the details.
Choosing the door
Glazed doors to share the light
Dining rooms in the middle of a house can be dark. A glazed pocket door lets light pass through even when it’s closed, which can make a big difference between a sunny kitchen and an inward-facing dining room. Glass adds weight, so check the door against the kit’s limit. Our glass pocket doors guide covers the options.
Solid doors for a calmer room
If you want the dining room to feel like a separate space, a solid door gives more privacy and helps with noise from the kitchen. A pocket door won’t seal as tightly as a hinged door, so it won’t block sound completely. Our pocket door soundproofing guide explains what helps.
Matching the style of the house
In a period home, a panelled door painted to match the joinery keeps the character of the room. In a modern extension, a flush door or a slim glazed design suits better. Our guide to pocket doors for period homes has ideas for older properties.
Whatever you choose, make sure the door size, thickness and weight are within the limits of your kit. Our guide to choosing a door for a pocket door kit covers what to check.
Handles, soft close and everyday use
Because a pocket door slides into the wall, it needs flush handles that sit level with the door face, plus an edge pull so you can draw it out of the pocket. Our guide to pocket door handles explains the styles.
A soft-close mechanism is worth considering in a dining room, especially with double doors or if children use the room. It slows the door at the end of its travel so it doesn’t bang into the frame. Our soft-close pocket doors guide explains how they work.
You’ll find flush pulls, edge pulls and soft-close kits on our pocket door hardware page.
Dining room layout tips
- Keep the pocket wall clear of fixed furniture. You can’t screw shelves, pictures or a TV into the wall over the pocket, because fixings could hit the door. Freestanding furniture is fine.
- Think about where the table sits. If you’ll leave the doors open most of the time, centre the table on the wider space it creates.
- Light switches go beside the pocket, not over it. Plan the switch position on the other side of the opening, or further along the wall.
- Check the floor. A pocket door needs a flat, level floor across the opening. If you’re changing flooring between rooms, plan the threshold so the door clears it.
When a pocket door isn’t the right answer
A pocket door isn’t always the best fit. If there’s no clear wall beside the opening, or the wall is full of services, a sliding door on the face of the wall, a bifold or a standard hinged door may be simpler. Our comparisons of pocket doors vs hinged doors and pocket doors vs bifold doors can help you decide.
Frequently asked questions
Can I put a pocket door between my kitchen and dining room?
Yes, this is one of the most common places for one. A single or double pocket door lets you open the rooms up or close them off. Check that there’s enough clear wall beside the opening and that the wall isn’t load-bearing before you commit.
Are double pocket doors a good idea for a dining room?
They work well where you want a wide opening between two rooms. You need clear wall on both sides of the opening, one pocket for each door.
Will a pocket door stop cooking smells and noise?
It will help, but it won’t seal as tightly as a hinged door. A solid door and good fitting make the most difference.
Can I hang pictures on the wall over a pocket door?
Avoid fixing anything into the wall over the pocket, as screws or nails could damage the door. Hang pictures on other walls or use freestanding furniture instead.
Should I choose a glazed pocket door for a dining room?
If the dining room is darker than the room next to it, a glazed door is a good way to borrow light. Check the door’s weight against your kit’s limit.
Plan your dining room pocket door
A well-planned pocket door can make a dining room far more flexible, without a full knock-through. Browse our pocket door kits to find the right kit for your wall, or get in touch if you’d like help planning the opening.
