17 Minimal Closet Door Ideas That Won't Overwhelm Your Space

When choosing to create a minimalist home, it's ideal to extend the interior style to every room, including closets. While different closet doors work in different types of rooms, it's important to remember that not every door will work for this design style. Instead, keep things simple and in order with the following minimalist closet door ideas — like modern accordion doors and glass doors — that won't overwhelm your space.

While "simple living" was a popular concept in America by the mid-19th century, the idea of minimalism really took root in the 1960s among artists of the time. Minimal interior styles are all about effortless, polished looks that don't take up much space and have a functional aspect. Some features you'll see include essential furnishings and designs, clean lines, and uniform color palettes embodied through textures, materials, and shapes. Minimal designs will also often feature natural elements, including an emphasis on natural light and an open floor plan. With any of the doors mentioned below, remember to keep them clean and free of clutter (posters, sticky notes, clothing hanging from the door) so they properly serve their purpose. Organizers hanging on the door, however, can definitely work. 

Keep things neat in your minimalist space while getting a peek inside by installing pretty closet doors that can help inspire you to stay organized. There are many glass door options that work, including layered glass panel doors that feature wood trim, giving a nod to traditional doors. Another great glass door idea that adds texture or design to your minimal room is frosted glass. Concerned about it breaking? Opt for an acrylic closet door since it looks enough like glass.

Combine the ever-so popular bifold door with a beloved rustic style by installing bifold barn doors. You can have them custom made, or get on trend and DIY your own bifold barn doors for your closet. While there are many materials to choose from, wood is normally the top choice. With wood, you get a variety of color and stain options. Or choose composite doors for high-moisture rooms like bathrooms or kitchens. Plus, the sliding rail mechanism takes things next level, removing the standard pins and tracks that can be so frustrating with regular bifold doors.

While you probably won't incorporate many shades in your minimalistic space, a great way to get a pop of color without being overly busy is on your closet door. There are a multitude of options for adding hues, especially when it coordinates with other features or fixtures in the room. You can even go a little maximalist by playing around with brush strokes, patterns, fun shapes, or stripes. With the door as the focal point, keep the rest of the room as minimal as possible. 

Create your own room divider for a minimalist space using folding screens. This is a great tip for open concept closets when you want to hide away clutter, while also adding a decorative element. If you have a bedroom with a rack wardrobe, you can use a folding screen as a means to separate your changing space from your sleeping area. What's great about this piece is you can easily fold it and store it away when you want a more open vibe.

This door idea doesn't involve doors: A room can sometimes feel smaller with large doors, so if there is no room for a walk-in, try making an open closet instead. You'll get some breathing room, but don't forget to keep everything looking neat and organized, since it becomes a decorative element at this point as well as a functional one. On days where you didn't have time to clean and organize, grab a room divider and set it right in front.

Resembling window shutters, this door style permits ventilation, letting in fresh air while looking great as well. While you may think of shutter doors as old-fashioned, there are many sleek, contemporary options. If you already have this style and want to refresh them, here's a way to transform outdated louvered doors with a chic fabric DIY. Since these doors have a lightweight design, they are easy to incorporate in many different design styles, including minimalism. Louvered closet doors are also easy to care for; you just need to dust off the shutters.

Give plain closet doors a unique customized look with TikTok's chic DIY by making shiplap doors, adding texture and visual appealing. You can buy or make shiplap barn doors from scratch. Or for a fast DIY, add shiplap right on top of your existing closet doors. You don't even have to remove them while you work on them for this hack. Another method is to add shiplap to the interior of an open concept closet, extending your aesthetic through every part of the room.

One closet door alternative that saves space and looks trendy in a minimal home is a modern accordion door. These doors act like an attached privacy screen for a walk-in closet or wide closet in a minimal space. When you want to create an open feel, pull the door to the side, making it a very functional statement piece. Operated on hinges, modern accordion doors are durable and open quietly, making it suitable for closets in many rooms of a house.

Keep your room functional and minimalist with a space-saving closet door idea for even the smallest room: sliding closet doors. Also called bypass or wardrobe closet doors, it involves two panels that slide past each other on tracks, opening and closing each door. Since it slides, these doors don't open outwards, freeing up additional room space. However, you can generally only access half the closet at one time. There are many different sliding door options, including chalkboard panels, glass, wood, and mirrors that match various style types from farmhouse to contemporary.

One option that won't break the bank: Curtains, done right, can add texture and style to your closet space. While typically used for windows, this closet option imparts a minimalistic feel, especially when you use a neutral color. To properly conceal a cluttered closet, choose a thicker drape fabric that reaches to the floor. Alternatively, create an airy feel using sheer fabric, especially in a guest bedroom or living space. To keep the curtains functional, use custom-sized materials featuring a simple heading style like a curtain rod or sliding tracks.

Keep your space functional and not overwhelming by incorporating your closet as a built-in feature, whether on the wall or as a piece that is part of your bed frame. This is a great way to incorporate varied storage, since many of these pieces have additional drawers and open shelving. However, these interesting pieces can easily look cluttered if you do not keep your items organized or build them using low-quality or poorly fitted materials. Therefore, make sure to use the best and most durable materials for closet built-ins.

Who says a closet has to be built into the home? Make an armoire or free-standing closet that is one-of-a-kind through custom cabinetry. A wardrobe added to a small space or an open concept home is a great alternative. This piece can also be the focal point in your minimal room. While you may want to keep your armoire minimalistic, don't be afraid to add simple designs on your cabinet-style closet doors. And if you decide to build your own, here are the tools and tips you'll need to get started making custom cabinets.

Make the statement piece of your minimal room your closet door by installing high-gloss doors. High gloss is the sleek closet door design that makes small bedrooms feel bigger and more open. While a bit on the dramatic side, you can easily coordinate the door with the wall, camouflaging it and making the room feel less broken up. High-gloss paint or materials also reflect natural light, giving the room an airy feel. This type of door makes for a great welcome statement in an entryway. 

If you have color in your room, keep the vibe neat with white doors. Another popular look is to make the entire room white, including the closet doors and trim. A simple color choice with a white door helps calm your space. Meanwhile, soft whites create a feeling of clean freshness. White closet doors reflect artificial and natrial light, creating a gratifying glow. The whole concept is easy on the eyes, perfect in a minimalist space.

Blend rustic and minimalistic styles by installing or upgrading to modern French doors. These kinds of doors feature wood, vinyl, aluminum, or fiberglass frames with glass panels of varying sizes. Opening from the center of the closet, French doors work in any room of the house as well as for exterior doors. Give your French doors an updated look by adding curtains in the glass panels or paint the doors white. And remember there are downsides to French doors, including higher prices and the fact they open into a room, taking up real estate.

A minimal look that adds some flair to a modern room is mirrored closet doors. While you may be discouraged since it was a 1980s' trend, you can transform a mirrored closet into a chic, contemporary look by adding overlay panels, breaking up the old-fashioned floor-to-ceiling look. You can even use some stunning DIY hacks to give mirror closet doors a modern upgrade. These doors can act as a statement piece and a convenient spot to check yourself out.

Keep things simple with a single-panel closet door. These type of doors are usually crafted from solid wood with no panels or dividers. While many closets — especially bedroom closets — may have double doors, you can keep everything looking consistent in your home by installing interior single panel doors to your closets. For a minimalist vibe, user the same or a complementary style as the rest of your interior doors. But also feel free to dress a door up with a large hanging mirror to trick the eye and make the room look larger.