Bi-fold doors have become a popular choice in modern home design due to their unique blend of practicality and style. Interior Designer, Jeff Hines from Cyril Group Design, exemplifies their transformative potential through his work on an early 1900s Mediterranean-style home. Hines remodeled this historic home by incorporating custom bi-fold doors to open up the narrow kitchen.

The Vision 

Hines’ vision preserved the home’s historical integrity while enhancing its flow with modern bi-fold doors. Crafted from Accoya wood, these doors feature a striking contrast: white on the inside to match the kitchen and a custom turquoise on the outside to complement the historic fenestration. When stacked neatly to the side, the doors connect the interior with the exterior spaces.

Bi-fold doors offer a unique blend of practicality and style, making them an ideal choice for modern home design. As Jeff Hines explains, “It was a combination of thoughts, providing a solution that opened up the kitchen to the back garden and complemented the existing exterior design. We also appreciated the custom opportunities with AG Millworks.”

Enhancing Accessibility and Flow

 "I wanted to ensure the new space complemented the existing home without feeling too modern," Hines explained. "Growing up in Hawaii and Southern California, I’ve always appreciated the seamless blend of interior and exterior spaces. I also love natural light and windows or doors that extend from floor to ceiling", J.H.

When asked about the kitchen flow, architect Jeff Hines knew precisely how the bi-folds would influence traffic in the small kitchen. He explains, "I pulled the cabinets away from the exterior wall and created an island to allow for full-height windows and doors. I also like to study the view into the kitchen from various vantage points—outside, sitting at the island, and sitting in the dining room. With these views in mind, we hid most of the large appliances behind cabinet doors. I also prefer access and multiple paths into and around a kitchen, which supported the island and folding door concepts," says Jeff Hines.

Overcoming Structural Challenges

Every remodeling project comes with its own set of challenges. For Hines, the biggest challenge was the structural scope. "The existing kitchen had columns approximately 2 feet in from the exterior wall that supported the second story. Our vision required removing and relocating these columns, which involved installing new steel beams, footings, and columns. This allowed us to create a cleaner, rectangular space for the design," Hines noted.

Innovative Design Features

Bi-fold doors are known for their accordion-style bellows, which allow them to stack neatly to the side. This innovative system makes these doors both practical and stylish, especially for homes that lack the structural integrity for fully pocketed doors. As Hines described, bi-fold doors "provide a solution that opens up the kitchen to the back garden and complements the existing exterior design."

As shown in Hines' project, adding Simulated Divided Lites (SDLs) to the bi-folds helped integrate them seamlessly with the home's existing fenestration, maintaining the historical integrity of the structure while introducing modern functionality.

The inclusion of a "man door" in the bi-fold system adds another layer of convenience. This door swings on hinges, allowing for easy entry and exit without the need to open the entire bi-fold, making it ideal for day-to-day use. Additionally, a second handle towards the center of the door helps push the panel out to accordion and slide to the center, providing easier usage.

In conclusion, Hines considered other options but found that custom bi-fold doors were best suited to integrate with the home’s historical fenestration. He noted, “Having custom options made it much easier to design the folding doors that would complement the existing adjacent doors and windows and meet the historical review requirements. The folding doors at first glance appear similar to the existing doors in the dining room; not until they are opened do guests realize they are bi-folding. It makes for a nice surprise.” This project showcases how bi-fold doors can transform small rooms into expansive spaces while maintaining a home’s historical charm. Explore the benefits of bi-fold doors and discover how they can elevate your living space to new heights.

Designer:  Jeff Hines, Cyril Group Design

While your beach house is likely a relaxing space, it might not be exactly what you want quite yet. If you are ready to plan a remodel of your beach house to create your dream vacation home, there are some useful and luxurious features that you should include in your project. Read below for a full list of beach house design must-haves.

February has come at last, and though we’re still experiencing some chilly temps here in Ventura, California, we can’t help but think about the warmer days ahead. We are eager for sunny days and warmer weather so we can really enjoy the outdoors. As outdoor living continues to gain popularity this year, we noticed some design trends that will shape the outdoor lifestyle movement in 2020

We’ve officially entered a new year, and a new decade. As years go by, some home design trends shift, some evolve, and some continue to grow in popularity. The year is new, the economy is strong, and it is a perfect time to finally dive headfirst into the home remodel project you’ve been indefinitely postponing. Based on research from Architectural Digest and Houzz.com, these are some of the top design trends we can expect to see in 2020. Create your dream space and use these top home design trends as inspiration for your 2020 home improvement project.

What exactly is a California room? A California room is an indoor/outdoor living room where you can relax and entertain. It is an extension of your indoor living space to the outside and it embodies a laid-back, calming atmosphere where you can enjoy the outdoors, spend time with family, dine, and entertain guests. The California room is a growing home design trend that is becoming increasingly popular each year—according to Zillow, more than 56% of new homebuyers desire an outdoor living space. If you are investing in home upgrades to improve your lifestyle, consider creating a California room which will be a timeless addition to your space and increase your quality of life.

Maintaining an energy efficient home should be a priority to all homeowners despite legal requirements. An energy efficient home will help reduce your carbon footprint and can also save you money in the long run. When planning a new home build or remodel project, it is important to consider the energy efficiency of your new doors and windows.

If you are including a large folding glass door in your home design, you might be wondering if the door system will be energy efficient and meet new energy requirements. The good news is, choosing the right folding glass door for your space doesn’t mean you have to give up on energy efficiency—the large folding glass doors you want to use to create an indoor-outdoor living space can be energy efficient and meet California’s Title 24 requirements, all while creating a large opening to the outdoors.

Not ALL Large Folding Glass Doors are Energy Efficient

When selecting a large folding glass door for your project, you need to pay special attention to the product specifications. Be sure to only choose a folding glass door manufacturer who can guarantee a Title 24 Prescriptive Compliant door system with low energy ratings. To meet California’s Title 24 requirements for 2020, your large folding glass door will need a Solar Heat Gain Coefficient of .23 and a U-Factor of .30. Though energy ratings can be confusing, your window and door dealer will be able to answer any questions you have and help you choose an energy efficient folding glass door for your remodel project.

Benefits of an Energy Efficient Folding Glass Door

Sticking to an energy efficient folding glass door is in your best interest. If your door system has excellent energy ratings, it can keep your home cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter and save you money on cooling and heating bills. An indoor-outdoor living space created by large folding glass doors that are energy efficient can increase the value of your home as it is a highly desirable feature among homebuyers today.