Design Solutions: Most houses built in this country during the 1930s offer a certain amount of character but their rooms tend to be quite small. It's something typical of the period.
Such was the case with the house that graphic designer Phyl Clarke bought six years ago in Dublin. The details were intact - original Art Deco fireplaces, doors, staircase - but the rooms were a little pokey. She and her husband have three children, so the only thing to do was extend the living space.
This meant creating a new kitchen and dining room side-by-side at the back of the house. The problem was how to divide the two rooms: "I like open-plan spaces but my husband likes individual rooms. We also like to entertain a lot with large numbers of people so a door - or even a pair - wasn't going to give a really open flow.
"At the same time we wanted to be able to separate the two rooms sometimes."
So Phyl designed a floor-to-ceiling panel that sits on rollers and can be closed or opened as need be. "It's made from MDF panels mounted on a wooden frame," says Phyl.
"Any wood supplier will sell MDF but the sliding mechanism was harder to find.
"We got a very streamlined one - you'd hardly notice it's there - at The Sliding Door Company in Clontarf. It's very simple for such a big door, but it works."
She adds: "It's a good idea to use a soundproof material between the MDF and the wood frame." The diningroom side of the door is painted a strong red colour so it stands out instead of blending into the wall and three grooves between the MDF panels provide a grip to slide the door open or closed. ("My family want a handle, but their designer mother says no!").
The kitchen side of the door is painted with a blackboard paint bought at Woodies ( "handy for leaving messages").
The sliding door is a great success, says Phyl. "The whole back of the house can be one big space, but if the kids have friends over, the panel can be closed and they have privacy.
During a dinner party, the panel slides across and a messy kitchen can be hidden away."
The Sliding Door Company, 25 Crescent Place, Clontarf, Dublin 3 01 8336635; Woodies, Sandyford 01 2959722.
