Roller doors make a comeback: new design possibilities for seamless spaces

When roller kitchen doors are mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind might be the clunky wooden doors of our grandparents’ era, which were often an undesirable feature of the kitchen space and sounded similar to a train making its way down the track when being opened or shut. 

But the latest iteration of roller doors has very little in common with its predecessors. Sage Doors’ roller doors have been redesigned and updated to reflect contemporary kitchen and laundry design, and feature a seamless aesthetic that makes them an incredibly practical and beautiful addition to any interior. 

“We have redesigned them and they’re now seamless and blend into the space,” shares Sage Doors’ Lydia Posthuma, “and they’re also a lot smoother and quieter to operate.”

The design offers a great space-saving solution in any space where easy accessibility is required. Roller Doors offer a great alternative to bi-fold doors, which swipe across the bench top and can make it difficult to access wall sockets or appliances.

“As a space-efficient alternative to a scullery space, many people are choosing to have under-bench drawers and then a wide roller door that comes down to the benchtop. This creates a space up to two metres wide for your appliances on the benchtop, and all your cooking and baking ingredients within each reach.”

This kind of set-up, whereby you can have your kettle right on the bench, for example, and roll the door up or down to access the space, is a great space-saving solution, especially in smaller kitchens. It’s becoming more and more popular with customers, who are now considering integrating roller doors into their kitchen designs. 

“When people don’t realise what roller doors are and they haven’t considered using them they think they’re very old-fashioned. But when you explain the new stuff and the finishes available, people start opening up their mind to new possibilities.”

Lydia says kitchen designers are now integrating roller doors into high-end designs, and using them in creative ways to enhance interior spaces.

One popular idea is using the roller door to create a scullery space, but without having the added necessity of a separate room. Another popular use of the roller doors is in laundries, where they can be used to conceal laundries and study nooks, so that the space always looks its best. 

Customisation of roller doors

Sage Doors’ roller doors can be made in any colour, in all standard cabinetry materials, such as melamine, lacquer,acrylic and any solid timber. 

“Normally we would recommend that they are made in the same material as the cabinetry, so that they blend in seamlessly,” says Lydia. 

For commercial applications, Sage Doors has also created an anodised aluminium option. 

“Aluminium can be really good for commercial spaces - in shops, airports and schools. A lot of commercial spaces want that seamless space-saving door.”

Sage Doors’ anodised aluminium doors have also been specified for a unique project, for a company who needed discreet doors for apple-packing machines, “we made aluminium roller doors for the machines that went all over the world, which was completely different to how you’d usually use them in a kitchen."

Installation & cost of roller doors 

Installation of roller doors is far easier than many other types of space-saving doors. Essentially, the hardware gets screwed onto the carcass sides, or the wall on either side of the opening.  

Nothing is mounted to the top of the cabinet, the spot just needs to be square and straight. The installer screws the tracks and brackets onto either side, and then the door itself clips in. Some tension is given to the roller and then the door is simply pulled down the tracks and the handle is screwed on. As everything is made-to-measure, it should be a quick process.

Each door is custom-made to measurement by Sage Doors to ensure it fits the spot perfectly. 

In addition to being practical, seamless and easy to install, they’re also very reasonably priced in comparison to pocket-door solutions, which are often used for space-saving solutions.  

“When a very large roller door is specified, people get the quote and they often ask ‘Is that all?’”

Explore roller doors by Sage Doors