Separate niche with folding doors - closet space

Hello,

now I am really stuck on a topic in our new build (move-in Sept. 2024) and need some input. I’ll start with a bit of background…
We have a niche on the ground floor that is to be used as a storage room for beverage crates, vacuum cleaner, sports bags, and more. Since we lived in the USA for over 5 years, we are absolutely convinced of the purpose of a [Closet Space], and when we still had this niche left during planning, it was immediately clear to us that we also wanted a [Closet Space].

The niche (135 cm wide and about 110 cm deep) is currently just an empty spot in the hallway.

When I was looking for such a door system during the construction phase (timber frame construction), it suddenly became clear to me that this is an absolutely uncommon system here in Germany.
I found a German provider who offers such folding doors (two- or three-part element/panels) and was in contact with several carpentry companies that distribute the system, but the system cost about 3000 €. Therefore, the project was initially put on hold. Moreover, one of the carpenters said that the doors would at least have to be fixed to the floor once, which would require drilling a fastener into the floor (tiles) (about 6 cm long screws). We have underfloor heating, so that also made us uneasy.

Now this corner is already annoying us, and I would like to know if anyone in the forum has ever dared to take on such a project with folding doors (not the plastic ones that open like an accordion). Currently, we have the following idea:
Build a frame with wood (transom/window above/wanted by my husband) and hang suspended hanging doors on this construction (woodworking experience available, my husband built 2 wooden platforms for the children aged 10 and 16 up to the visible roof truss!)
Where the stable beams of the wooden structure lie, we can find out quite well by knocking in order to attach the construction there. However, we would lose about 20 cm in depth. Where there are no beams, there are only simply clad drywall walls.

Who has already implemented something like this and with which “hanging system”? There are several providers on [eBay], but I would prefer to rely on experience.

P.S. we do not want a sliding door system to keep the opening as large as possible...
P.P.S. of course, the whole thing should be well under 3000 €

I am curious if someone has found a good solution for themselves here and would like to tell about it ;-)

Best regards
Gaby

Since the corner does not need to be soundproof, I have had good experience with partitioning using so-called vertical louver systems. These come in solid fabric or aluminum and allow a wide access area and only need to be mounted on the ceiling.

P.S. we don't want a sliding door system in order to keep the opening as wide as possible...

Unfortunately, I cannot contribute any experience regarding building folding doors myself. We have a sliding door that opens the full opening. It is guided on a rail on the wall above the door frame and can be completely pushed aside next to the opening. Building it yourself is mechanically not rocket science. You can even build something quite simply with piano hinges. That is definitely more solid than what the standard houses in the USA have (I lived in New Mexico and also had folding doors in front of the walk-in closet). You can also ask established furniture manufacturers if you can buy a system you like as a spare part.

Unfortunately, I cannot contribute any experience with building folding doors myself. We have a sliding door that opens the full opening. It is guided on a track on the wall above the door frame and can be completely slid next to the opening.

Building it yourself is mechanically not rocket science. You can even build something quite simply with piano hinges. That is certainly more solid than what standard houses in the USA have (I lived in New Mexico and also had folding doors in front of the walk-in closet).

…..

The sliding door, as you suggest it, will go into the pantry. Another to-do on my list. But we want at least a 1 m passage. Unfortunately, that does not fit with the 1.35 m width of the niche.

Building yourself with piano hinges and folding door mechanics really is not a big deal, I suppose.

Closet Space

Here in Germany, it is simply called a storage room.. (or also built-in wardrobe)

that this is an absolutely uncommon system here in Germany.

.. and it is planned accordingly: non-load-bearing wall with a room door. I think the problem lies in the variety of doors and options one could have, but you have a clear idea.

DIY with piano hinges and the folding door mechanism really isn’t a big deal, I suppose

I once built doors myself in “barn door style”. 20 years ago, that fit well into the modern country house style or as an eye-catcher. That was doable for me as a woman and with appropriate woods on the left and right, not an elaborate task. However, it is not quite clear to me what exact ideas you have in mind. One can build a frame for furniture doors and place glass in the upper 50cm as desired. Or one deals with components from cabinet systems (e.g. Pax, Ikea) and uses these, either installing the corpus without back panel or just the doors. Somehow, many things are possible.