It is common in older homes in New England to see French doors to a dining room off an entry way. However doors larger than 36" can be unmanageable and the panels should all be the same sise, not with small sidelights IMHO. Put in a 6 ft pair of French doors and enjoy it.

Will you be able to open the doors and have them out of the way when open?

I would do French doors.
We have a large cased opening from the foyer to our DR but the staircase opens into the area. If it did not, I would have french doors.
The door to our kitchen from the DR is a pocket door.

The dining room in our new home opens off of the foyer. It has a double set of pocket doors in this location, as well as between the DR and the LR. We LOVE being able to close off this room occasionally.

Anne

We also have double pocket doors off of our dining room and LOVE them. With nice quality doors and hardware, it's very attractive, as well as very practical.

I second alabamanicole. You can install them, close them off but important point is, when you open them, they need to get out of the way to give that open feel when you are trying to use formal DR.

Thanks ladies! I think you've given me the gentle nudge I needed to confidently say to builder (and hubby) that I won't regret "closing off the DR". Really, the only regret I think I'd have is if I don't fix it where the room can have closed doors.

Yes, the doors have space to be opened all the way. I like the idea of pocket doors, but wouldn't I need to do the same to the doors to the study (which I don't think hubby will go for)?

Tracey

Me again..... Hubby is almost convinced about the pocket doors but would like to actually see some. Do any of you have pictures of your double pocket doors you could share? I'd sure appreciate it!

Thanks.

Well, dang it all :-) If'n it's not one thing, it's another.

Oh, BUT, when you open the french doors, you still have to sort of negotiate the door to get to the light switch. Hmm.....maybe a good place for a Clapper ;-)

I think the Clapper has to be plugged in. :) But a surface-mount wireless light switch might do the trick. They make wireless ceiling fan controllers; no reason you couldn't make a switch.

But personally I'd just build the wall to accommodate the switch instead.

I had a bathroom with out-swing double doors and a light switch on the outside wall. What a pain that was. As a result, I never used the overhead lights; I just walked in and turned on the vanity lights.

This house has pocket french doors with transoms on the study and dining room which open off the foyer :)

Here is a link that might be useful: North Cliffwood House

Only eight and a half bathrooms. Cheapskates.

Ooo, loved that tour. Hubby is convinced, so many thanks! The look of that pocket door with transom is exactly what we're looking for.

When I first mentioned "pocket door", he thought back to an old cheap one he remembers from my parent's old home that led to the laundry room. He had not seen an "upscale" one before.