HGTV’s Inside-Out Features the MFU1200 Flush Sliding Door System
Posted On Sep 26th 2023
Posted On Sep 26th 2023
HGTV’s Inside-Out Features the MFU1200 Flush Sliding Door System
“Your hardware is amazing. It’s so nice, so smooth. It’s intuitive.”
— Robyn Holloway
Special Projects Coordinator for HGTV's Inside Out
Our MonoFlat Unison MFU1200 Flush Sliding Door System has garnered a lot of praise among architects, project managers, contractors, and other builders for its sleek performance that hits many different use-case sweet spots that other flush sliding doors do not.
Now, the list of admirers has grown to include Robyn Holloway, owner of The Handy Man and a Special Projects Coordinator for HGTV’s Inside-Out.
Robyn recently did a build that involved a dining room with two secret doors at one end. When we heard about it, we did an HGTV Inside-Out product feature and interview with Robyn. You can see it here:
Now let’s take a closer look at Robyn’s build and see what the MFU1200 is capable of delivering today in the Today in the Sugatsune Blog.
The Build: Dining Room Secret Doors
Robyn’s build for HGTV’s Inside-Out involved a dining room. He wanted to have two secret doors off one end of the dining room: One of the doors would open onto an entertainment system bay with a turntable and records, while the other would open onto a small wet bar. Because the room was limited in size and the plan was for the dining table to come quite close to the wall, there wouldn’t be room for traditional swinging doors. And Robyn didn’t want a lateral sliding door with a visually intrusive appearance disrupting the clean look of the wall.Basically, he was looking for a flush sliding door. In our HGTV Inside-Out product feature and interview with him, Robyn told us he had several requirements that needed to be met:
- The doors needed to be compact.
- They needed to be hidden.
- There couldn’t be any tracks on the floor that people might trip over.
- They needed to be adjustable in all three dimensions in order to get the perfect fit.
After looking at some products from other companies that didn’t meet his needs, Robyn and his team found the MonoFlat Unison MFU1200 Flush Sliding Door System.
“The MFU1200 totally fit the bill for what we were looking to do here.”
— Robyn Holloway
Special Projects Coordinator for HGTV's Inside Out
About the MFU1200 Flush Sliding Door System
Flush with the Wall—Perfect for Hidden Doors
When closed, doors mounted to the MFU1200 are perfectly flush with the surrounding wall, presenting an inconspicuous seam.
(This seam can be minimized further through the use of wall decorations and patterns if desired. Robyn did this with his mural wall painting in his build for HGTV’s Inside-Out.)
It works by using tracks that curve at the end: When opened, doors first recess back a bit along the curving part of the track, then slide straightly to the left or right into a pocket in the wall like any Sugatsune sliding door system.
No Floor Tracks Required
In our HGTV Inside-Out product feature and interview with him, Robyn mentioned that he was worried about people tripping over the floor tracks. While well-designed floor tracks are extremely unlikely to pose a tripping hazard, they definitely can distract from a clean look. The absence of floor tracks, conversely, can help closets and other spaces feel like a more natural extension of the main room.
Many sliding door systems use guide tracks on the floor. The MFU1200, however, is purely ceiling-mounted. Robyn had mentioned that this was a key consideration for his project for HGTV’s Inside-Out, and it is a popular selling point for many of our other customers too.
Two-Way Soft-Close
As Robyn mentioned in his HGTV Inside-Out product feature and interview with us, doors mounted to the MFU1200 slide smoothly and silently in both directions and have a two-way soft-close damper so that they never slam when being opened or closed. This is both user-friendly and an important safety precaution.
- Opening: When opening a door, all you have to do is push the door gently, and it will begin to recess and open on its own. Then you can guide it gently along its track, and it will handle the finishing movements itself to dock the door in the open position.
- Closing: When closing the door, you need only pull it softly to get it started, then glide it along the track the other way. It will once again handle the finishing movements itself, closing the door perfectly.
This movement is incredibly precise and clean—perfect for HGTV’s Inside-Out project. This precision comes from the hardware itself, not the user. Consequently, this design is user-friendly and accessible, even for many people with limited mobility and motor control.
A Great Space-Saver
In addition to the aesthetic appeal of hidden doors, this design is a good solution for tight spaces or narrow hallways where you don’t have room for a typical swinging door—which is exactly the situation Robyn found himself in with his dining room project for HGTV’s Inside-Out.
Able to Accommodate Large & Heavy Doors
The MFU1200 supports doors weighing up to 154 lbs (70 kg). It can also support large or irregular door dimensions, with a maximum door width of 47–1/4” (1200 mm) and maximum door height max. of 106–5/16” (2700 mm).
Find the Perfect Hardware for Your Project at Sugatsune America
At Sugatsune, our engineers have developed a catalog of over 6,000 hardware components built for performance, durability, and clean aesthetic appeal. From our door systems to our hinges to our brackets and many other categories, we have hardware that will add value to your project.
We are fans of HGTV’s Inside-Out and enjoyed meeting Robyn Holloway. We were privileged to get to hold an HGTV Inside-Out product feature and interview with him.
We also look forward to serving you. Contact us to discuss your upcoming project and what we can do to help you realize its full potential.
