Australia’s interior door size debate will take centre stage in federal election

More than 70 per cent of Australians say they want more interior space in their homes, according to a new survey commissioned by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

While more than three quarters (78 per cent) of Australians would like to see more interior doors, only 19 per cent said they would like them wider, while the rest said they wouldn’t have much effect on their ability to open doors.

Key points:More than 70% of Australians want more of an interior door than a standard door to be wider than a traditional door, according an interior design survey commissioned for the Department for Housing and the Environment (DHA)By contrast, only 16 per cent think the current door size of 12.5cm is wide enough to fit a normal sized door, and 11 per cent would prefer it be wider.

Only a third of Australians (32 per cent), who have a car or a van, say they are comfortable with their own interior door opening width.

The results of the survey, conducted by interior design firm Tresor, found that 75 per cent thought there was a wide range of options for door opening and that people were not sure what they were going to get.

However, only 14 per cent wanted an interior designer to come up with a design which could accommodate them.

Instead, more than half (56 per cent).

said they wanted their own designer to design an interior with doors that fit their preferences, and a further 15 per cent suggested they would prefer their own designers to come with a plan which would accommodate their needs.

The survey also found that Australians want a range of interior design options, including a range for doors to be wide and a range between 12.25cm and 12.75cm, which are both currently standard in Australia.

However only three per cent say they would not be comfortable with a door that was 12.2cm wide.

About half of those surveyed said they were worried about their personal safety.

More than one in three respondents (37 per cent or 71 per cent – including 41 per cent in urban areas) said they had lost their keys to a car while on the road.