Bookcase Door

We recently renovated a 100-year-old house that had a small upstairs dormer room that had been used in the past as an attic and closet. We decided to turn it into a secret bedroom hidden behind a bookcase door.

Step 1:

Parts list

Recessed Single Panel Out-swing kit http://www.secretdoorways.com/r1out.html

Book Latch Kit for Out-swing doors http://www.secretdoorways.com/options.html

Fake book (the above kit includes a fake book but I preferred the look and size of this one) https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B009MMWBEU

Miniature hinges https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ES1V7SA

Economy Bookends https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07565DXK7

Adhesive Non-Slip Grips for Quilt Templates (to keep the bookends from slipping) https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07LBMTKPP

Step 2:

Here's the room and doorway before the renovation.

Step 3:

I just used 1 x 8" common pine board to build the bookcase since it matched the rustic charm of the house. I used a router to notch the shelf supports and then used glue and Kreg pocket screws to fasten it together.

Step 4:

The kit from secretdoorways.com includes a low profile bearing block that you mount to the floor with four screws but I didn't want to damage the original floors too much in case the door didn't work out so instead I used one large wood screw, washer and steel spacer I found at the hardware store. The head of the screw is just a little wider than the inner diameter of the spacer so it holds it tight to the floor.

Step 5:

Here's a video I sent to my wife after I got the frame built and hung. It swung freely the first try with no adjustment necessary! I was really excited since it looked like it was going to work!

Step 6:

Then I glued and stapled 1/4" birch plywood to the back.

Step 7:

I added crown molding to the top of the door frame to hide the gap and also dress it up a little. The crown is stationary while the door swings underneath. I couldn't nail the crown trim piece in place permanently since it would have to be ripped off if I ever needed to access the top pivot pin to remove the door so I used screws, washers and wingnuts instead. I added washers underneath the trim piece to precisely adjust the gap between the crown and the door.

Step 8:

Fresh paint makes everything better.

Step 9:

The door latch operates by a thin steel cable connected to the fake book. When the book is tilted backward, the cable is pulled through the shelf underneath and back of the bookcase. The cable was threaded through T-nuts to keep it from sawing through the wood and getting stuck. I didn't want the book to get pulled off the shelf accidentally so I fastened it to the shelf with miniature hinges.

Step 10:

I didn't want the person inside the room to have to pull that thin steel cable to unlatch the door so I bought some 3/8" hemp rope and watched some YouTube videos to learn how to tie decorative knots and tidy the ends using sailmaker's whipping. Also as you can see in the background we repurposed the old door into a coffee table by attaching hairpin legs.

Step 11:

The door leads from a home theater so I filled the shelves with old Blu-ray discs since they are lighter than books.

Step 12:

To keep the discs from sliding off the shelf I used metal bookends and stuck thin non-slip silicone stickers underneath. The Blu-ray case on the end simply slips over the metal bookend to hide it.

Step 13:

Here's the finished product. We've really enjoyed the house so far and the bookcase door has been a great conversation piece not to mention it's hiding the best nap room ever! Thanks for looking!

Comments

[JasonE6]

That is great. I am trying to modify plans to be a right handed inside swing. Thanks for ideas!

[garfieldgurl]

Amazing work! I read in one of your replies that woodworking is not your forte but you did great! And the fact that it worked on the first try, it's even better! My husband wants to do this for our bedroom door, which is accessed from the living room.

[replayreb]

Thanks! I watched a lot of videos from Lee Spangenberg at secretdoorways.com Start with this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82P_vkNPnkk He's who I bought the hardware from and he's available to answer any questions but it is still up to you to build the door. He recommends using nice, cabinet-grade plywood but I chose plain pine boards because they are lighter than plywood and matched the rest of the old trim in my house and frankly was a little easier for me to work with than plywood since I didn't have access to a workshop during the renovation.

[snorlaxprime]

Such a cool secret room.

[JamesA41]

Awesome! The room behind the door looks almost exactly the same as my old place that had bookshelves on each side wall with the one side being a hidden door going into the attic. Even that same green color was throughout. Neat, well done! Brings back memories. Thanks for sharing!

[replayreb]

Thank you!

[DavidE341]

Very cool project! Not sure I'd want to do this for a small bedroom (and I'd probably want to finish the bedroom first just to not restrict access of building materials), but definitely for a secret reading or child's play room. The other thing that I might have done was to put a wheel on the swinging end of the door to keep the door frame from "racking" over time and dragging on the floor. Good job!

[replayreb]

Thanks! I removed the top pivot pin to remove the door while the room was being renovated. Also I read you shouldn't use a roller for an outswing door since it will eventually leave a mark giving it away. The door is not very wide and has a lot of pocket screws and glue holding it together so hopefully it won't sag.

[spinney1963]

Yes but the wheel would create a mark on the floor that would compromise the "secretness" of the door. 🤷♂️

[Wolfram-Maria]

that great! THX for sharing :-)

[Penolopy Bulnick]

Hidden doors are the best!

[replayreb]

Thanks! I've always thought they were the neatest things and was so excited when I realized I had the perfect situation for one. It was an odd-sized door opening so I couldn't cheat and buy a pre-fab unit and wood-working is not my forte but I was determined so I'm really proud of the way it turned out.

[Alex in NZ]

This looks amazing! The "tilting book" latch is of course essential, as described in Scooby Doo. The idea of populating with DVDs to cut down the weight is really good too. Well done, and thank you for sharing all your work :-)

[replayreb]

Hey, thank you so much! Stay safe!