Build a Hidden Door Bookcase for Your Secret Stash

by Derrick James

Remember all of those old suspense movies and Scooby Doo episodes where someone would move a book on a bookshelf, or tilt the sword on a suit of armor and suddenly a hidden door would be revealed behind a bookshelf. Didn’t those just rule!?

NOW, you TOO can build your own wicked cool hidden door!

Think about it. Need a place in the house your kids can hide in case shit hits the fan? Sitting on your ex’s credit cards or piles of gold you need to stash? Want to increase the re-sale value of your home? Maybe you’re just looking for a cool project.

As near as I can tell, so long as you have moderate carpentry skills, a little time, and the right home situation, you can turn a closet into a hidden room – hidden by a highly useful, space friendly bookshelf.

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This person built a nice one that seems to blend in quite well. Apparently they don’t use it much, but the kids enjoy it.

Here are straight forward directions from WikiHow.

Wood Web has additional designs right here.

House Calls has another approach – turn the closet door into a door with shelves. It’s a more simple, less bulky approach – here.

What? You’re a rich survival ninja and you don’t feel like lifting a hammer? Can’t hold that against you. Perhaps you’re better off heading over to www.hiddenpassageway.com (an engineering company) and have something sweet custom designed for you. Their prices range between $5,000 and $25,000. They’ll even build a fireplace that reveals a hidden room with the twist of a candle – CRAZY! They do all kinds of crazy stuff actually.

That’s outta sight!

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12 comments

Rebel February 15, 2008 - 11:30 am

Ranger-Man,
I’m not pleased. Can you not ask your friends to Aim a little more to the left?
https://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article3372001.ece

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Dragon February 15, 2008 - 4:43 pm

Not fer me thanks. I’m waiting for them to market a tesseract.
But then again I probably read too much Heinlen. As I understand it putting in things wouldn’t be too much problem.
But getting things back out will take some work. I’m sure we all could figure it out though,eventually

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ryan February 15, 2008 - 4:53 pm

I think this is an interesting idea and sweet if impractical. Castles and such with enormous odd shaped rooms and multiple stories are much better candidates for hidden rooms and such then a standard 1 or 2 level home. A person with half a brain would notice an 8×8 space missing in a normal house.

However a hidden compartment that is 1 or 2 ft deep would be more realistic. An unused closet? That is enough to hide a large gun collection (the spare set?) and some assorted coins. Putting the gun safe in there is an option.

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EG 707 February 15, 2008 - 4:58 pm

Hey, I bought the new Weath, War and Whatever book you recommended through your store…. Where is my love! Just Kidding. But seriously, did it register and did you get a commission? It is a good book so far. A little heavy on WWII but with great wealth preservation ideas!

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Jennersen February 16, 2008 - 2:43 am

My lady just loves it! I agree with Ryan though that it would be noticeable if the space missing was too large. Another option, one a friend and I contemplated, was to build a gun safe into one of those areas of your home where there is empty space between the wall in a closet and the next room by several feet. Most houses have such an odd area in them if you look around, which could save on storage space and hide the safe away into the house behind a fake wall.

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Greg February 16, 2008 - 3:50 am

On the subject of the space shoot down – potential exists for this to be a ‘weapons platform’ of the glow in the dark type…if the deal goes down wrong…can you say ‘EMP’ with a vengence. If it goes down over Iran with that sort of action…may put two (2) big players out of the running (don’t be ‘rushin’ to grab that ‘china’ plate) source is suppossed to be good but who knows, and anything can happen. Think about how this deal has been talked about, just in open source documents. Strange. When was the last time you heard about anything quite like this? Greg

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Survival Gear July 22, 2008 - 5:26 am

I don’t even really care about it’s actual use. It’s just my dream to have hidden bookshelf doors, pictures with removable eyes and trap doors that lead into ponds or something.

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Angry Mike September 9, 2008 - 7:07 pm

Anyone could easily build a “built in” type cabinet or shelving unit in any room of their home with a secret opening device, revealing space behind it that could conceal firearms, supplys or even people. They do not have to be enormous, bedroom sized spaces to be effective. The smaller the better in my opinion as they are less revealing. A wall unit that slides and reveals a space in between wall studs for goods stashing is a novel idea and easy to build. No door needed.

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Megan September 17, 2008 - 7:32 am

I bought a door from “Hide A Door” in Humble, Texas. The door was great, it hid a closet in a studio in D.C.

The customer service however left much to be desired. I paid some 200+ to have it delivered. I lived on the 2nd floor of a building downtown. The door was delivered while I was away on business. I found it in a crate in the lobby of my building. I’d asked them to contact my building manager specifically, to have him let them in to my apt. and leave it there. When I contacted them, they said the delivery person that worked for the company with whom they’d contracted, had only one man there to deliver this 300 pound package..so they simply left it. I had to have my two brothers do what I’d paid 200 dollars to do. Upon complaint to Hide A Door, I was told that I’d receive at LEAST a partial refund. I called and called and called and got the run around. There are TONS of companies that sell these doors, do not buy from them. Co-owner Krystal Strong is not reputable.

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TripodXL September 22, 2010 - 1:28 am

Well, I made a hidden compartment beside my shower in the bathroom of my shop. My gun safe is in the hidden area. You would have to measure the exterior to determine that there is “another room”. Deception along with strong security and security devices can stop almost anyone.

Enjoy E

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Dave December 23, 2010 - 1:51 am

‘@Ryan
A person with half a brain would most likely be dead, if not they would be hospitalized

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family lawyers melbourne August 17, 2011 - 8:47 pm

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