12 DIY Hidden Bookcase Door Plans You Can Build Today

When you hear the term hidden bookcase, undoubtedly your mind drifts back to mystery writers, such as Agatha Christie or John Dickson Carr, deservedly so. However, it’s also a wise choice for several other practical reasons. Maybe you want to keep your kids from something they shouldn’t have access to, such as firearms or alcohol. You may also use it to protect valuables in a practical way.

We’ll also admit that a hidden bookcase is just fun. We love the mystic and lore about it. Fortunately, it’s easier than you may think to put one in your house. It can serve all these functional purposes without taking a massive bite out of your wallet. After all, the premise is simple. It’s just a door with hinges. The difference is where you put it and have in front of it.

The Top 12 DIY Hidden Bookcase Door Plans

1. Opening the Door DIY Plan

This plan is so clever because it makes a small space seem larger with an additional hidden room behind the bookcase. The piece covers the entrance entirely and doesn’t reveal its secret on either side of the door. That makes it a surprise in two places.

2. Folding It DIY Plan

This post shows you that you can add a bookcase for any sized project. It’s also another space saver that makes use of an ordinary door to give it a more practical purpose. We can see adding it to a kid’s room. Your child could also use it to hide dirty clothes or toys to spruce up their space in a jiffy.

3. Opening the Door DIY Plan

We like this plan because it’s something we probably can also relate to easily. If you want to hide a messy basement, just put a door in front of it! It’s an excellent solution if you have a room that you want to divide for different uses.

4. Decorative Hidden Door Bookcase

Few sites have as great of a reputation when it comes to woodworking projects as Popular Woodworking, and this hidden bookcase door highlights why. If you take your time and follow their guide, you’ll get a great-looking hidden door.

In fact, if you can pull off a similar result, nobody but you will even know it’s a door. Even better, this hidden door bookcase uses a book to open it, which adds to its classic appeal.

5. Small Hidden Door Bookcase

Not every home has space for a large hidden door bookcase, but that doesn’t mean you have to ditch the idea entirely! Even if you only have a small space in your home, this small hidden door bookcase plan from I Like to Make Stuff is perfect for you.

It’s really only a half door, but that makes it the perfect hidey-hole for kids, and it can even help bring out the inner child in all of us!

6. The Classic Hidden Door Bookcase

Do you want a hidden door bookcase that just looks like a hidden door bookcase? If so, this is the plan you’re looking for. It just has that classic appearance and feel to it, although you still don’t know for sure when you’re looking at it.

You won’t be able to see the hinges or anything, but this hidden door bookcase plan from Prep for SHTF just feels like something right out of a sci-fi film.

7. Secret Room & Hidden Door Bookcase

If you’re looking for a hidden door bookcase it’s a good idea to have a pretty cool room behind it. This hidden door bookcase plan from The Crafty Cats Man is just that. It’s not something you’ll complete quickly, but the plan is perfect for those looking to have the coolest entrance around to their man cave.

Another cool thing about this plan is that not only is there a comprehensive guide to making the front of the door look super cool, but they take the time to dive into how to make the back of the door look great as well.

8. Low Budget Hidden Door Bookcase

Part of the appeal of making the door yourself is that you don’t need to spend a ton to do it. That’s exactly what Mike Tipping thought when he built this low-budget hidden-door bookcase. But while you don’t need to spend a ton to get all the supplies, you’re still getting a great door and overall appearance.

It looks great, is extremely functional, and won’t break the bank. Now that’s what we call a win-win-win!

9. DIY Hidden Bookcase Door Hack

While the other plans on our list decided to build everything from scratch, this plan from Ikea Hackers took a different approach. These plans highlight how to turn existing furniture into a hidden bookcase door, which can take a lot of the woodworking labor out of the equation.

It’s still not a super easy project, but it’s a lot easier than building your own frame, door, and everything else that goes into it. So, if you’re looking to save yourself a bit of frustration, go ahead and check it out!

10. Arched Hidden Door Bookcase

Not every hidden door bookcase needs to have a “traditional” door frame shape. This arched hidden door bookcase is a bit more complicated to make, but the unique appearance helps hide the fact that it’s a bookcase and sets it over the top.

Unless you take the time to really look at the bookcase, you won’t even realize what it is, and isn’t that the whole point? Overall, it looks great and you can paint or stain it any way you’d like to match the rest of the décor in your home!

11. Bookshelf in a Door

If you don’t have the space for many of these plans, you can simply turn any door in your home into a shelf. This plan is a convenient way to save some space while still getting plenty of storage!

12. Bookshelf Doors Over Closet

Yet another fantastic plan to follow, this is the perfect solution for hiding some of your unsightly closets in the house, like a utility closet. What better way to display your books while keeping other unsightly things hidden from your guests?

Final Thoughts

Hidden bookcase doors are an interesting addition to any house. It adds a bit of mystery and perhaps security in some situations. Luckily, it’s something you can easily add to your floor plan without too much effort or money. It’s a clever way to make access to someplace in your home something unexpected. We think it is priceless.

Featured Image Credit: Stefan Steinbauer, Unsplash