How Do I Build a Hidden Doorway?

Determine where you want your hidden doorway to be located and think about where it should lead. It's fairly simple to hide an existing door, but you can also construct a new doorway to hide.

Think about whether the placement of the room behind your hidden doorway would raise questions. For example, hiding the doorway into the largest room in your house will look fairly obvious to an onlooker, since the shape of the house would betray the existence of the room, but a hidden doorway into a small closet or attic will most likely not be noticed.

Construct the new doorway and room if you are not planning to use an existing door and room for your hidden doorway. If you have an attic or an empty space in your house that's not being used for something, such as space under a stairway, this is likely the best location for your hidden doorway.

Remove the frame that outlines the doorway and replace the doorknob with a flat model so there is nothing about the door that sticks out from the wall. You want your doorway to be as close to the depth of the wall as possible. One option is to remove the door entirely and simply have an open rectangular space leading into the hidden room.

Place a bookshelf or other large piece of furniture in front of the door. This is the simplest method of hiding a doorway to a room you will want to occasionally enter. A typical bookshelf or other such item may get the job done, but you can also consult a company that specializes in making furniture to cover doorways.

Wallpaper over the doorway if the secret room is one that you don't plan to enter often, such as if you wish to hide valuable heirlooms from guests that enter your home. This is the best way to make the doorway nearly invisible.