The real build, the plans, and the cut list
This is the real outswing bookcase door in my basement: the measurements, the hinge headaches, the pull-book latch, and the custom cut-list calculator I wish I had when I started.
You are ready to emMeow (embark) on this project, so let's get that old door off and get started!
Why this door exists
My bookcase opens up into an unfinished portion of our basement. My Wife got the office and in exchange I negotiated to be able to do what I wanted with the unfinished space. So, I obviously decided to turn it into an arcade.
The latch needed a password
Because of this, I wanted the latch to incorporate the cheat code that every warm blooded 80's baby knows – the Konami Code. I programmed google to run a series of commands based on the command "Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start".
Then the room goes dark
Saying the Konami Code turns off all of the lights in the basement except the one directly in front of the bookcase. If you don't have WiFi controllable lights then I highly recommend looking at Phillips Color tunable lights. They are simple to install and much cheaper than the Philips Hue line.
See it open
The short video shows my finished door opening into the arcade. The photos slow things down so you can see the swing, the finished back, and the room behind it.
My finished outswing door opening into the basement speakeasy arcade. No render, no sample doorway.
This is the actual opening path, including the clearance the bookcase gives back when it swings away from the doorway.
Why the calculator exists
This was the first page I built for the site. After dozens of readers asked for a cut list for their own doorway, I built the calculator.
My cut list worked for my opening, but that did not make it a plan for yours. Width, height, shelf count, material thickness, and swing clearance all change the pieces.
Enter your dimensions, choose the material options, and generate a printable cut list before you buy lumber. If the tool leaves you with a question, send it to me.
Build My Custom Cut ListThe build path
Use this page for the moving bookcase. The two supporting guides finish the hidden side and the speakeasy beyond it.
Before the hardware
My door opens toward the visible room. That outswing decision affects the pivot point, trim, latch side, and where the pull book can live.
Measure width and height at several points. Check the jamb for square, the floor for level, and the header for a solid mounting path.
This project is outswing. Tape the bookcase footprint on the floor and sweep the full arc so shelves, trim, walls, and furniture do not collide.
Include the case, face frame, shelves, back, hardware, finish, books, and anything you plan to display. Then choose hardware above that finished load.
My guide uses a shallow case, 3/4-inch plywood, a 1/4-inch back, and a face frame sized around the opening. The calculator currently starts by subtracting 1 inch from the opening width and 1.5 inches from the opening height. Dry-fit and verify your real material thickness, floor, trim, and swing path before committing to lumber.
The hinge decision
A beautiful bookcase still fails as a door if the top and bottom pivots are not plumb or the hardware is chosen before the loaded weight and swing are known.
I used TamBee pivot hinges on this build and had to reverse the lower bracket because the opening sits on concrete. The plumb bob mattered more than any clever trick: the upper and lower pivot cylinders must share the same line.
That older exact hinge is not the recommendation below. The Amazon option is a current alternative to compare against your finished load, swing direction, floor, header, and clearance. Check the manufacturer's current instructions before drilling.
Read the honest build-vs-buy comparisonExact Amazon product links
These are not a generic tool wall. Each part solves a decision in this guide: the pivot, the face-frame joinery, the latch, or the pull-book shell.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
Shop list
The useful shopping split is simple: inspect plywood and straight boards in person; use exact product links only where the hardware or jig changes the build.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I have left ordinary supplies unlinked rather than turning the list into a shopping catalog.
The full build
These are the original project instructions, including the concrete-floor hinge problem, the plumb-bob alignment, and the latch that took more adjustment than I expected.
Let's get this party started! You will never look at doors the same again. Remove that old traditional door and door hardware and set it aside, it's time for a hidden bookcase door. There are plenty of people that will buy a used door on Facebook.
Virtually every step in this DIY secret door project will require careful planning and specific measurements. It's one big fun math equation. I will say this here, but it applies to all other steps – take your time and plan. You will save yourself hours of fixing later on in the project. Doors do not offer a lot of room for error and the saying "measure twice cut once" might be a little conservative for this project.
Now it's time for things to get interesting
How to make the bookcase frame
If this is your first carpentry job you may not be familiar with some of these terms, I wasn't.
A stile is a vertical piece of wood used in the frame of a cabinet. Two stiles are combined with rails to complete the frame.
It's time for the case, the bookcase. No, this part is actually just called the case. It is what we will attach the frame to (then we can call it a bookcase).
The total depth of the hidden bookcase door should not exceed 8″, this avoids the chance that the case hits the doorway when opening and closing.
We need to determine the width of the sides of the bookcase as well as the width of the shelves.
This view shows the side panel of the hidden bookcase door sandwiched between the front 3/4″ frame and the rear 1/4″ backing.
Note that the shelves run "into" the face frame. This is why the width of the shelves only need to be 7″. The shelves will be inserted and supported by dado cuts on the side panels, we will cover that in the next step.
Lay the face frame over the case before fastening anything. The shelf ends should disappear behind the frame and every edge should sit flush.
We will cut, just not all the way.
Dado Cuts are key – they add necessary reinforcement to the shelves. If you never cut a dado cut before don't worry, neither did I. they are simple enough to do but require a special dado blade. The goal of a dado cut is to notch out wood which then allows another piece of wood to slide into it. With a dado, you do not want to cut through the wood. It is critical that you measure the depth of your cut, we are cutting our dados 3/8″ deep.
If this is your first go at dados make sure to check the capacity of your table saw. We are cutting 10 total (5 on each side) 3/4″ wide dados. I bought a set that had a 3/4″ cutting capacity but my saw didn't have enough space to fit the number of blades required to cut 3/4″ dados.
If you run into this situation it's no big deal – fit the number of dado blades that you can and measure carefully. I could only fit 1/4″ dados and so my solutions was as follows:
Measure the location of the 3/4″ cuts by placing the two sides next to one another. Mark the 10 spots with a pencil and triple check that everything lines up. At this point I did a lot of piece placement. I laid the pieces out on my workbench and lined everything up best that I could to make sure that my measurements were accurate. It's well worth the time and I highly recommend it. If you mis-align the dado cuts it will be very difficult if not impossible to fix the error.
If your table saw does not have the capacity to hold 3/4″ Dados then I recommend the following:
Once you have your 3/4″ markings, cut each side of the measurement and then run the blade back and forth to chip out the middle of each.
If your table saw has the capacity to cut 3/4″ Dados then you will sweat significantly less than I did during this step. Line up your cuts and chip away.
You want the fit to be tight and if you did this correctly you likely need a mallet to hammer the shelves into the newly made slots. In my project, I had some that were tight and some that were loose. I fixed the loose ones with wood filler and glue (you will nail these in place anyway but the tighter the better).
Note, I didn't say "Secret" – we ain't there yet homey.
Dry-fit the shelves in the dados and lay the face frame over the case before adding glue. This is the last easy point to correct a proud shelf or a frame that is not square.
At the end of this step you will have made a bookcase (we will turn it into a door later), could this be the beginning of a flourishing career in carpentry? Hide your work from significant others and family or you may have a long list of holiday gifts to make!
This part is relatively easy, especially in comparison to the prior steps. It's also rewarding to see your meticulous (you were meticulous, right?) planning take shape.
In this step, we will attach the shelves to the sides of the bookcase. First, we will dry fit everything. This involves pushing the shelves into the dado cuts then laying the face frame on top of the case. You want to make sure that neither the sides nor the shelves are sticking out, if they are and it can't be corrected then you will have to sand things down to make them flush.
If everything looks good then put a bead of glue in every dado cut. Use a mallet to hammer the shelves into the dado cuts and then tack nails through the sides of the bookcase into the shelves. The cabinet should now look like a wide ladder.
With the cabinet laying flat put a bead of glue on all surface areas that point upward (where the frame will rest). This helps the frame stay in place when drilling pocket holes.
Lay the face frame on to the casing and ensure that everything lines up and is square. Once you confirm this, secure the frame with as many clamps as possible. I only had three but it did the job.
Tack a few 16 gauge nails into the face frame to hold it in place.
Now that the frame is in place we can start to drill the pocket holes through the casing into the face frame.
If you are like me and have a limited number of clamps then work down the side of the case moving the furthest clamp ahead of you. For example, in the picture above, I moved the clamp on the right to the other side of my pocket hole jig then drilled. you want the frame to be as tight as possible when drilling. Once that hole was made I moved the red clamp a bit further down the line, I repeated that process around the case.
I drilled pocket holes every 12-16″, once all the holes were drilled I went back and screwed everything together. I like putting a bit of wood glue in the hole before screwing – a little extra support never hurt anyone.
I used TamBee pivot hinges for this build. The exact older listing is not a current recommendation, but the installation problem is still the same: align the top and bottom pivot before the case gets heavy.
Top Hinge
This is a view from the back (video 2)
Bottom Hinge
This is a view from the front (video 3)
Hidden bookcase door top hinge
Hidden Bookcase Door - Hinge instructions
The magic is in the hinges. This is the point where the bookcase stops being a cabinet and becomes a moving door, so the hinge rating, pivot location, and top-to-bottom alignment matter. Choose any current alternative only after you know the swing direction, opening, mounting conditions, and finished loaded weight.
The key is to set the hinges far enough away from the side to allow for smooth opening and closing, you also will need line the top and bottom hinges up with your plum bob. To do this, I cut a piece of scrap wood to match the dimensions of the bottom of the bookcase. I then placed my bottom hinge on the ground and had the scrap wood open and close on the hinge, mimicking the path of the bookcase. Your top hinge and bottom hinge must be perfectly aligned. To do this, you get to use arguably the coolest named tool in the box, the plumb bob. This simple tool has been used since the Babylonians and I think I paid $5 for one a harbor freight.
Make sure that your door will safely open and close where your bottom hinge is. Then hang the plumb bob from the top of the door and get it where the point of the plumb of the plumb bob is pointing directly on the cylinder of the bottom hinge. Mark where this point is on the top of the door frame. This is where you want the top hinges cylinder to go.
In short, you want the top hinge cylinder to line up perfectly with the bottom hinge cylinder. Once you are absolutely certain of this, proceed to the below:
You will need to cut space in your door trim for the top hinge, the video "top hinge" above illustrates this. The hole doesn't necessary have to be clean but you do need to make sure that (1) there is enough room for the mechanism to move up and down and (2) don't cut the hole too wide, you need to be able to screw your screws onto the door trim.
To do this, I marked the outline of the part of the hinge that needed to be recessed (see the above video for reference). I used my drill and spade bit to cut a few holes in the middle of the outline and then I cleaned things up with a chisel.
Attach the other half of this bracket to the top of the bookcase. I used a few pieces of scrap wood to line the bracket up. You want the fit to be snug but leave enough room for the brackets to move.
You are going to need to poke the thinnest longest screwdriver that you have through the top of the bookcase to lower the mechanism that locks the bookcase in place. Because of this, you need to mark and drill a hole through the hinge hole that allows access to the screw on the top portion of the hinge. This goes all the way through the top of your bookcase and will allow you to poke a screwdriver through it in a later step. See the above pic for reference.
I built my bookcase door for a basement and because of this I need to deviate from the hinge instructions. To account for concrete I flipped the bottom bracket over. This allowed me to cut the notch out of the scrap wood that holds it (as opposed to the concrete). The downside of this was that I needed to balance the little ball bearing when putting the door on, by myself, 50 times, uphill both ways in the snow.
If you are not dealing with concrete then you can install the bottom bracket as the instructions dictate. In this path you would notch out enough for the bracket to sit in, then you can put the ball bearing inside the hole which is much simpler.
Important: Make sure that the ball bearing is in the hinge. Without it the door will not open/close smoothly. This is what makes mounting the hinge upside down so difficult. The door kept nudging the ball off the cylinder and I would have to start all over again. Secure the other part of the bracket to the bookcase. Like the top Hinge, I used a few pieces of scrap wood to line everything up. See the video above for reference.
At this point your bottom hinge should secure but the top of your bookcase will not be. This is when you line your top hinge pieces up and then poke your thin little screwdriver through the little hole that you made in the bookcase. Turn the screw until the cylinder from the mechanism drops down into the bottom half of the upper bracket. Use the above picture for reference.
My opening was extremely narrow and this made the screw stick out too far. To resolve this, I partially turned the screw before lining the hinge up. I then use a butter knife to force the cylinder up far enough to wedge the hinges together. I did this with the bookcase on the bottom hinge and the door open far enough to allow me to see the top hinge. I did this by myself but it would be a lot easier if you had help. It's tricky and may take some time but it isn't too hard. Just make sure to have something sturdy to stand on. At first I was using a paint bucket and I almost ate it a few times. A chair did much better, you want to be able to see the top hinge while you line things up.
Your door should now be secure and able to open and close. AWESOME.
If you door pops off the hinge when opening/closing then you have too much space between the top hinges two pieces. You either have to turn the top hinge screw more or narrow the space between the top hinges two pieces.
This is the moment of truth! Carefully lift and mount the assembled bookcase door into the prepared doorway opening, attaching the pivot hinges to the floor and header.
Position the door in the opening and use shims to get the correct spacing. Attach the bottom hinge to the floor. Use a plumb bob to align the top hinge with the bottom hinge, then attach the top hinge to the door header.
At this point your bottom hinge should be secure but the top of your bookcase will not be. This is when you line your top hinge pieces up and then poke your thin little screwdriver through the little hole that you made in the bookcase. Turn the screw until the cylinder from the mechanism drops down into the bottom half of the upper bracket.
Your door should now be secure and able to open and close. If you door pops off the hinge when opening/closing then you have too much space between the top hinges two pieces. You either have to turn the top hinge screw more or narrow the space between the top hinges two pieces.
Now that the face frame is secured to the case it's time to tack the back panel on. For this step, I put a piece of 1/4″ plywood against the casing and then I marked the outline with a pencil. This gives you nice clean lines. Attach the back panel with wood glue and finish nails.
For a more detailed guide on finishing the back of the bookcase, check out our guide on the back of the door.
Optional: I decided to use wood filler to cover up larger imperfections on the plywood. I did this obsessively starting at this step and many times after but wood filler is completely optional. If you want to do this, take a putty knife and run wood filler over and imperfections that you have.
Tip: For smaller holes, I took my finger and rubbed the filler in. This minimized the amount of material needed and reduced the sanding time.
Clean up any drips and then let the wood glue and filler dry overnight. After things dry check your bookcase for any glue runs, clean them up and sand the wood filler. Wipe the surface areas down with a lint free rag.
It's at this point that I put my first and second coat of white paint on to the hidden bookcase door. I put an additional coat on at the end of the project
Read this step in entirety before starting. There may be differences in your hidden bookcase door that force you to change your approach.
Safety correction: do not heat, stretch, or cut a latch spring to change its force. I did that on the original build years ago; today I would replace the latch or choose an adjustable, lighter-action model. Keep fingers clear of the pivot and latch, test with a helper, and preserve a reliable release path from the hidden side.
The light, the sound, and the pull-book latch all meet here. This is how I put the physical side together.
I "installed" (i.e., put a ball of) a USB-powered WiFi LED strip inside of the book. To power it, I had a spare portable charger laying around. I ran the power cable out of the back of the book and drilled a hole in the shelf so that I could run the charging wire under the shelf to hide the power bank. I then cut a few squares out of the front of the book (the part that faces the back of the bookcase, i.e., not the part you see when you look at the bookcase). It's really up to you how many and how large you drill. I kept adding holes until I got the glow that I was looking for. Because the LED strip lights are WiFi enabled I was able to have these lights turn on when I said the Konami Code. This creates a glow around the book and indicates which one you need to pull to open the secret door.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The faux-book listing is the exact set from my build; the sound module is a current replacement because my original listing disappeared.
I used this two-book hollow set with a solid outer shell. That shell mattered because it gave me enough material to hold the eyehook that connects to the wire.
To pay for this part of the bookcase door I actually decided to sell my Gold Edition Ocarina of Time N64 games. This is hands down my favorite game of all time, so to honor and incorporate it into the project I added a small push-button sound recorder.
It took some trial and error but the push button version of this device worked perfect. I recorded the hidden door sound from Zelda and then tucked the card portion of the device under the book and taped it down. The little red button sits snugly under the lip of the book and out of sight.
The original recorder listing has disappeared. If you are building this now, this current push-button sound module is the closest useful replacement I found, but it is not the exact unit hidden under my book.
It sits well enough that just a little nudge of the book will trigger the satisfying and classic sound. I couldn't be happier with the result.
Placement of the book is critical in it functioning correctly. My door opens towards me, this means that the book needs to be placed on the right side (right when facing towards the bookcase). I also wanted it on a lower shelf so that my 2 year old could pull it by standing on a stool. You could place it on one of a few shelves but refer to my pictures to see what I determined to be optimal placement. You can not install the book on the left hand side but feel free to put other non latchy books wherever you want.
The book sits on the smallest hinge that I could find. The hinge fit perfectly inside the books lip. I screwed the hinge into the book first then the shelf. Check to make sure that you get good motion before you screw it in.
Optional: I spray painted the elbow, pipe and the chain bolt copper. I really liked the way it came out. You could use copper pipe but we ain't made of money and it wasn't worth the price to me. If you want to do the same then you will want to spray paint the 90 degree elbow and chain bolt before the next step.
Wedge your 90 degree elbow into the hole, making sure that the back end (backside of the bookcase) is pointing straight up.
The latch in this build is a simple chain bolt. This National Hardware V820 is the current model to compare, but test the pull tension before you build the rest of the mechanism around it.
You made it this far, let's not get you locked out. Keep tinkering with the latch until it looks and feels right.
Questions before you cut
These answers stay close to the project I actually built. For your exact opening, use the calculator and verify the final swing before cutting.
Yes. Both names describe a functional shelving unit that also moves as a concealed door. The important decisions are the opening, swing direction, loaded weight, pivot hardware, clearance, and latch path.
My build cost about $300 in materials when I made it. That is a historical project cost, not a current universal estimate. Lumber, hardware, finish, doorway repairs, and the tools you already own can change the total substantially.
Use pivot hardware that fits your swing direction, floor, header, clearance, and finished loaded weight. Weigh or estimate the complete case, shelves, back, trim, hardware, books, and decor, then leave capacity above that total. I used TamBee pivot hinges on this build, but the exact older product is not presented as a current recommendation.
There is no honest universal number. Capacity depends on the pivot hardware, framing, face-frame rigidity, floor and header attachment, bookcase depth, and what you load onto the shelves. Calculate the finished load before selecting the hardware.
Build one if you want a doorway-specific fit, enjoy the woodworking, and can spend time testing the swing and latch. A finished Murphy Door system makes more sense when installation speed, manufacturer instructions, and a packaged product matter more than building every part yourself.
This build is an outswing door: it opens toward the visible room and away from the hidden basement space. That choice controls the pivot location, reveal gap, trim, latch side, and placement of the pull book.
A faux book pivots on a small hinge and pulls two strands of wire. The wire runs through a small 90-degree pipe elbow to a chain bolt mounted on the back of the bookcase. Pulling the book retracts the bolt. Test the mechanism with a helper and keep a reliable release path from the hidden side.
The build uses 3/4-inch plywood for the case and shelves, 1/4-inch plywood for the back, and straight solid-wood boards for the face frame and trim. Select flat material and keep the assembly square because twist and sag become much more noticeable once the case starts moving.
I completed the build across roughly 1-2 weekends, working around the usual measuring, dry fitting, hinge adjustment, latch adjustment, and finish time. Your pace will depend on the opening, tools, experience, and how much framing or trim repair is needed.
Yes. This project replaced a normal door in an existing opening. Remove the old slab and trim, inspect the jamb and header, confirm the opening is square and plumb, and make sure the top and bottom pivot mounting points are structurally sound.
Plan the reveal gaps and trim before mounting the finished case. Align molding with the surrounding wall, test the full swing before committing to trim, and avoid adding anything that rubs or catches as the door opens.
Yes. The free Bookcase Door Cut List Calculator uses your doorway dimensions, shelf count, and material choices to generate a printable cut list. Treat the result as a planning tool, then verify your actual material thickness, floor, trim, and swing path before cutting.
Your turn
Send questions or finished project photos to the address below. Reader questions are the reason the calculator exists.
