Unique Home Design Ideas: The Bookcase Door

*Originally published on 6/4/12



Often times in fiction, you'll see homes that feature hidden passageways that are masked by a seemingly innocuous bookcase. Maybe it's a scientist who uses it to keep their work discreet or maybe it's a superhero that uses it as a hidden doorway to their base of operations. Heck, maybe it's just a rich person who liked the idea. In any event, the idea of having a hidden bookcase door is not an unfamiliar one.

However, it may come as a surprise to hear that many people actually are converting doors into bookcases, or is it the other way around? You know what I mean.

While it's not as common an addition to a house as say, a swimming pool or Jacuzzi, some people have taken the liberty of building their own secret doorway that hides under the guise of a bookshelf. I, for one, love this idea and hope to incorporate it into my own home sometime down the line.

Unlike the movies, where the door is triggered by sliding a book out and then sliding it back in, most bookcase doors have a button or lever nearby that allows the person to open the door.

While most fictional representations of bookcase doors have said door lead to some hallway or larger room, most real world bookcase doors usually lead to a garage or some other storage area. In some cases, the elaborate addition acts as nothing more than a glorified closet door. Never the less, the effect is still undoubtedly cool. There's just something about sliding a bookcase aside to reveal an unseen room that makes it appealing, a je ne sais quois if you will.

Having built in shelves is one of the major perks of owning a home. Not only are they a great space saver but they have a certain visual appeal as well. Adding in the idea of a secret compartment only makes it that much cooler.

In some instances, bookcase doors can stand on their own, but depending on how big your book collection is, you can "hide" the door in between other bookcases that are made to look like the one rigged to act as a door. While this means that you need to make a point to remember which bookshelf is the door, it does add to the "secret" nature of the bookcase door and it makes it all the more impressive to visitors if you do decide to show off the feature.

If you are looking for a way to make your home stand out, a bookcase door could be the ticket. It has an undeniable visual appeal and it is something that you don't see too often when house hunting.