When you think of concealed doors the first thing that comes to mind is probably those rooms hidden behind a bookcase in old mystery novels or maybe in an episode of Scooby Doo. But these clever features aren’t just reserved for fiction, you can have your very own concealed door in your home to fill your space with a sense of fun and intrigue.
It’s not all creaky swinging bookcases however, concealed doors have diversified and now you can find a style that fits your home no matter what your aesthetic tastes are. Whether you want your doors to blend into the walls to keep your space as minimal as possible or if you want to utilize a whole wall for a statement piece of décor, concealed doors give you the freedom to do it.
35 Secret Concealed Doors to Keep Your Guests Guessing
The illusion is helped along with a few special additions that make them look as seamless of possible. Sometimes all you need is simple paint or classic wall mouldings to hide a door in their midst but if you want to go a little more modern and high tech then frameless doors and pressure catches are right up your street.
Frameless doors have a ‘hidden’ aluminium frame and hinges that fit into the wall itself and make the door sit perfectly flush with the wall without the bulky frame surrounding it. Pressure catches are opening systems that are activated by pushing the door itself and it pops open as if by magic. This means that you can go handle free, making your concealed door even more difficult to perceive.
So if you’re curious about all of the possibilities of this innovative door style here are:
1. Secret Bookcase Door
Like something out of a classic Sherlock Holmes story this home has used the classic bookshelf that swings open to reveal the dining room behind. This great novelty piece is accompanied by horizontal wood paneled walls that helps it look more convincing, which is further emphasized with the carefully filled shelves along with the strategically placed house plant. This is a prime example of how to have fun with your interior design without looking kitsch or tacky.
2. Concealed Wall Panel Cupboard
This art deco inspired contemporary interior has retained the original moulded wall panels in a trendy navy blue and used them to conceal a cupboard door amongst the paneling. The storage cupboard, though essential, would spoil the carefully designed space that oozes with sophistication so it has been built into the colourful feature feature wall. The bright colour and the repeated rectangular patterns effectively tricks the eye into looking past the subtle little handle and lets the door fade away out of sight.
3. Lightweight Swinging Dry Walling
In a completely different style this door is made up of an entire slim wall panel that swings open on a top hung hinge to reveal the living room beyond it. Many different techniques have been deployed here to make the huge door hide in plain sight. Firstly it takes advantage of the recessed niches in the rest of the house and mimics them down to the colour of the paint. The secondary elements that make it look really convincing are the skirting board that runs along the bottom of the door on both sides and the artwork hung on each side of it.
4. Hidden in the Mouldings
Like example two this luxurious vintage room has used classic wall mouldings and one statement colour to hide the en suite bathroom door. The glamorous room is rendered entirely in a soft pastel blue from the walls to the soft furnishings, which the door secrets itself away in, given away only by the tiny door handle. The resulting look is super curated and whimsical without the interruption of a blatantly visible door.
5. Tricking the Eye with Geometry
Sandwiched between the wooden paneling of the ceiling and flooring this futuristic room has used a clever combination of finishes and geometry to hide the frameless door. The simple white door is hidden within a geometric styled wall that tricks your eye into missing it using a series of eclectic polygonal wall panels that incorporate lighting and mirrors to really sell it to you. The look is modern and appealing and takes achieves its goals through three dimensional optical illusions.
6. Magically Stacking Bookshelves
This double sided stacking door is the modern version of the spooky swinging bookshelf from the first example. Two timber bookshelves sit side my side, sneakily concealing runners at both top and bottom that allows them to slide away and stack back to back to create a two sided book shelf that reveals a secret office behind it. This twist on a classic is a really fun feature in a largely minimal room.
7. Simply Concealed by Paint
Paint is a cheap and easy way to create a cool concealed door with a budget that you can do yourself. The bright colour has been painted over a simple frameless door and fitted with a very small handle and keyhole to keep it subtle. The slight texture to the paint style is another element that helps make the seam of the door blend away just a little bit more. One your paint job is done you can enhance the illusion through the careful placement of your furniture and décor around it.
8. Graphic Marbled Wall Tiles
When it comes to hiding imperfections, or in this case a whole door, graphic patterns are your friend. This entire bathroom wall and shelf unit has been faced in huge marble effect tiles cut in irregular rectangles that cover the door that keeps the toilet separate from the rest of the room. The large scale pattern work and monochromatic colour scheme makes you look straight past it the door unless you look really closely and spot the little black handle.
9. Contemporary Vibrant Blue
In another clever use of paint and bright colour this contemporary interior has painted one feature wall a bright blue, which contrasts against the textured wooden floorboards and the yellow crocheted rug. The slim frameless door with its simple handle fits in cleanly against the vibrant surface, which becomes even more visible when the light hits it and harder to see when its cast in shadow.
10. Hidden Among Wooden Panels
Wooden wall paneling is also a really smart way to conceal a door using the texture and directional paneling makes to hide it almost entirely. This frameless door uses a pressure catch, which makes the door impossible to see among the dark wood. The secret door in this modern office could access a private bathroom or even a boardroom for easy traveling between the two. The dark wood paneling contrasts strongly against the minimal white office which makes the mystery door even less perceptible.
11. Pair of Nature Inspired Concealed Doors
This pair of frameless doors against the dark beige wall is an example of how concealed doors allow you to paint a full wall mural without pesky doors getting in the way. The white oversized ears of wheat grow from the bottom of the wall and runs that runs over the joins of the door to add another layer of concealment while looking beautiful at the same time. The doors have been fitted with thin stainless steel handles that are as inconspicuous as possible.
12. Wooden Wall Paneling with a Secret
In another iteration of using wood paneled to conceal a door this feature wall is made up of wall panels of different sizes, one of which is a bathroom door. Each panel has a thin gap that runs between the panels that obscures the doorframe completely. The door uses a satisfying pressure catch to finish off the illusion. The resultant look is a very sleek and modern design that reads as merely a wood paneled feature wall.
13. Seamless Minimal Wall Paper
If you favour a very minimal style with plain, unadorned walls then this style of concealed door is for you. This double volume wall has been covered in interesting soft touch wallpaper with a pair of frameless doors rendered in the same material so the beige monolith can rise uninterrupted. The doors are fitted with sleek thin handles that fit in with the minimal style of the rest of the room without being too obtrusive.
14. Behind the Graphic Wall Paper
This beautiful little lounge is a great example of how to use graphic wallpaper to help you trick the eye. The black and white design is a really busy pattern with multiple portraits in white circles that keep your eye moving across the surface and completely overlooks the join of the frameless door. Transparent door handles and large white skirting board running along the bottom of the door further helps to blend it in with the wall. The well concealed door hides a large walk in wardrobe to get maximum use out of the small room.
15. Colourful Cupboard Under the Stairs
A dramatic feature of this modern house is the defined white staircase with a climbing stepped base and tall white walls. Underneath, to emphasize the shape, are stained green wood paneling that fit perfectly underneath to contrast against the chunky white staircase. However there is more to the paneling that meets the eye, with a gentle push a pressure catch gives way to reveal a series of cupboards that help to adds colour to the room while keeping the minimalistic space tidy.
16. Retro Textured Brown Wallpaper
This lounge is a bold retro inspired brown and white look with pale floors, a white clock, white skirting boards and glossy white vase. The walls are covered in unusual brown textured wallpaper that runs over the frameless door too to obscure it from view. The thing white skirting board also runs along the door itself to make it stand out even less. This whole room design subverts the usual white walls and door with dark flooring that is expected and it makes the door even more inconspicuous.
17. Keeping it Simple with Frameless Doors
This design keeps its really simple in a minimalistic apartment and simply uses some frameless doors with slim silver handles. While they are not completely concealed they match the smooth wall finish so it can flow uninterrupted down the hallway. The bare white expanse is pulled into the rest of the room through the white accents dotted throughout the lounge.
18. En Suite Hiding Behind Square Wood Paneling
This bedroom has created one dramatic feature wall using square wooden panels with recesses between them. The design has a lot of texture and variation in colour, which makes it easy to conceal the door among the panels. A pressure press of just the right spot releases a pressure catch that opens the door to reveal the glamorous bathroom beyond. The concealment is really convincing and effective using one simple material.
19. Hiding in Plain Sight
Sitting inside a hyper designed, contemporary living room the white door stands out while concealing itself at the same time. The door is frameless and the whole surface and handles are white so it reads as a break between the concrete wall panels rather than a door. This bold stylistic choice makes the door one with the wall design, hiding in plain sight.
20. Green Vintage Wall Paneling
This spacious living room is painted in a deep green shade with a vintage design style interspersed with floral patterns. The vivid green shade features classic vintage wall mouldings with a door hidden amongst them. The tall white skirting runs along the base to further blend the door with its small gold handle. This choices allows you to maximizes on green without interrupting it with two big chunky white doors sitting side by side.
21. Rustic Wall Mural and Wooden Paneling
In this supremely rustic bedroom the concealed door has been included in the black and grey wall mural that spans the width of the room depicting a peaceful forest scene. Wood paneling runs along the bottom, which blends into the paneling on the perpendicular wall and makes its concealment even more convincing. This clever design makes sure that the door is barely perceptible even when you know its there.
22. Faux Gilded Bookcase
Even though this is very obviously a painted bookshelf, this door reads more like a quirky painted wall mural with a chunky gilded frame than the door it truly is. The gold handle and keyhole helps it blend into the faux frame of the bookshelf to hide it even further. The ‘bookshelf’ stands out brightly against the inky black wall while its true identity remains concealed.
23. Concealed Bathroom Door Inside and Out
This minimal design makes use of as much space as possible by fitting a bathroom and concealed cupboards under the stairs. The frameless design matches the shiny finish of the wall paneling under the stairs perfectly, which conceals it from the outside, but this design has layers. Even inside the bathroom the door is invisible because it functions as a floor to ceiling mirror. The double sided design is innovative, economical and attractive all at once.
24. Colour Washed Paint Treatment
This frameless kitchen door with its slim handle has been concealed from view through a simple blue ombre effect colour washed wall whose texture helps the door go unnoticed. Along with the paint job the design has been configured to trick you into looking away from the door using a novel wall decoration of erratically hung colourful plates. The combination results in a beautiful feature wall that is the perfect accent to this stunning kitchen.
25. Dark Wood Paneled Wall
One whole wall of this bedroom has been covered in dark wood that looks like one solid piece, which makes the door simple to hide in its expanse. All that marks its presence is the small golden handle to make sure you don’t lose it yourself. The dark hue contrasted against patterned wall draws your eye to the pattern, which makes the door easier to conceal. The resultant collaboration is chic and minimal.
26. Lounge Mirror…or is it?
This lounge door is perfectly concealed down to the mirrored handle with a large custom mirror covering the entirety of the door leaf. This clever design manages to make the room look bigger and add some minimal décor to the room while hiding a small bathroom or storage space behind it at the same time. The look is very chic but still manages to add some whimsy to a pretty serious room.
27. Vintage Teal Bookshelf Alcove
In this beautiful version of the classic swinging bookcase, this door has been concealed within the dramatic bright teal with wall mouldings. The bookshelf sits under the little archway with a decorative shelf over it with a tall bookshelf built in so it looks like something is being emphasized without realizing that it’s a door. The teal skirting boards runs along the bottom of the door to add a level of subterfuge.
28. Vertical Striped Wallpaper
This contemporary lounge space has been wallpapered in subtle white and beige stripes with solid grey walls in contrast. The slim frameless door fits no problem at all into the pattern work in a very elegant and subtle manner. The very thin horizontal handle is the only thing that announces its presence contrasting with the repeated verticals.
29. Unobtrusive White Washed Wood Paneling
Thanks to a frameless design and pressure catch this bathroom door disappears into this bright white wood paneled hallway. The thick white horizontal panels manage to hide the seams of the door effectively, which is helped along with the tall white skirting board that runs across the door. The door swings to reveal an ivory bathroom behind it.
30. Secret ‘Members Only’ Bar
This classic bookshelf door is cleverly concealed in a full length bookshelf unit. The door hides behind one swinging unit of the bookshelf that is indistinguishable from the other bookcases beside it. Behind it is a retro inspired bar equipped with booth seats, a glamorous feature only available to those who know which lever to pull. This feature is fun and ostentatious in the best way, letting you have some theatrical fun in your own home.
31. Futuristic Bathroom Door with Glowing Handle
While this tall, thin bathroom door doesn’t hide away completely it matches with the bathroom very closely and becomes an integral part of this futuristic white cube of a bathroom. The walls have a white glossy finish with a door in the same material to blend it in. The light above futuristic sink coordinated has been coordinated with the doors glowing handle with black taps and spotlights pairing up to make this whole bathroom a piece of interior artistry.
32. Uninterrupted Floral Bedroom Mural
In this bedroom the en suite bathroom is concealed so as not to interrupt the full wall mural of a stylized flower bearing branches that runs across the entire wall cast against a beige background. The frameless door doesn’t have a handle to give it away as it opens with the well loved pressure catch. To finish it off the tall white skirting runs along its base fitting in perfectly flush with the wall. This is a good example of how concealing a door can give you more design freedom since so much wall space has already been taken up by the wall of glass fronted cupboards.
33. Perfectly Coordinated Wall Mouldings
While this door isn’t actually concealed it is a good example of how to incorporate a door into your design without it being interrupted. The highly moulded cream wall flows smoothly into the distinctive frame making the door part of the wall. The whole configuration is contrasted against the full matte black wall with black frames and side table concealed in the surface.
34. Contemporary Wood Paneled Living Room
This Really modern design uses a full wall of timber paneling perdendicular to a mirrored wall so the wood paneling seems to go on forever. The cupboards and bathroom door are hidden in the wall, only given away by the small rectangular handles placed at different points on the wall in a subtle way.
35. Thin Wood Paneling with Aquarium
This stunning contemporary home has used a large double volume wood paneled column that the house revolves around filled with hidden doors completely concealed in the intense texture of the walls. The whole way around the thin paneled walls cupboard doors and a bathroom door can be accessed with a pressure catch if you know where to press. A freestanding aquarium and dramatic chandelier sign off this R
really well designed eclectic space.
Conclusion
Well there you have it, concealed doors, a feature for the future. This innovative design allows you to play with your space, unencumbered by the necessity of door placement and the chunky framework that comes with it. Now you have the freedom to decorate your entire wall with an artwork or uninterrupted paneling while still having a space that is convenient and useable.
Going for a style where a door hides behind a piece of furniture also lets you have some fun with your home and keep some spaces only reserved for you and the people you’ve let in on the secret. And let’s face it, if you can’t make your own fun at home where can you?
This door style walks the line between innovative and fun and lets your have some fun with your space so why not give your doors a little look over and see if your house could benefit from some beautiful concealed doors.