Creative Ways To Disguise Your Bedroom Door

Disguising a bedroom door can be a fun and exciting project, adding charm and intrigue to your home. There are many creative ways to conceal a bedroom door, from using bookshelves and wall art to incorporating hidden doors into your decor. Whether you're looking for privacy, extra storage, or simply a unique design element, here are some ideas to get you started:

- Bookshelf Door: A bookshelf door is a classic way to disguise a bedroom door. You can hinge a bookshelf to the door frame, creating a seamless transition from the shelf to the door.

- Wall Art Disguise: Disguising a bedroom door as a piece of artwork adds a sense of mystery. The artwork can be designed to swing open or slide aside, revealing a hidden passageway.

- Hidden Door in Millwork: Consider incorporating a hidden door into your bedroom's millwork or cabinetry. This can include ensuites, walk-in closets, or even a hidden TV.

- Sliding Barn Door: Instead of a traditional door, opt for a sliding barn door that can be decorated to match your bedroom's style.

- Beadboard or Slatted Paneling: Using vertical lines in your wall design, such as beadboard or slatted paneling, can effectively disguise the outline of a door.

- Wallpaper or Colourful Paint: Camouflaging a bedroom door with bold wallpaper or colourful paint can help obscure the door frame by distracting the eye.

Remember to consider safety and ensure that any hidden doors can be easily operated from the inside without the use of special knowledge or effort, especially in case of emergencies.

Use a bookshelf to disguise a door

A bookshelf is a great way to disguise a bedroom door, creating a secret passageway that blends seamlessly into your room. This method has been used throughout history, adding an element of mystery and intrigue to any space. Here are the steps to create your own hidden bookshelf door:

Step 1: Planning and Measurement

The first step is to carefully plan and measure the space. Remove any existing doors and fill in the hinge and strike plate gaps with wood filler. Sand the area smooth to create an even surface for your bookshelf door. Measure the door frame, threshold, and any walls that the door might bump into when opened. Use a modelling tool or paper cutouts to ensure that a slim bookshelf can fit and swing freely without obstruction.

Step 2: Choosing the Right Bookshelf

Select a bookshelf that matches the dimensions of your door frame. It should be narrow enough to fit within the doorway with a few inches of clearance on each side. The shelves should also be shallow enough to allow the door to open and close without hitting the walls. Consider the weight of the bookshelf as well; you want it to be lightweight to minimize the load on the hinges.

Step 3: Hinges and Installation

Choose a hinge type that can support the weight of the bookshelf and its contents. Centre pivot hinges are a good option as they help distribute the weight evenly and reduce sagging. Install the hinges on the bookshelf and secure them to the door frame according to the manufacturer's instructions. Ensure the placement of the hinges allows for a full range of motion without any obstructions.

Step 4: Disguise and Decoration

To enhance the disguise, consider adding trim boards to the sides of the bookshelf door. These can be painted to match the colour of the walls or decorated to blend in with the surrounding décor. You can also fill the bookshelf with books or other items to make it appear authentic.

Step 5: Safety and Functionality

While the focus is on creating a secret door, it's crucial to maintain safety and functionality. Ensure the bookshelf door can be easily opened from the inside without requiring special knowledge or effort. Test the door to make sure it opens and closes smoothly and doesn't get stuck.

By following these steps, you can create a hidden bookshelf door that adds a touch of mystery and elegance to your bedroom while providing a fun and unique design element.

Hide a door with beadboard

Beadboard, also known as tongue-and-groove wall panelling, is a perfect addition to hidden doors. This type of wall panelling is ideal for concealing hidden doors as its vertical lines can almost completely disguise the outline of the opening.

If you choose to run beadboard to the height of the doorway, as seen in the pantry by deVOL, it removes the horizontal line of the door too, creating an even more seamless look.

"Paint everything the same colour and you have a secret WC you can hide away in, as well as the perfect pantry," says deVOL's creative director, Helen Parker.

Beadboard is a great option if you want to disguise a door in a small corridor but don't want to waste the opportunity to create some pretty storage. It's a clever way to hide a door in plain sight, and it can be used to create a continuous space that blends seamlessly with the surrounding walls.

You can also use beadboard to eliminate the horizontal lines on the door, giving the space a continuous feel. Painting the beadboard and the surrounding walls the same colour will further enhance the illusion of a continuous space and make the door even more discreet.

Disguise a door with wallpaper

Disguising a bedroom door with wallpaper is a creative way to add personality and flair to your space. It is also a great way to increase storage space, especially if you're looking to create a hidden storage area or add a unique design element to your bedroom.

Use a Jib Door: Consider using a jib door, which can be seamlessly blended with the wallpaper to create a cohesive and attractive look. Jib doors are perfect for concealing unsightly cords or bulky wall-mounted appliances, such as large flat-screen TVs, and they help maintain the cohesive look of the wallpaper by eliminating the use of regular doors.

Choose the Right Wallpaper: Opt for bold and colourful wallpaper patterns to help obscure the door frame by distracting the eye. The pattern and colour can help camouflage the door, making it less noticeable and creating a playful or elegant atmosphere in the room.

Ensure Continuity: For a fully integrated look, use the same wallpaper across the door as you would on a continuous expanse of the wall. This creates the illusion of the door being part of the wall, making it less obvious and giving the space a streamlined appearance.

Consider Other Elements: Think about the surrounding architecture, lighting, and furniture placement to enhance the disguise. For example, you can use beadboard or slatted panelling to conceal the door frame further, or incorporate hidden hinges to ensure there are no visible fixtures.

Add Practicality: If your bedroom door leads to a laundry room or storage area, consider using a bi-fold or pocket door mechanism. This will make it more practical to access the space while keeping the door discreet and maintaining a streamlined aesthetic.

By following these steps, you can effectively disguise a bedroom door with wallpaper, adding an element of surprise, charm, and intrigue to your space.

Use a sliding barn door

Sliding barn doors have become increasingly popular in recent years, and they can be a great way to disguise a bedroom door. Here are some reasons why you might consider using a sliding barn door:

Firstly, sliding barn doors offer versatility and style. They come in a wide range of materials, colours, finishes, and styles to suit any bedroom design. You can choose from wooden or metal framing and various glass paning options, including opaque or mirrored glass. White Shanty, for example, offers a large selection of customisable bedroom sliding barn doors.

Secondly, sliding barn doors are a great space-saving option. They are ideal for smaller spaces where a conventional door might not fit or for when you want to save space around a closet or storage area. Barn doors also provide privacy, which is an important factor when designing a bedroom. They can be used to close off a bedroom entrance, a closet, or even an adjoining bathroom.

Thirdly, sliding barn doors contribute to the aesthetic of a space and can add a unique design element to your home. They have a rustic, charming appeal and can be customised to fit your style, whether it's classic, modern, or minimalist.

However, there are a few potential drawbacks to consider. Sliding barn doors may not provide the same level of sound dampening as traditional doors, and they can be louder when opening and closing due to the hardware and sliding track. Additionally, ensuring the door stays closed can be more challenging, especially if your floor is not level.

Despite these minor issues, sliding barn doors can be an excellent choice for disguising a bedroom door, adding both functionality and style to your space.

Use a jib door

A jib door is a clever way to disguise a bedroom door and make it "invisible". Jib doors are designed to blend in with their surroundings, disguising the entrance to a secret hideaway room. They are flush-mounted right into the wall and often have no hardware, making them appear seamless.

To achieve this invisible effect, jib doors require special hinges that are concealed between the frame and the door. Soss hinges, for example, are a good choice as they function like an accordion and are completely invisible when the door is closed. Pivot hinges installed in the header are another option.

When installing a jib door, it is important to ensure that the measurements are accurate and that there is a sufficient gap between the door and the frame to allow for smooth opening and closing without the wall covering catching. The gap should be no less than 3mm at any stage of the door's arch.

Jib doors can be used in combination with wallpaper to create a cohesive and attractive look. The wallpaper pattern can help to obscure the door frame by distracting the eye. This technique was used in a dining room designed by Clary Bosbyshell, where the same mural wallpaper was used to create a seamless transition between the wall and the jib door.

In addition to wallpaper, jib doors can also be disguised using frame molding, blending them into the surrounding architecture and millwork. Designer Barry Dixon, for example, used jib doors in a coat closet, disappearing them into the wall colour.

Jib doors provide a fun and functional way to conceal a private entrance to any type of room or hallway, adding a touch of mystery and privacy to your home.

Frequently asked questions