The Viral Loft Bed Trick That Comes With A Secret Room Underneath

Popular fare of dorm rooms across the country, many have found creative ways to upscale the lofted bed approach, using the extra room for shelving, seating, closets, and more. One TikTok user took it a step further, managing to create an entire hidden room under their child's bed. Using a lofted twin bed as a base, TikToker Melissa Garchie (@melissagarchiediy) attached two bookshelves to the open side of the bed, connecting them with a hinge and attaching one to a gate latch that can be opened from the outside. The kicker? The way to open the shelf door is to pull on a book of the builder's choice (Garchie opted, appropriately, for "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.")

In response to lots of love online, Garchie posted a one-minute explainer video walking the curious through the steps involved (via TikTok). The DIYer also answered a few frequently asked questions, including "Can she breathe in there," (Yes, although it can get a bit stuffy), "Can she get out," (Also, yes, the latch can open from the inside), and "Did you build the bed from scratch?" The last answer is no; Garchie revealed that the lofted bed is IKEA's Småstad, which retails for about $850 (via IKEA).

In the TikTok video, Melissa Garchie walked through the steps they took to create their daughter's secret room. The first step is to build two bookshelves that are each half the width of the lofted bed's opening — Garchie chose to build them rather than buy them in order to achieve a perfect fit, hoping the prospect of a visit to the lumber yard won't discourage aspiring DIYers. "If you ever thought about getting into DIYing and building your own stuff, bookcases are a great place to start," they said in the video. 

One of the shelves, the one that will be swinging open, is 3/4 of an inch shorter to prevent it from catching or dragging. She attached the two shelves using an industrial-strength piano hinge, reinforced with bolts and screws to keep everything in place. Next, a gate latch is installed on the back of the bookcase door and attached to a string that runs through a hole to the front of the bookcase. This string is hidden inside a hollowed-out book, connected to a wooden frame that takes the place of the book's insides to keep it sturdy and secure. That way, when the book is pulled out, the connected string pulls the latch from the holder, letting the shelf slide open to reveal the room inside.

As demonstrated in several follow-up videos, this build has plenty of opportunities for customization. Although the bed is from IKEA, Melissa Garchie made a few adjustments, including cutting out part of the footboard to allow their daughter to climb up using a rope in addition to the ladder that came with the bed, which Garchie also says they modified (via TikTok). They also made custom choices with paint and trim, in addition to adding the shelf door, allowing them to create a space that fits their child's personality. Another video was posted explaining how they used flexible contact paper and a layer of paint to hide the hinges, creating a smoother look (via TikTok). 

The inside of the secret room houses comfy pillows and beanbag chairs, as well as several bright neon lights. It's also outfitted with a video game console, as well as a power strip for charging devices. Garchie says their child loves to play video games and read in their secret room and varies between closing the door and leaving it open. From colors to decor and accessories, this secret room build can truly be designed to fit any child's interests and hobbies.