Transform A Dresser Into A Secret Door For A Hidden Room

Have you ever dreamed of having a hidden room in your home, like the ones seen in fantasy movies? These passageways are concealed into the space's everyday design to add an element of fun to your home and make it feel like it's right out of a storybook. While these types of magical home elements seem far off and hard to achieve, it is possible to DIY a secret door to a hidden room that even a beginner can tackle. The key to this upcycling project is to use an old wardrobe as the main element for the secret door that you'll pass through to the hidden room. 

One major perk of this DIY doorway is that it requires minimal materials and little experience to execute. The first and most important item needed is a wardrobe dresser that will conceal the doorway. A wardrobe is often confused with other types of clothing storage options, but there are important differences between a wardrobe and a closet. This hack requires a standalone piece of furniture with doors that can be opened to reveal storage space. It will need to be tall enough to conceal the door frame behind it. A thrift store or consignment store is a great place to look for an affordable wardrobe! In addition to the furniture piece, you'll need a hammer or crowbar, sandpaper, and screws. You may also want to purchase extra decorative elements like paint or new hardware.

When you're ready to get started, remove the door off of the frame to the room you want to hide, if there is a door to remove. Next, grab a hammer or crowbar and use it to start carefully breaking down the back panel, floor, and inside shelving of the wardrobe. Leave the sides, front doors, and frame intact. The goal is to have the inside and back portion of the dresser be hollow so you can open the doors and walk through the frame. Removing pieces may leave the surface uneven, so use sandpaper to smooth out any rough edges. Finally, use screws and brackets, if needed, to safely secure the structure to the door frame. Now you've got an entryway that looks like a standard dresser but really leads to your very own secret room!

Take this project to another level by establishing an entirely new space for the hidden room if you don't have an existing one available. Building a new room is a great solution for large areas like basements and as a way to create behind-the-door storage to utilize dead space. This project would be a bit more intensive and requires framing out the new space and building the doorway before installing the wardrobe, but it allows you to truly make the dream space you desire. If you don't have an old dresser for this project, you can even build one that meets your unique design style or physical measurements for the space.