Murphy Door Hardware

 Goodbye barn door trend, hello murphy door!

Murphy Doors often replaces a closet door, creating a hidden storage area. But you can also install a Murphy door to hide an entry to a section of a building, like hiding stairwell entries or the entry to private hallways.

Hidden (Murphy) Doors throughout history - Anne Frank! Al Capone! Harriet Tubman!

To the left is the Lee Valley hardware available to construct the murphy door set up on the right.

This kit includes the hinges, pivots, tracks and other hardware needed, along with illustrated instructions for building a bi-fold cabinet – you supply only the lumber, fasteners and shelf supports.

It also includes cutting lists for constructing a 49", 61" or 73" wide cabinet, designed to overlay openings up to 4', 5' or 6' wide respectively, and up to 80" high (a minimum of 6" of additional ceiling clearance is required to accommodate the valance).

The hardware supports up to 300 lb, yet operates smoothly with little effort, and because it surface-mounts to the wall and floor, the doorway requires no cuts or remodelling. The cabinet must be at least 1" wider than the opening (1/2" on either side), but an additional 12" offset on the pivot side allows the cabinet to fold open fully without restricting doorway access (e.g., using a 49" cabinet over a standard 36" doorway). There must also be at least 2 1/2" of clearance on either side of the cabinet to allow it to pivot without obstruction.

It seems like a cool use of small spaces and adds a fun, secretive element!

The kit is quite expensive ($239) and I imagine could be complicated to install. It would be useful and interesting to see some reviews of the product to get a good sense of its functionality and installation process. Apparently, no changes to the door frame are necessary which makes it sound like a smooth installation process!