A speakeasy is a home bar behind a door that does not look like one, almost always a bookcase that swings on concealed pivot hinges. Start with the doorway: stock bookcase doors come in 2 in steps from 24 to 36 in wide and fit finished openings 79 to 81 in high.
Our picks at a glance
From published specs and our sizing rules. Not lab tested.
- 1
Build your own
Murphy Door Hidden Hinge Hardware Kit
300 lb door capacity
Check price on AmazonPaid link
- 2
The secret latch
Murphy Door Book Latch and Lock
Book latch and lock
Check price on AmazonPaid link
- 3
Alternate hinge kit
InvisiDoor Hinge Hardware Kit
Pivot hinge kit
Check price on AmazonPaid link
If your opening is a stock size, a prehung bookcase door is the fastest route. If not, or you want to build it yourself, the same patented hinge Murphy Door uses is sold on its own, rated for a 300 lb door.
Top picks, and why
Murphy Door Hidden Hinge Hardware Kit
- In-swing or out-swing
- Left or right hand
- Ball bearing lower pivot
Murphy Door's own pin hinge: top and bottom sets, in-swing or out-swing, up to 300 lb. $100 to $250.
- Holds a door up to 300 lb
- In-swing or out-swing, left or right
- Top and bottom hinge, pin tool and catch included
- Hardware only: no plans or dimensions provided
$100 to $250, live price on Amazon
Check price on AmazonPaid link. We earn a commission at no cost to you.
Murphy Door Book Latch and Lock
- Pull a book to open
- Locking
- Needs a door 8 in deep or more
Pull a book to open, and it locks. For bookcase doors at least 8 in deep. $100 to $250.
- Concealed inside the bookcase
- Locks the door
- DIY install
- Not for Murphy Door's Reversed or Shallow (under 8 in deep) doors
$100 to $250, live price on Amazon
Check price on AmazonPaid link. We earn a commission at no cost to you.
InvisiDoor Hinge Hardware Kit
- In-swing or out-swing
- Instructions included
- Bronze finish
Pivot hinge kit with instructions, left or right, in-swing or out-swing. $100 to $250.
- Left or right hand, in-swing or out-swing
- Powder-coated steel
- Installation instructions included
- You build the bookcase door yourself
$100 to $250, live price on Amazon
Check price on AmazonPaid link. We earn a commission at no cost to you.
Compare every pick
Paid links: we earn a commission if you buy, at no cost to you. Amazon prices change often, so we show a range and link to the live price.
Measure the opening
Measure the finished opening: inside the existing jamb, side to side and floor to the head. Murphy Door sizes its doors by that width: a 29.5 to 30 in opening takes a 30 in door, a 31.5 to 32 in opening a 32 in door, and so on from 24 to 36 in, for openings 79 to 81 in high.
For a new framed opening, the rough opening runs about 1.75 to 3 in wider than the door size and 81.5 to 83 in high. Jambs come 4 9/16 in deep for a 2x4 wall or 6 9/16 in for a 2x6 wall.
In-swing or out-swing
A bookcase door is about 8 in deep and sweeps an arc as wide as itself, so it needs clear floor on the side it opens toward. Out-swing keeps the bar side free for stools and furniture. In-swing keeps the hallway clear, which matters at the top of a stair.
The book latch needs a door at least 8 in deep, so it does not fit shallow bookcase doors.
Murphy Door Hidden Hinge Hardware Kit
- In-swing or out-swing
- Left or right hand
- Ball bearing lower pivot
Ball bearing lower pivot, 300 lb door rating, pin removal tool and door catch included. $100 to $250.
- Holds a door up to 300 lb
- In-swing or out-swing, left or right
- Top and bottom hinge, pin tool and catch included
- Hardware only: no plans or dimensions provided
$100 to $250, live price on Amazon
Check price on AmazonPaid link. We earn a commission at no cost to you.
InvisiDoor Hinge Hardware Kit
- In-swing or out-swing
- Instructions included
- Bronze finish
Powder-coated steel, universal handing, installation instructions included. $100 to $250.
- Left or right hand, in-swing or out-swing
- Powder-coated steel
- Installation instructions included
- You build the bookcase door yourself
$100 to $250, live price on Amazon
Check price on AmazonPaid link. We earn a commission at no cost to you.
Murphy Door Book Latch and Lock
- Pull a book to open
- Locking
- Needs a door 8 in deep or more
Concealed book-pull latch with a lock. $100 to $250.
- Concealed inside the bookcase
- Locks the door
- DIY install
- Not for Murphy Door's Reversed or Shallow (under 8 in deep) doors
$100 to $250, live price on Amazon
Check price on AmazonPaid link. We earn a commission at no cost to you.
The bar behind the door
Most speakeasies are small rooms, so size the bar to the room. Allow 24 in of bar per stool, a 36 in work aisle behind it if you have a back bar, and about 5 ft on the guest side for stools and a walkway. A 4 seat bar fits in roughly 11 x 12 ft.
Cocktail bars run on ice: plan about 2 lb a guest. Low light is the look, and stick-on LED bars under the bar top and shelves do it for a few dollars.
PrimeZone Swivel Bar Stools, 30 in, Set of 2
- For 40 to 43 in bars
- Swivel with back
- 16.3 in wide
30 in seats for a 42 in bar, swivel with back, 16.3 in wide. $100 to $250.
- 30 in seat for a 40 to 43 in bar
- 360 degree swivel, curved back
- 16.3 in wide, 300 lb capacity
- Faux leather
$100 to $250, live price on Amazon
Check price on AmazonPaid link. We earn a commission at no cost to you.
EUHOMY 15 in Undercounter Ice Maker, 90 lb a Day
- 15 in wide, 34 in tall
- 24 lb bin
- Gravity drain
90 lb a day into a 24 lb bin, 15 in wide. $500 to $1,000.
- 90 lb a day
- 24 lb bin
- Self-cleaning cycle and 24 hour timer
- Gravity drain: the drain must sit below the unit
$500 to $1,000, live price on Amazon
Check price on AmazonPaid link. We earn a commission at no cost to you.
WOBANE Under Cabinet LED Light Kit, 6.6 ft
- 1,200 lumens
- Stick-on bars
- 12 V
Four 20 in LED bars, 1,200 lumens at 12 W. under $100.
- Four 20 in bars, 6.6 ft in all
- 1,200 lumens at 12 W
- ETL listed 12 V adapter
- Plug-in: plan an outlet under the bar
Under $100, live price on Amazon
Check price on AmazonPaid link. We earn a commission at no cost to you.
The bottom line
From published specs and our sizing rules. Not lab tested.
- 1
Build your own
Murphy Door Hidden Hinge Hardware Kit
300 lb door capacity
Check price on AmazonPaid link
- 2
The secret latch
Murphy Door Book Latch and Lock
Book latch and lock
Check price on AmazonPaid link
- 3
Alternate hinge kit
InvisiDoor Hinge Hardware Kit
Pivot hinge kit
Check price on AmazonPaid link
Frequently asked questions
What size hidden bookcase door do I need?
Match the finished opening width: stock doors come in 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34 and 36 in, each fitting an opening from half an inch under that size up to the size, 79 to 81 in high. Anything else is a custom order or a DIY build on a hinge kit.
How much weight can a hidden door hinge hold?
Murphy Door rates its hidden hinge kit for a door up to 300 lb, with a lower pivot rated at 1,160 lb dynamic and 540 lb static load. A loaded bookcase gets heavy fast, so keep heavy books on the hinge side and low.
Can I turn an existing doorway into a hidden door?
Yes. Remove the old door and jamb trim; a prehung bookcase door replaces the jamb, or you build a bookcase sized to the opening and hang it on a pivot hinge kit.
In-swing or out-swing for a speakeasy door?
Out-swing (into the hallway) keeps the bar room free; in-swing hides the door edge better from the hallway side. Pick the side with clear floor for the door's full arc.
How big does a speakeasy room need to be?
For a 4 seat straight bar with a back bar, about 11 x 12 ft. Skip the back bar and put the appliances under the bar to save about 2 ft of depth.
9 products are linked on this page. We have not lab-tested these products; picks are based on published specifications and our sizing rules. Amazon prices change, so we show a range and link to the live price. See our disclosure.
Size it for your home
Marcus Reed
Founder and Editor, CrunchYourDollars
Marcus Reed builds the sizing tools on CrunchYourDollars. He is a software engineer with a long-running PC hardware and power supply habit, which is where the watts, watt-hours and surge math on this site comes from. Product specs are pulled from manufacturer data sheets, electricity rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, and water chemistry rules from the Water Quality Association. He is not a licensed electrician or plumber: the tools show the math and the matching models so you can make the call, and anything involving your electrical panel should be checked by a licensed pro.
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