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Wednesday, November 02, 2022
Secrets to secret doors revealed
Woodworking Network: When the folks at Murphy Door approached me to do a project with them, it didn’t take a lot of coaxing. I’ve been fascinated by secret doors and hidden compartments for as long as I can remember, and I had a project in mind.
5 comments:
Cyril Neff
said...
When working in theatre, a specific area I am really interested in is immersive theatre, which often deals with a decent amount of trap doors, compartments, etc., and this article goes into some of the specifics of building a hidden door. It specifically highlights some of the steps needed to create a successful hidden space. First, to have a space that can accommodate the door and all of its contraptions. Second, making sure the shipping method is effective, and that no pieces are ruined within the delivery process. Third, to finish any assets of the door and installation location, whether that be by finishing the wood, checking that all machinations are intact, etc. Fourth, by installing the door, and fifth by adding any accenting trim to the door. Overall, the process given within the article is very case-specific, with a specific company, door type, and installation type being used, but it is a great general guide to how a trap installation process can/should look like. The article is well written, and is very easy to consume and understand exactly what the artist achieved, with helpful visuals of exactly what they were talking about.
I think most people have a dream of a hidden door in their house, or at lease they did at one point. Personally for me that takes the form of a secret door that leads to a hidden library, cause I don't think there is anything cooler in the world than that. But I have never known about the process of having a hidden door beyond the dream. This article made the Murphy's Door ordering system seem so easy that even a novice like me could do it. I have always imagined that I would have to get super creative and watch a ton of you tube videos or have to hire someone to make my dream door for me. But now I will definitely be going with this in the future. I loved this article and how it outlined step by step how the author designed, received, and installed the door. Also he was so right about how the door when closed looked almost perfectly seamless. I love the way his bookshelf door turned out and I will definitely be looking into what other kinds of doors the Murphy's Door team can help me make.
When I was younger all I ever wanted was to have a hidden door that looked like a bookcase on the outside and led in to a small library. That was the dream for when I have my own house to do stuff with. It probably still is to be completely honest. I think that it would be so fun to use something like this stuff in the design for a show sometime in the future. It might not be as fun as putting one in my future house or apartment, but it would still be pretty cool to put in a scenic design for a show. Of course, only if it is necessary for the story or action of a show. Of course. Actually seeing the process of how these kinds of hidden doors are installed in a space is really cool though, and it just makes me think of the many different ways that something like this could be used.
This title alone really caught my attention, as I never thought about the mechanics behind secret doors, or ever considered them to be something in scenic designs. I had no idea how much more preparation and planning needed for this type of door compared to a standard one that we would see every day. In the installation part of this particular article, it was really interesting to read about the way they went about it. Once they got to the trim, it made me think about how many possibilities there are for making this door extra exciting, and also made me put on my “scenic designer hat” and think of a way to dress this door in a set design. Although this article was not specifically geared towards theatre or entertainment in any way, it was really cool to read it with that perspective.
I adore the concept of hidden doors, and I think it’s hilarious that I’ve actually looked at Murphy doors recently thinking about how much I want one. These doors are so cleverly designed to hide a space, and I might just get one in my house, simply to be extra and have a hidden library. Theatre kid things I guess. I actuallly really participate the intricacy of these door designs. The fact that it swings closed QUIETLY? So camp. (Love you Jordan) I also appreciate that they take care to make sure the door is properly handled and installed, straight from package handling. This company really feels like they really take pride in what they do and that makes me happy.
5 comments:
When working in theatre, a specific area I am really interested in is immersive theatre, which often deals with a decent amount of trap doors, compartments, etc., and this article goes into some of the specifics of building a hidden door. It specifically highlights some of the steps needed to create a successful hidden space. First, to have a space that can accommodate the door and all of its contraptions. Second, making sure the shipping method is effective, and that no pieces are ruined within the delivery process. Third, to finish any assets of the door and installation location, whether that be by finishing the wood, checking that all machinations are intact, etc. Fourth, by installing the door, and fifth by adding any accenting trim to the door. Overall, the process given within the article is very case-specific, with a specific company, door type, and installation type being used, but it is a great general guide to how a trap installation process can/should look like. The article is well written, and is very easy to consume and understand exactly what the artist achieved, with helpful visuals of exactly what they were talking about.
I think most people have a dream of a hidden door in their house, or at lease they did at one point. Personally for me that takes the form of a secret door that leads to a hidden library, cause I don't think there is anything cooler in the world than that. But I have never known about the process of having a hidden door beyond the dream. This article made the Murphy's Door ordering system seem so easy that even a novice like me could do it. I have always imagined that I would have to get super creative and watch a ton of you tube videos or have to hire someone to make my dream door for me. But now I will definitely be going with this in the future. I loved this article and how it outlined step by step how the author designed, received, and installed the door. Also he was so right about how the door when closed looked almost perfectly seamless. I love the way his bookshelf door turned out and I will definitely be looking into what other kinds of doors the Murphy's Door team can help me make.
When I was younger all I ever wanted was to have a hidden door that looked like a bookcase on the outside and led in to a small library. That was the dream for when I have my own house to do stuff with. It probably still is to be completely honest. I think that it would be so fun to use something like this stuff in the design for a show sometime in the future. It might not be as fun as putting one in my future house or apartment, but it would still be pretty cool to put in a scenic design for a show. Of course, only if it is necessary for the story or action of a show. Of course. Actually seeing the process of how these kinds of hidden doors are installed in a space is really cool though, and it just makes me think of the many different ways that something like this could be used.
This title alone really caught my attention, as I never thought about the mechanics behind secret doors, or ever considered them to be something in scenic designs. I had no idea how much more preparation and planning needed for this type of door compared to a standard one that we would see every day. In the installation part of this particular article, it was really interesting to read about the way they went about it. Once they got to the trim, it made me think about how many possibilities there are for making this door extra exciting, and also made me put on my “scenic designer hat” and think of a way to dress this door in a set design. Although this article was not specifically geared towards theatre or entertainment in any way, it was really cool to read it with that perspective.
I adore the concept of hidden doors, and I think it’s hilarious that I’ve actually looked at Murphy doors recently thinking about how much I want one. These doors are so cleverly designed to hide a space, and I might just get one in my house, simply to be extra and have a hidden library. Theatre kid things I guess. I actuallly really participate the intricacy of these door designs. The fact that it swings closed QUIETLY? So camp. (Love you Jordan) I also appreciate that they take care to make sure the door is properly handled and installed, straight from package handling. This company really feels like they really take pride in what they do and that makes me happy.
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