Who doesn’t want their own secret room to escape to when all the worries of the world become too much?
Nobody, that’s who. Besides being infinitely cool, they bring out our inner children and promise a private hideaway where no one can find us. That’s why a fair number of people take on the awesome project of building their own, complete with sneaky bookcase and all. Redditor whiteboywasted took it a step further when he bought his first home and built a “magic mirror” with an old PC monitor, two-way glass, and a Raspberry Pi 2, which is a tiny, single-board computer.
Whiteboywasted found the perfect spot for a secret doorway between the master bedroom and an extra room that can only be accessed one way. First he removed the old door and frame, making room for the new one.
Then he attached brackets to the top and bottom of the doorway.
A quarter-inch deep groove routed in the shelves held the two-way glass in place.
With the glass secured, whiteboywasted used Liquid Nails adhesive to bond the PC monitor to two vertical boards, creating the “magic mirror” effect.
After testing to make sure the Raspberry Pi and the screen worked, it was time for him to attach the back of the bookcase, add the trim and install the whole thing in the doorway.
More trim around the doorway gave it a clean, finished look.
Here’s the view from the other side, where whiteboywasted installed a middle panel that drops down, revealing the screen. He also attached a metal strike plate, as he plans on adding an electromagnetic lock in the future.
All that was left was for him to fill the shelves with books — one of which is fake.
Now not only does whiteboywasted have his own secret space, but he also has a super cool screen to give him information about the weather, traffic, and news while he gets ready in the morning.
