Designers Say More Clients Are Requesting This "Secret" Feature—and It's Easier to Install Than You Think
Published Date
House Beautiful's reporting that more designer clients are requesting hidden-door features captured a shift Murphy Door® has been watching closely. The category has moved from speculative novelty (the bookcase wall in a movie) to a practical request line item — a feature designers now know to bring up during the discovery phase rather than wait for the client to ask.
What we'd add to the House Beautiful framing is that the request-line evolution has changed what we build. A flush-mount door — also known as a built-in door — in 2014 was a specialty product; in 2026 it's the default for high-end renovations where the panel needs to read as architecture. We've expanded the catalog accordingly — wine rack, dresser, mirror-closet — to match the designer language.
The press archive tracks more of the design press's coverage of the category's mainstreaming.
Home › Blog › Are Hidden Doors Safe? Safety, Explained Are hidden doors safe? MDF, formaldehyde and off-gassing A fair question, and one with a clear, regulated answer that most...
Home › Blog › Are Hidden Doors Safe? Safety, Explained Are hidden doors safe? MDF, formaldehyde and off-gassing A fair question, and one with a clear, regulated answer that most...
Heads up: Surface Mount overlays a
finished wall. Finish the drywall, paint, and trim around
the opening before install, or exposed studs will show.
Measure the width of the existing door jamb (green).
Measure the rough opening width, stud to stud.
Enter your existing door width below
Enter your rough opening width below
Enter a whole number of inches (0–199).
That’s outside our standard sizes.
Call 801-436-5918 for a custom order.
Measure the height
Measure from the floor to the top of the existing door jamb (not the
door-stop).
Measure the rough opening from the floor to the header.
Enter your existing door height below
Enter your rough opening height below
Enter a whole number of inches (0–199).
That’s outside our standard sizes.
Call 801-436-5918 for a custom order.
Choose your jamb depth
Measure the depth of the existing door jamb (edge to edge, green),
then pick the closest match.
Measure the wall thickness (drywall face to drywall face), then pick
the closest match.
Choose your door handing
Surface Mount is Out-Swing only. In-Swing isn’t available for
this mount type.
Your Door Measurements
(make these selections for a proper fit)
Before You Install: Finish Those Walls First
Surface Mount sits over a fully finished opening: drywall,
paint, and trim done, just like an existing doorway. If
you’re still mid-construction, finish those edges out
first, or the raw sheetrock and framing around the door will
stay visible once it’s mounted.
