90 F I N E W O O D W O R K I N G Photos, except where noted: Mark Schofield; this page: Erika Marks

ost woodworkers associate hid-den compartments exclusivelywith 18th-century furniture. At

that time, growing wealth, a lack of banksand a reliance on custom furniture com-bined to spur innovation in secret compart-ments. While today’s period furnituremakers continue to build secret compart-ments into their pilasters and moldings,fans of Arts and Crafts or Shaker-style fur-niture have largely ignored this designelement in their work.

Got something to hide? It really is possi-ble to incorporate secret compartmentsinto any style of furniture, taking advantageof dead space inherent in the design orsubtly altering your plans to create a spaceand an entry mechanism that only you andthose you trust will know about.

Three considerations when designing a hidden compartmentBefore designing a piece of furniture thatincludes one or several secret locations,

there are a few things that you shouldconsider: First, how large a space do youneed and is it practical in the piece that youplan to build? You may have trouble con-cealing your prized shotgun inside thatShaker nightstand. Even if you decide to in-corporate the hiding place into a largerpiece, don’t be greedy: Those 10-in.-deepdrawers in that 20-in.-deep desk mayarouse suspicion.

Second, how accessible do you wantthe secret space to be? Hollowing out the

M

Secret SpacesCreate hidden compartments to suit any style of furniture

B Y M A R K S C H O F I E L D

One of the simplest hiddencompartments is a shallow spacebelow the main drawer. This trick,which has withstood the test of time,can conceal anything from a lover’sletter to some rainy-day funds. To lessen thechance ofdiscovery, keepthe hiddencompartmentshallow.

FA L S E D R A W E RB O T T O M

leg of a chest of drawers might haveseemed like a good idea when you builtthe piece, but when you have to turn overthe chest just to get at your horde of bon-bons, you may have second thoughts. Onthe other hand, that copy of The New York

Times announcing your birth can probablylie undisturbed.

Third, how are you going to secure thecompartment? Some hiding places rely onblending into the workpiece, and any kindof latch or lock would give them away.Other compartments may need these kindsof mechanisms to remain concealed, sothink carefully about how best to incorpo-rate them invisibly.

Your secret compartment is not abank vault—When it comes to storingvaluables, 18th-century Americans lackedthe choices we enjoy today. Banks were of-ten far away and none too secure, whiledomestic safes were unheard of. But be-fore creating a hidden compartment tostore your 21st-century stock certificatesand rainy-day funds, remember that your“bank” is not FDIC insured. Neither is ittheft-proof nor fireproof, and unfortunate-ly, your insurance carrier is unlikely to cov-er items that should have been kept in agenuinely safe place.

Hidden compartments in today’s furni-ture are primarily a chance for the wood-worker to demonstrate his or her ingenuityin design and construction. It is ironic thatthe better you are, the less likely your skillswill be noticed.

Making use of available spaceThe simplest way to incorporate a hiddencompartment into your piece is to makeuse of dead space inherent in the design.Examine your plans for likely areas, tryingto think in three dimensions as much aspossible and putting aside preconceived

N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 2 91Drawings: Michael Gellatly

Built by Billy Sisson at the Oregon State Penitentiary’s woodworking shop, this pie safecontains a hidden compartment attached to a drawer divider.

Nothing complicated here. After one drawer is removed, the hidden compartment,which rests in a dead space between two drawers, may be pulled out.

A D R A W E R B E T W E E N D R A W E R S

Remove the drawer.

Push on the back of the divider.

Pull the front of the divider andremove the hidden compartment.

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3

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92 F I N E W O O D W O R K I N G

ideas. It is this ability to think “inside thebox” and to display cunning that is criticalto creating good hiding places.

Andrew Parker, the woodworking in-structor at the Oregon State Penitentiary,said he never ceases to be amazed by thecreativity some inmates display when itcomes to hiding contraband and weapons.Their skills have created a reputation forhidden compartments in furniture built bythe penitentiary’s woodworking program.Now many customers ask to have hiddencompartments built into their pieces.

Compartments hidden away—Secretcompartments using dead space fall intotwo categories: those that are hidden fromview and those that are in plain sight. Anexample of the former is a pie safe built atthe Oregon State Penitentiary (see p. 91):Behind the facade between the two draw-ers is a lidless box with a divider attachedto one side. To access the compartment itis necessary to remove the right-handdrawer, and then push on the rear of the di-

T O E - K I C K D R A W E RA novel place for ahidden compartment.Even in a piece as openas this bookshelf, it ispossible to hide a com-partment. Behind thecenter toe kick is a shal-low but wide drawer.

N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 2 93

vider to make the front of the divider pro-trude. The box is extracted by pulling onthe leading edge of the divider. Althoughsimple in design, the plan relies on tight-fitting joinery for its success.

Two more examples of hidden compart-ments using existing dead space comefrom period furniture maker Randall O’Donnell. His cherry secretary (see p. 95)incorporates a pair of drawers in the bon-net top, visible and accessible only whenthe top center drawer is removed.

Hidden compartments in full view—Other locations for compartments usingexisting dead space rely on what Parkerdescribes as “creating a false sense of per-manence.” In the large bookshelf that Park-er designed (see the facing page), no onewould think of checking the toe-kickboards. The center board, however, is thefront of a drawer that slides out, revealing ashallow space for storing documents or, inthis case, spare shelf supports.

O’Donnell has hidden no less than sixcompartments in plain sight by using thepigeonhole valances in his secretary. Tightjoinery makes the valances appear perma-nently fixed in the pigeonholes, butpulling on the valances reveals narrowyet deep drawers.

Creating space for compartmentsWhen it comes to designing projects to ac-commodate hidden compartments, yourimagination is the only limiting factor.Christian Becksvoort, renowned for hisShaker-style furniture, often employs hid-den compartments. In the drop-front deskhe recently built (featured on the cover of

S L I D I N G B A C K PA N E LThe cornice molding on this cabinet surrounds a smallcompartment that is accessible via a sliding back panel.

Pushing the bar allows theback panel to slide down.

Dowel keeps thebar from movingtoo far.

Bottomshelf

Beveled cleatattaches to theshelf.

Back panelslides down.

A hidden catch. The rearof the spice cabinet has a bar on which the back panel rests. When pushed,the back panel slides downto reveal a compartmentthat’s hidden behind thecornice molding.

last year’s Tools & Shops issue), Becksvoorthollowed out a space in the underside of alid support to hide the key to the desk.

Becksvoort also employs perhaps themost common form of secret compart-ment: the double-bottomed drawer. In thisexample, he leaves a gap between the twobottoms large enough to hide some notesand coins (see the photos on p. 90).

A more elaborate variation on this theme,built at the Oregon State Penitentiary, hidesa second drawer in the back of the largecenter drawer of a floor-standing spicechest. A second compartment is hiddenbehind the crown molding (see the photoson p. 93). Access is gained by pushing in abar at the base of the rear, allowing theback panel to slide down.

The spaces you create can be small—Intheir version of Thomas Jefferson’s writingdesk, the Oregon inmates have created atiny secret compartment. When a drawerdivider is removed, a concave pencil traycan be lifted out to reveal a space under-neath. Although it was not in the originaldesk, Jefferson might well have appreciat-ed the secret space for keeping documentsfrom prying eyes.

In the secretary that featured compart-ments hidden behind the pigeonholevalances, O’Donnell created several otherhiding places (see the photos on the facingpage). Behind each of the three drawers inthe prospect box is another box, while thepilasters also slide out.

Larger spaces are harder to hide andaccess—An example of a large hiddencompartment appears in a side table madeby Parker (left). The drawers extend onlytwo-thirds of the way to the back of thepiece, leaving a large area of dead space.The real challenge was to design a con-cealed opening to match such a largespace; after all, there is little point in havingroom for your prized collection of 78-rpmalbums if the opening is only big enoughfor a CD. Parker’s solution was to make ahinged rear panel on one side. The panelremains locked until you pull on a latchtucked in beside a drawer.

With a little thought and ingenuity, it ispossible to create a hidden compartmentin any piece of furniture. It’s the wood-worker’s version of a magic trick. �

Mark Schofield is an associate editor.

94 F I N E W O O D W O R K I N G

S E C R E T D O O R PA N E LThis side table has a large secret compartmentbuilt into the rear of the piece.

Hidden latch. First remove thedrawer to reveal the latch. Slidingthe latch forward allows the rearpanel to be swung open to accessthe hidden compartment behind allof the drawers.

2. Latchslidesforward,unlockingthe hingedpanel.

1. Drawer is removed.3. Panel opensto reveal space.

A gallery of secrets

N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 2 95Photos, this page: Monty Howell

A moving column. The pilasters in this secretary slide out to revealthemselves as hidden compartments.

Unlocking the top drawer. First, screw in a smallknob and slide back the well. Then reach in andmove a pair of sliding bolts inside the top drawer.

Hidden compartments reached their zenith in high-style

18th-century furniture, whose elaborate carvings and mass-

es of drawers and cubbyholes made it relatively easy to

conceal one, two or in some cases a dozen secret places.

There were practical reasons for making hiding places

in furniture. Banks were few and far between, and even if

they were convenient, the funds were neither secure nor

insured. It therefore made sense to keep valuables hidden

at home.

In this 18th-century highboy, Randall O’Donnell hid a

pair of drawers in the bonnet top, and six drawers are clev-

erly concealed behind the pigeonhole valances. The three

drawers in the prospect box each hides another drawer,

and the pilasters slide out to reveal secret storage.

Drawers behind drawers. Three drawers are hidden behind the threefront drawers in the prospect box.

Pigeonholed. Thevalance above each pi-geonhole is the front ofa hidden drawer. Tightjoinery makes thevalances appear perma-nently fixed in the pi-geonholes. The drawersare narrow but deep.