Many older British homes have a cellar, and the door down to it is rarely anyone’s favourite feature. It’s often a plain, slightly battered door in the hallway or kitchen, sometimes with a step down behind it and a draught coming through. Whether you use the cellar for storage, wine or laundry, or you’ve turned it into a living space, there’s a good argument for making that door disappear.
A concealed door sits flush with the wall, with no architrave and hidden hinges, so it can be painted or papered to match. In this guide we look at hidden cellar door ideas, what’s different about a door at the top of a cellar stair, and the practical points to plan for, from damp to fire safety.
Why hide a cellar door?
A cleaner hallway
Cellar doors are often in the hallway, which is the first space you see when you come in. A concealed door turns a busy wall of doors into a calm, continuous surface. Our guide to concealed hallway doors covers this in more detail.
Keeping the cellar discreet
Some people simply prefer that visitors don’t notice the cellar. A flush, painted door keeps the space private without making it look like a cupboard.
Making a feature of a converted basement
If you’ve converted the cellar into a snug, gym, cinema room or office, a concealed door can make the route down feel like part of the design rather than a back-of-house door.
Hidden cellar door ideas
Paint it to match the wall
The simplest approach is to paint the door and wall the same colour and sheen. With no architrave and a slim shadow gap, the door almost disappears. Our guide on how to paint a concealed door explains the process.
Carry panelling or wallpaper across
Wall panelling or wallpaper can run across the door leaf so that the pattern continues. Line the joints up with the edges of the door so the gap is lost in the pattern.
Under the stairs
In many terraced and semi-detached houses, the cellar stairs run underneath the main staircase, with the door in the under-stairs area. A concealed door here works in the same way as any hidden under-stairs door, though you’ll need to think about the steps behind it. See our guide to the hidden under-stairs door for ideas.
In the kitchen
Where the cellar opens off the kitchen, a concealed door can blend into a run of painted wall or tall units. Think about how the handle or push-to-open latch will work alongside the kitchen.
What’s different about a cellar door
The steps behind it
The most important thing to remember is that there’s usually a staircase directly behind a cellar door. That affects which way the door opens.
Concealed doors are designed to sit flush on one side of the wall, the side you see. Many open away from that face, which for a cellar would mean opening over the stairs. If there’s a landing at the top of the steps, that may be fine. If the first step drops straight away, a door swinging over it isn’t safe. Plan the opening direction with the stairs in mind, and get advice if the space is tight.
Lighting
With the door painted to match the wall, it can be easy to forget there’s a staircase behind it. Make sure there’s a light switch you can reach before you step onto the stairs, so nobody has to feel their way down in the dark.
Handles and latches
A concealed door works best with minimal hardware. Options include a flush pull, a slim handle, or a push-to-open magnetic latch. On a cellar door, think about who uses it. A push-to-open latch looks neat, but if children are in the house, you may want a door they can’t open easily. Our guides to concealed door handles and magnetic latches for concealed doors compare the choices.
Damp, draughts and ventilation
Cellars are below ground, and many are cooler and damper than the rest of the house. That affects the door in a few ways.
- Fix damp first. If the cellar is damp, deal with the cause before fitting a new door. A timber door at the top of a damp stairwell can absorb moisture and move.
- Seal and finish the leaf. Paint or seal all faces and edges of the leaf, including the top and bottom, so it’s better protected against moisture.
- Think about draughts. A cold cellar can send draughts into the hallway. Good fitting and suitable seals help, but don’t seal a cellar so tightly that it can’t ventilate. If the cellar relies on air movement to stay dry, take advice before blocking it.
If you’re converting the cellar into a habitable room, building control will also look at ventilation as part of the conversion.
Building regulations and fire safety
Converting a cellar
If you’re turning a cellar into a habitable room, such as a bedroom, living space or office, Building Regulations approval is needed. Local authority building control bodies list areas such as structure, damp proofing, ventilation, insulation, ceiling height, electrical work, fire protection and means of escape. Planning permission isn’t usually needed for an internal conversion, but it may be if you change the outside of the house, for example by adding a lightwell, or if the building is listed. Check with your local authority before you start.
Means of escape
Approved Document B says a basement storey containing habitable rooms should have either an emergency escape window or external door, or a protected stairway leading from the basement to a final exit.
That can affect the door at the top of the stairs. If your basement relies on a protected stairway, the doors onto that escape route may need to be fire-resisting, and building control will tell you what’s required. If you need a fire-rated concealed door, our guide to FD30 concealed doors explains how they work. A fire door only performs as tested if it’s installed as a complete, certified doorset.
If the cellar is only used for storage, these escape requirements don’t usually apply in the same way, but it’s still sensible to have a smoke alarm in the hallway and keep the route clear.
Fitting a concealed cellar door
Measure the opening
Cellar doorways in older homes are often not standard sizes, and walls are rarely perfectly square. Measure the opening carefully at several points. Our guide on how to measure for a concealed door walks you through it.
Made-to-measure options
If the opening is an unusual size, a made-to-measure concealed door can be built to suit, rather than altering the opening.
Frame and wall finish
Concealed door frames are designed to be plastered in, so the wall finishes flush with the frame. That makes fitting a concealed door a job best done alongside plastering or redecorating. Our guide to concealed door frame details explains the shadow gap, skirting and plaster finishes.
Hinges
Concealed hinges sit inside the frame and door edge, so they need to suit the weight of the leaf. See our concealed door hinges guide for the options.
Frequently asked questions
Can you put a concealed door on a cellar?
Yes. A concealed door can be fitted to a cellar opening in the same way as any internal doorway. The key is planning the opening direction around the stairs behind it, and dealing with damp before fitting.
Which way should a cellar door open?
Ideally, it shouldn’t swing over a step. If there’s a landing at the top of the stairs, a door opening towards the cellar may work. If the steps start immediately, take advice on the safest arrangement.
Does a basement door need to be a fire door?
Not always. If the basement has habitable rooms and relies on a protected stairway for escape, the doors on that route may need to be fire-resisting. Check with building control for your project.
Do I need building regulations to convert a cellar?
Yes, converting a cellar into a habitable room needs Building Regulations approval, covering areas such as damp proofing, ventilation, fire safety and means of escape.
How do I stop a draught from my cellar?
Make sure the door is well fitted and use suitable seals, but don’t block ventilation the cellar relies on to stay dry. If damp is a problem, deal with that first.
Find a concealed door for your cellar
Explore our range of concealed doors or contact us for help choosing a size and finish for your cellar doorway.
