History has shown that hidden doors and secret rooms were used in castles, manors, and other residences of royalties and noblemen. These rooms are usually built to provide a means of escape from enemies and attackers, or allow residents to get in and out of the house unobserved. Secret rooms were also used to provide refuge to those who were in hiding, to store smuggled goods and to hold illegal activities. The uses of secret rooms in the past were colorful and reserved for the wealthy. Nowadays, hidden doors and secret rooms are built for privacy, space saving, and decorative purposes.
A person doesn’t have to live in a mansion or be moneyed in order to have a secret room built in his home. Anyone who is building or remodeling a house can have a hidden door installed somewhere in his home. Bookshelves, cabinets and cupboards are commonly used as doors for secret rooms. Others use panels that blend into the wall making it impossible to spot for visitors. Homemakers can choose from traditional designs like the swivel or swinging doors which can be opened by pressing or pulling a lever, using a remote control or electronically activated ones.
The safe room or panic room featured in Jodie Foster’s movie, The Panic Room, is one of the modern hidden door designs that can be used by those who want to have a safe place for their valuables. Other modern designs that home owners can consider are the floor to ceiling mirrors or retractable staircases for hidden doors. Floor to ceiling mirror wall panels are great hidden door alternatives for those who have small or limited spaces. Harry Potter’s room may not be hidden under the stairs, but one can create their own hidden space with the use of remote control operated staircases that can be retracted to reveal a whole new room.
Hidden doors and secret rooms of the ancient times and the recent past have a lot of interesting stories to tell. Today, the increasing interest in these mysterious doors entices the modern homemakers to incorporate them in their home interiors. Those who would like to explore the modern designs of these hidden doors can find readily available options in the internet.
I would love to have a secret door giving access to a secret room. However i am afraid that I have to be satisfied with pictures…no room in my house for it!
I love the concept. It is so mysterious and would be a great place for a safe or to hide valuables.
I love love love those photos! Who wouldn’t like a secret room?
That would be so cool to have a secret room. The designs are amazing.
I really liked this post. It reminded me of an old farm house that I lived in for a few years when I was a kid. The house (turn of the last century) had a secret door that led from the dining room up narrow, spiraling stairs to one of the bedrooms upstairs. A great place to hide — especially as a kid!
I would to have a secret room in my house. It could be handy someday, like if something bad happens, you could hide there.