Homes with secret chambers, hidden compartments and other thrilling surprises
Every home has its secrets.
Whether it’s a concealed wine cellar, a sealed vault or an invisible room, these homes have some very cool secrets hiding behind bookshelves or walls.
There are numerous solutions to hide or maximize space, largely through camouflaged doors in the walls, behind kitchen cabinets and bookshelves or even under a set of stairs. Some of these spaces, like the vaults, are meant to be kept secret. After all, who would know to look for your valuables behind a built-in shoe shelf in your closet? (Well, now they would.)
Because these spaces are so invisible, they often must be activated in a way only the owner knows. The secret door can be activated by a concealed eye scanner, pulling on a certain book, twisting a candlestick or playing a certain sequence of notes on a nearby piano, according to Creative Home Engineering, a company that specializes in these rooms.
Other hidden spaces are meant to be revealed, like the Partywall, a moving unit that stores and displays your booze collection, but can also be opened to reveal a dining area with chairs.
Click here or on a photo to see all the different ways hidden rooms and compartments are used today.
Also on Yahoo Homes:
• Gallery: Illusions to delight the eye and tickle the imagination
• Secret towns of the super-rich
• 10 sly spots to stash your stuff
• Insane mansion amenities
