Bookcases, floorboards and mirrors aren't always what they seem, as these weird and wonderful homes proves. From a magical children's playroom concealed behind a wardrobe, to a covert cinema hidden under the floorboards, and a bathroom covered by a bookcase, we take a sneaky peek inside some of the world's most clandestine cupboards and stealthy spaces.

Over in Asheville, North Carolina, you'll find a striking 1920s residence with a grand 6,350-square-foot interior. The seven-bedroom house is overflowing with high ceilings, original mouldings, ornate fireplaces and decorative light fixtures. Yet head down the stairs to the basement and you'll find a secret door that leads somewhere entirely unexpected...

That's right, open the door and you'll find yourself in a cool, secret basement speakeasy that's kitted out with unique trinkets and historic artifacts with a British theme. When the home's owners bought the place, the beautiful basement had been hiding in plain sight. It came equipped with secure doors, black-out windows and a buzzer that linked to the kitchen. The owners undertook a renovation, bringing the speakeasy back to its former glory – and we think they've done an incredible job!

The hatch is secured by a rope to a racket on the wall to reveal an old wooden staircase, leading down to the lower floor of this 1856 grist mill. Cover it up with a rug and you’d never even know it was there! 

This rustic yet modern living room looks just like any luxury living space with its floor-to-ceiling windows and soaring ceilings. However, DeForest Architects gave the room a secret door. Can you spot it? 

Disguised as a set of open shelves placed between a built-in seating nook and the staircase, the door opens to reveal a media room. The ideal overflow space for a family, the secret room is hiding in plain sight.

Set into the smart wooden floor of this modern kitchen there’s a tell-tale rectangular marking that leads to a secret all wine-lovers will enjoy. For anyone sat on a bar stool in this sociable space, the clue is right under their nose...

It leads to a custom-built wine cellar – perfect for when you’re hosting guests and the bottle is emptied. Simply pull open the hatch and head down the carpeted spiral stairs to pick out a new tipple and extra glasses. What could be better?

Designed by Von Fitz Design, the under-stairs space conceals a small door that leads through to a fun playroom. The ideal way to utilise space, the vibrant green room is in complete contrast to the minimalistic hallway. 

This amazing house in Maine built by Peter Pennoyer Architects already has so much going for it; beautifully crafted interiors, an enviable waterfront position and gorgeous décor. But it holds a trump card in this teal sitting room that will mean you need never get ‘caught short’ again…

Behind one of the arched bookshelves that line the room, there’s a secret door that leads to your own personal bathroom. Now that’s what we call the height of luxury! It’s even decorated with a coastal theme to match the house.

Maryland company Gramophone designs and builds some of the most jaw-dropping home cinemas in America. Enough to make a Doctor Who fan go weak at the knees, the firm's Tardis cinema is accessed through an old-fashioned British police box. 

When guests step through the doors of the police box, they enter a futuristic Doctor Who-themed cinema, which has a massive 100-inch movie screen and spaceship-style panelling, not to mention an LED starry ceiling.

Here’s one for the person who loves their cars and appreciates the finer things in life. In this fairly normal-looking garage there’s a trapdoor thought could easily be simply a place to store tools, but it holds something far more precious…

Pull open the hydraulic trapdoor and you’re in for a treat because it contains a fantastic cylindrical wine cellar! Set deep into the concrete under the garage, the wine will be kept at the perfect drinking temperature. May we suggest you grab a bottle after you’ve parked up your Porsche for the day?

Created by Kristy Kropat Design, this inspiring home office is tucked into the wall and is easily hidden from prying eyes. With plenty of work surface and cool storage spaces, the door can also be locked at night if needed. 

When your job is dealing in the murky world of technology security, you would expect to be hyper-vigilant in your own home. And that’s just what Ed Skoudis did when he remodelled his home office. Inspired by the Steampunk look of high Victoriana with an industrial edge, he decided to create the ultimate wood-panelled, secure bolthole leading off from his main workspace. Just watch the armoured guard at the door!

Once you know how the door opens, the bookcase splits in two and turns outward on hidden pivots like French doors. The room beyond has a beautiful tin ceiling, long bespoke wooden desks and a stunning stained glass window at the rear end. As Ed himself points out, if it was really a secret, he wouldn’t have posted about it! 

When a handsome but apparently ordinary four-bedroom house went on the market in Tacoma, Washington State viewers were in for a big surprise. In addition to the large rooms, smart grand staircase and big open fireplaces, the house had a secret lurking behind one of the many custom bookcases dotted through the house…

Just imagine warming yourself by the fire, engrossed in a good book and then pulling open the bookcase to fetch a bottle of perfectly temperate wine! We have to say, it sounds like heaven.

Reddit user KelseyPolo's BFF thought of a way to make her home magical for her nine-year-old-daughter, and give her the surprise of her life in the process, so she conjured up a secret Narnia-themed playroom.

The piece de resistance though has got to be the secret spiral wine cellar, which is hidden under a trapdoor built into the decking in the garden!

Luxury home cinema firm Elite HTS went all out with this sensational Dark Knight-themed Batcave cinema, which was installed in a Greenwich, Connecticut mansion at a cost of £1.6 million ($2m). 

A mega-rich superfan who turned his home into a shrine of the Caped Crusader, the Batcave boasts the most amazing secret room, a garage housing a replica Batmobile and 'escape tunnel', which is hidden behind a sliding bookcase door.

Though it's fairly hard to spot, there's a cupboard underneath this panelled staircase. Courtney Bonnet came across the stealthy space when she moved into in her new Pennsylvania home and knew exactly what to do with it. She just needed a few magical accessories...

After noticing the cupboard's resemblance to the bespectacled wizard's poky room at 4 Privet Drive, Bonnet spent just over a week creating a fun Harry Potter-themed chill-out space for her two sons.

How's this for a clever closet transformation? A teen-friendly take on the secret wardrobe room, this cosy hangout was created by interior designer Laura Medicus for her daughter Sylvia by simply walling off the existing walk-in wardrobe and cutting off the back of an old armoire to make the 'door'.

When this unique property hit the market, The Lord of the Rings fans went wild. Hidden Meadow Farm in Pennsylvania was listed for £4.7 million ($5.8m) and snapped up in no time. The speedy sale may have something to do with the secret hobbit door.

A unique feature, the magnificent solid wooden hidden door was commissioned by the former owner, a diehard Tolkien fan, who spent a fortune having it custom-made and installed in the luxurious mansion to resemble a real-life hobbit home. 

Arizona-based Creative Home Engineering designs some of the coolest secret rooms on the planet. This rock wall, for instance, looks pretty ordinary, but it hides a remarkable secret, though the wine bottle handles kind of give it away. 

Pull on the handles and a door opens as if by magic to reveal a clandestine wine store. Prices start from £8,200 ($10k) for this type of secret door, which blends in perfectly with the existing wall.

Keeping weapons safe and away from prying eyes is essential for legal gun owners in the US and elsewhere. Creative Home Engineering has come up with an ingenious solution: hiding the secure secret room behind an elegant wooden bookcase.

The guns in this US home are extra-secure, thanks to the secret bookcase access and heavy-duty security door. Double bookcase doors are priced from £10,700 ($13k) if you're tempted to get a pair fitted. 

Smoking in confined spaces is most definitely a no-no for all sorts of health and safety reasons, but that didn't stop Imgur user BaconJacobs creating his very own sneaky cigar parlour, which is accessed via a sliding bookcase.

The oxblood-hued room is packed with recherché items that wouldn't look out of place in a grand gentleman's club, including a posh Chesterfield chair, vintage ship model and antique carriage clock.

Installing a garage in a heritage building can be a complicated process, particularly in a city like San Francisco, where the planning department is super-strict about homeowners altering protected façades. Construction boss Corey McMills came up with a shrewd way to get around the regulations.

McMills teamed up with Beausoleil Architects to create a garage door disguised as a bay window that blends in seamlessly with the Victorian-era building. The multitasking windowpanes are fitted on panels that open at the flick of a switch.

This custom clapboard home in Belmont, Massachusetts is notable for being one of the greenest residential properties in the state. The handiwork of Platt Builders, the house has everything from low-E windows and high-performance insulation, to solar panels on the roof.

This pristine newly constructed home in Eldersburg, Maryland was listed with Redfin for £527,000 ($645k). The five-bedroom house really has it all, including a secret room.

This custom house in Upstate New York incorporates its fair share of wow-factor features, but the award for the most original touch goes to the secret yoga studio, which is located off the main living area.

Designed and built by Witt Construction of Saratoga Springs, the compact home workout space is hidden behind a sliding bookcase door. Interestingly, to prevent the objects on the shelf falling off, the owners use museum wax to hold them in place.

Another fantastic hidden room by Arizona-headquartered company Creative Home Engineering, here a full-sized bar hidden behind a secret stone door like a louche speakeasy from the days of prohibition.

Interior design agency Ab Rogers Design transformed a West London townhouse in 2009, creating the most wonderful space, which the designers loaded with fun, quirky touches, including a secret slide.

A trapdoor on the upper floor opens to reveal the metal slide, which lucky residents can use to glide into the open-plan kitchen and living room downstairs. Though it's not a secret room as such, the slide deserved an honorary place in our round-up. It really is a playground home for kids that never grew up! 

This particular secret reading nook was designed by San Francisco interior design agency Síol Studios and installed in a family home on the upscale Washington Street in the city's Pacific Heights neighbourhood.

Sydney-based interior design company Groth & Sons is Australia's go-to firm for luxurious secret rooms. Somewhere in this image is a near-invisible door leading to a secret bathroom, can you spot it?

A secret switch on the mantelpiece of the couple's fireplace opens to reveal a safe space, which the pair can retreat to in the event of a home invasion. Money well-spent in Mr and Mrs Jensen's opinion, the hidden space cost a total of £12,300 ($15k).

Imagine having a secret room devoted entirely to Netflix binges, how awesome would that be? Imgur user notadeckofcards has made himself just that – the space is accessed via a trapdoor in his living room, which is a TV-free zone. 

Perfect for marathon-viewing, the basement room is decked out with an extra-large TV screen, comfy seating and an under-sofa wine stash, and the space is enhanced by atmospheric mood lighting.

Visbeen Architects, a firm based in Grand Rapids is known for going the full mile with its new-builds by putting a lot of attention on the fine details. This 1920s shingle-style home, for instance, has a secret side room off one of the upstairs bedrooms.

Celebrity interior designer Adam Hunter has created swish spaces for A-listers like Christina Hendricks and Neil Patrick Harris. The designer's aesthetic is all about 'restrained drama', but he does allow himself to have some fun now and again.

This six-bedroom mansion in Surrey, England is full of some of the most jaw-dropping home features money can buy and then some, from a supercar turntable and wine and cigar room to a ballroom with an astonishing secret.

At the mere touch of a button, the ballroom floor turns into a fabulous swimming pool, taking just six minutes to complete the transformation. If that doesn't impress potential billionaire buyers, then nothing will.

If the ladder wasn't there, you'd have zero idea there was a cosy mezzanine above the bookshelf in this charming little house. The space was conceived by Oregon firm Jessica Helgerson Interior Design.

Just the place to escape to when stress levels are high, the ladder leads to a lovely reading nook and chill-out area, which has its own daybed to stretch out on and a small window overlooking a gorgeous garden.

This secret room blows everything else out of the water! For any millionaire who has always dreamed of having their own version of the Batcave, this clandestine entrance is hard to beat. A portion of the tennis court lifts hydraulically to reveal a ramp down to a luxury garage with enough room for the batmobile!

The visionaries at architect firm Molecule were inspired by The Dark Knight to dig down six metres underneath this Melbourne mansion dubbed ‘Wayne Residence’. Inside you’ll find the garage boasts tiled floors, LED-lit parking bays, mirrored walls and an illuminated ceiling, with a staircase leading up to the living room.

In March 2021, American comedian and talk show host, Jimmy Fallon, placed his dreamy Gramercy Park home on the market for a cool $15 million (£11m). Built in 1883, the Queen Anne-style property is packed with period features, one-of-a-kind antiques and truly exceptional interior design. Yet the six-bedroom home also harbours an array of extras, including a vintage-inspired pantry and a saloon bar. Yet the home's most exciting feature can be found hiding under the stairs...

The shelves of the staircase display old wooden toys, which hint at the amazing secret space lurking behind the door. Step inside and you'll find a fantastical playground space that's perfect for children. The hidden playroom comes fitted out with monkey bars, a toy kitchen, secret hatch doors and a chalkboard wall to scribble on. The cosy room also has a  “jailhouse intercom” system that connects to the upstairs playroom. How cool is that?

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