Top 12+ secret rooms brilliantly hidden in plain sight

Blink and you'll miss these hidden rooms, Secret sliding fireplace, Hidden mirror door, Curious cabinets, A transforming wall, Concrete doorway, Billiard room hideaway, The hidden wardrobe hangout, A hidden media room, No ordinary staircase, The hidden mini passageway, The clandestine lounge, The fireplace safe room, A secret sleeping space

Once strictly the domain of historic houses and celebrity panic rooms, creating a covert space has gone from an eccentric whim to a must-have feature.

Discover these hidden hideouts from reading nooks tucked into wardrobes to a safe room lurking behind a fireplace – and much more.

Click or scroll through the gallery to take a sneaky peek inside some of the world's most clandestine cupboards and stealthy spaces...

Secret sliding fireplace

Blink and you'll miss these hidden rooms, Secret sliding fireplace, Hidden mirror door, Curious cabinets, A transforming wall, Concrete doorway, Billiard room hideaway, The hidden wardrobe hangout, A hidden media room, No ordinary staircase, The hidden mini passageway, The clandestine lounge, The fireplace safe room, A secret sleeping space

Incredibly, the full wall column with its black marble fireplace is furnished with a fully automated opening and closing system. It slides smoothly aside – fireplace included – to reveal a secret passageway and additional rooms beyond.

That's what we call a big reveal!

Hidden mirror door

Blink and you'll miss these hidden rooms, Secret sliding fireplace, Hidden mirror door, Curious cabinets, A transforming wall, Concrete doorway, Billiard room hideaway, The hidden wardrobe hangout, A hidden media room, No ordinary staircase, The hidden mini passageway, The clandestine lounge, The fireplace safe room, A secret sleeping space

Yup, that ornate mirror covered in real gold leaf isn't just handy for checking your outfit or perfecting your hair – it swings open to reveal a hidden space behind it. 

Operated by a secret switch, the door is kitted out with an electromagnetic locking system and auto-open feature.

Curious cabinets

Blink and you'll miss these hidden rooms, Secret sliding fireplace, Hidden mirror door, Curious cabinets, A transforming wall, Concrete doorway, Billiard room hideaway, The hidden wardrobe hangout, A hidden media room, No ordinary staircase, The hidden mini passageway, The clandestine lounge, The fireplace safe room, A secret sleeping space

If you guessed that this display case slides apart to reveal a secret door you should definitely consider a career as a spy.

The high-quality bookcase is made from painted alder wood, while the heavy-duty door is equipped with an electromagnetic locking system with fully automated opening and closing.

A transforming wall

Blink and you'll miss these hidden rooms, Secret sliding fireplace, Hidden mirror door, Curious cabinets, A transforming wall, Concrete doorway, Billiard room hideaway, The hidden wardrobe hangout, A hidden media room, No ordinary staircase, The hidden mini passageway, The clandestine lounge, The fireplace safe room, A secret sleeping space

The wall section is actually hinged, so it can be closed to turn a sunny sitting area into a guest bedroom.

We love how the secret door can be pushed right back to integrate with the wall, turning a secret passageway into an open corridor.

Concrete doorway

Blink and you'll miss these hidden rooms, Secret sliding fireplace, Hidden mirror door, Curious cabinets, A transforming wall, Concrete doorway, Billiard room hideaway, The hidden wardrobe hangout, A hidden media room, No ordinary staircase, The hidden mini passageway, The clandestine lounge, The fireplace safe room, A secret sleeping space

We'd love to kick back and relax in this super-slick media space – but who would have guessed it's hiding a secret space within it?

Does the TV slide aside or a trap door open in the floor? Let's take a look...

Billiard room hideaway

Blink and you'll miss these hidden rooms, Secret sliding fireplace, Hidden mirror door, Curious cabinets, A transforming wall, Concrete doorway, Billiard room hideaway, The hidden wardrobe hangout, A hidden media room, No ordinary staircase, The hidden mini passageway, The clandestine lounge, The fireplace safe room, A secret sleeping space

That's right, the corner shelving unit inside the plush games room is disguising a secure door, which leads to a secret safe room.

Should any unwanted persons enter the home, the cherry wood bookcase door features an electromagnetic locking system for maximum security.

The hidden wardrobe hangout

Blink and you'll miss these hidden rooms, Secret sliding fireplace, Hidden mirror door, Curious cabinets, A transforming wall, Concrete doorway, Billiard room hideaway, The hidden wardrobe hangout, A hidden media room, No ordinary staircase, The hidden mini passageway, The clandestine lounge, The fireplace safe room, A secret sleeping space

Needless to say, the super-snug secret room has become Sylvia's go-to destination for kicking back, reading and gossiping with her friends, as well as watching her favourite shows and surfing the internet on her iPad.

A hidden media room

Blink and you'll miss these hidden rooms, Secret sliding fireplace, Hidden mirror door, Curious cabinets, A transforming wall, Concrete doorway, Billiard room hideaway, The hidden wardrobe hangout, A hidden media room, No ordinary staircase, The hidden mini passageway, The clandestine lounge, The fireplace safe room, A secret sleeping space

Disguised as a set of open shelves, placed between a built-in seating nook and the staircase, a hidden door opens to reveal a media room.

Since the owners wanted to create flexible spaces that could accommodate their kids and guests, but also didn’t feel too large when it was just the two of them, the concealed media room acts as a useful overflow space.

No ordinary staircase

Blink and you'll miss these hidden rooms, Secret sliding fireplace, Hidden mirror door, Curious cabinets, A transforming wall, Concrete doorway, Billiard room hideaway, The hidden wardrobe hangout, A hidden media room, No ordinary staircase, The hidden mini passageway, The clandestine lounge, The fireplace safe room, A secret sleeping space

Amazingly, the staircase sits on top of a highly secure and fully motorized trapdoor, which can be lifted up at the touch of a button to reveal a hidden understairs hangout.

Formed from hardwood over a core of aluminum, the stair door is impenetrable, so the space can be used as a secure hideaway, in case anyone uninvited enters the home. How's that for genius?

The hidden mini passageway

Blink and you'll miss these hidden rooms, Secret sliding fireplace, Hidden mirror door, Curious cabinets, A transforming wall, Concrete doorway, Billiard room hideaway, The hidden wardrobe hangout, A hidden media room, No ordinary staircase, The hidden mini passageway, The clandestine lounge, The fireplace safe room, A secret sleeping space

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.

Blink and you'll miss these hidden rooms, Secret sliding fireplace, Hidden mirror door, Curious cabinets, A transforming wall, Concrete doorway, Billiard room hideaway, The hidden wardrobe hangout, A hidden media room, No ordinary staircase, The hidden mini passageway, The clandestine lounge, The fireplace safe room, A secret sleeping space

If the home's virtuous green credentials don't impress, this hidden mini passageway surely will – the tiny space links two of the children's bedrooms and makes for an unexpected addition that no doubt provides hours of fun.

The clandestine lounge

Blink and you'll miss these hidden rooms, Secret sliding fireplace, Hidden mirror door, Curious cabinets, A transforming wall, Concrete doorway, Billiard room hideaway, The hidden wardrobe hangout, A hidden media room, No ordinary staircase, The hidden mini passageway, The clandestine lounge, The fireplace safe room, A secret sleeping space

Akin to a louche speakeasy from the days of prohibition, the lounge is elegant and undercover, with timber walls and everything you could need to unwind. Shut the door and you'd never know the room was there!

Just imagine discovering this in your home, it really is the ideal hideout!

The fireplace safe room

Blink and you'll miss these hidden rooms, Secret sliding fireplace, Hidden mirror door, Curious cabinets, A transforming wall, Concrete doorway, Billiard room hideaway, The hidden wardrobe hangout, A hidden media room, No ordinary staircase, The hidden mini passageway, The clandestine lounge, The fireplace safe room, A secret sleeping space

Concerned about their personal security following a series of burglaries in the local area, an Arizona couple hired Creative Home Engineering to design and build a safe room they could escape to if the unthinkable were to happen.

Blink and you'll miss these hidden rooms, Secret sliding fireplace, Hidden mirror door, Curious cabinets, A transforming wall, Concrete doorway, Billiard room hideaway, The hidden wardrobe hangout, A hidden media room, No ordinary staircase, The hidden mini passageway, The clandestine lounge, The fireplace safe room, A secret sleeping space

A secret switch on the mantelpiece of the couple's stained cherry wood fireplace opens to reveal a safe space, which the pair can retreat to in the event of a home invasion. 

The contraption features a heavy-duty steel door backer and dual hidden 1200lb (544kg) electromagnetic locking system. The hidden space cost a total of $15,000 – money well spent in the client's opinion.

A secret sleeping space

Blink and you'll miss these hidden rooms, Secret sliding fireplace, Hidden mirror door, Curious cabinets, A transforming wall, Concrete doorway, Billiard room hideaway, The hidden wardrobe hangout, A hidden media room, No ordinary staircase, The hidden mini passageway, The clandestine lounge, The fireplace safe room, A secret sleeping space

Hidden on the top floor of a fairytale castle in Banner Elk, North Carolina there's a disguised sleeping space for those who desire a bit more privacy. This playful Airbnb sleeps 20 people, so a secret hideout could be just the thing. 

According to the listing: "The Hidden Castle invites you to uncover secret rooms, explore winding passageways... and wander the grounds, enveloped by forty years of moss-covered stacked stone walls."

Blink and you'll miss these hidden rooms, Secret sliding fireplace, Hidden mirror door, Curious cabinets, A transforming wall, Concrete doorway, Billiard room hideaway, The hidden wardrobe hangout, A hidden media room, No ordinary staircase, The hidden mini passageway, The clandestine lounge, The fireplace safe room, A secret sleeping space

At the top of the stairs, the bookcase swings on a hinge to reveal the space inside.

"On the top floor, guests will find two bunk rooms, each sleeping four guests over four twin beds. The second bunk room can be found hiding behind a hidden door that masquerades as a bookcase."

With small but comfortable beds, this room would be an unforgettable place for children to stay on a family holiday!

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