The Newest Trend in Home Decor is a Secret
Shhhh. The newest trend in home decor is a secret!
Can you keep a secret? Then you might be a candidate for the newest trend in home décor: secret doors.
That’s right – those hidden passages once confined to mystery movies and novels have now made their way to the average home.
According to the Washington Post, it’s all due to manufacturers offering ready-made doors disguised as bookshelves, mirrors and other options. “[A]s pre-built, ready-to-install doors become more widely available,” notes the Post, “people are adding them for aesthetics, for fun or maybe because they watched too much Scooby Doo.”
The Post reports that three years ago Home Depot began offering online pre-hung bookcase-doors from Murphy Door in Utah. “It has become more of a trend than we expected,” Jeff Watchko, interior door buyer for the store told the Post.
The development can be attributed in part to homeowners hoping to hide valuables in secret rooms. But concealed doors can also solve design issues.
For example, in Nicole Buell’s small condo, the doors to her only bathroom were in her bedroom and living area. The door in the living area was taking up space she would have liked for pictures or bookcases. But removing the door and replacing it with a wall would have left the only entrance to the bathroom in her bedroom, making it awkward for guests. A bookcase that doubles as a door was the perfect fix.
“With the help of her father,” notes the Post, “she constructed shelves and mounted them on the ball bearing hinges to create a bookcase that swings open to reveal the loo.”
Some, however, admit they don’t care about practicalities. Sometimes, the $850 to $1,750 price tag just pays for fun.
“We were redoing our master bathroom and closet, and I don’t know where I saw hidden doors,” Leigha Basini told the Post, but I was a big mystery reader as a child, and when I saw we could have a hidden door, I wanted one. It was probably three-quarters fun and one-quarter storage.”
In all, it’s an exciting trend hiding in plain sight. But, remember: you didn’t hear it from us.
If you need help finding any properties feel free to reach out to me directly!
The Colorado Broker, Joseph Newman
Photo Copyright: Katy Belcher/Unsplash
