If someone in Real Estate tells you a home holds a secret, you probably think of undesirable information; is it haunted? Are there leaks? Have termites eaten through the framework? You might also consider if there are family mysteries or confidentialities of past and
present owners. But today’s Real Estate market gives much more meaning toa home’s secret than that.
In the 16th century, kings had secret doors leading to their lovers. In the early 19th century, slaves hid in houses with secret passages (known as the Underground Railroad). Mystery movies featured hidden rooms, and the wealthy always had safes hidden behind picture frames embedded in walls.
Today, the age of technology, combined with human evolution, has allowed for more secrets within homes. Man is more skilled, more inventive, better equipped with resources, so we have at our fingertips many more options. Today’s society of wants and needs, always having to“outdo the Jones’s,” provides a medium for which to implement these secrets.
Doing away with ladders and/or neglect, it is easy to envision an intricate chandelier being lowered to clean or change a light bulb, and with a flip of a switch being raised back into position.
Large appliances, including refrigerators and freezers, can disappear behind skillful carpentry in cabinet making. So do other appliances, as almost always the kitchen garbage pail.
The invention of flatscreen televisions has made it possible to disguise its existence in any room. It has come up and out of a granite countertop on an island. In entertainment media rooms, it appears to roll down from the ceiling, and in the family room, it is often concealed behind the woodwork of built-in wall units or a picture frame over the fireplace.
Through the use of home elevators, it is easy to raise a 1000 pound statue in a foyer, and lower it into the ground when entertaining and wanting an open space. In this way, one could move something out of the way without leaving a trace.
With the touch of a remote, appearances can change- one can reveal an open view to the sky or conceal mirrors on bedroom ceilings. Bookcases, and framed pictures can move to unvail a hidden safe or mysterious room.
For the car collector who wants to conceal his possessions, he can take a two-car garage, and with a high enough ceiling, fit two more cars by installing lifts.
And, whether employing childcare workers, in-home help, needing to keep an eye on children or potential intruders, cameras can be veiled and camouflaged in any room to ensure security.
My house has a secret. Somewhere within the framework is a place where a ten foot Christmas tree rests 11 months of the year, all of its branches in tact, lights tightly wrapped around each branch, ribbons and garland strung, and ornaments hung with care. Every year, it
gets slid in and out of place; the only work required is bending over to plug it in. During the hectic December preparations, I am the envy of the select few who know my secret.
I had the fortune of marrying a builder. In designing our new home, I told him my desire. With ease, he was able to incorporate the place where I would store my tree. Whether you are building, renovating a home, or just looking to fulfill a need, simply ask your builder, architect, electrician, plumber, carpenter, or a nearby techno geek to help you create and conceal your secret.
se·cret adj 1. not known or seen or not meant to be known or seen by others.
Tell me, what’s your house secret?
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