Show me a person who says they have nothing to hide and I'll show you a liar. We all have something we don't want others to know about.
Of course, it's easier when that stuff is abstract, like a thought, because if it's physical we need a place for it.
Luckily, the subreddits r/secretcompartments and r/hiddenrooms have plenty of clever examples of these, let's say, solutions.
Keen Bored Panda readers might remember that we already have one piece published on the two online communities, but their members have been sharing so much cool content, we have to do another one.
This post may include affiliate links.
Pantry
Entryway With A Secret Underlying Kitty Entryway
Imagine a guest not knowing about this and seeing a cat just step through the door
For our last piece on these subreddits, my colleague Ieva contacted Jill Herro, owner of Secret Compartment Furniture, a company that focuses on creating handmade furniture that is not only beautiful on the outside, but also hides your possessions "in plain sight".
Her business was inspired by a personal need since Herro wanted to have a nice piece of furniture to store her valuables in. However, when she started looking, all that she found "looked like some guy's garage project—hardly anything I would want in my home."
"Then, 6 months later, I got laid off from my pharmaceutical sales job and figured if I was looking for nice furniture for that reason, there must be others doing the same," she told Bored Panda. "Since I live one hour north of the largest Amish community in the world with over 450 furniture makers, I figured I would give furniture design a try!"
Public Restrooms In Panama
Cheers!
Cool Basement Entra- Wait
According to her, people want to have discreet hiding spaces in their furniture simply because it’s fun and it "instantly turns everyone into a 12-year-old". But on a more serious note, it just seemed logical to her that hiding your precious belongings in plain view is the way to go.
"Burglars know to grab the jewelry box, check the bedside drawer, check the dresser drawers, etc.," the furniture designer explained. Just imagine the confusion when your fine jewelry or money is not hidden there: "Their goal is to get in and out in less than 4 minutes. Hide those items in an unexpected place, and they will walk right past it."
In The Wall!
Cool Night Stand
Found A Hidden Compartment In My Floor While I Was Moving Out. Empty, But I Left A Little Something For The Next Person To Discover It
Secret Passageway
"Every show I do I hear a story about someone being robbed, and 'they got the jewelry box, and I don't really care about most of it, but they got grandma's Tiffany necklace from the ‘30s, and it cannot be replaced...' Those stories break my heart. Put the costume jewelry in the jewelry box so they think they got something but put the good stuff in the coat rack!"
Italian Writing Desk That Belonged To King Carlo Alberto
Home Office Has A Secret
Patio With Hidden Table And Benches
They stick out just enough to trip over them every single time you walk there.
Behind The Rock Wall
You should look around suspiciously and then quietly slip into this when you’re sure there are people around
The solutions people come up with to "outsmart" others are also entertaining to see. "I think people enjoy looking at those things because it is creative and surprising. It is unexpected. It shows time and effort," Jill Herro explained. "I take pride in the fact that my designs look totally 'normal'. Some of the other stuff available out there looks 'unbalanced' or out of proportion."
Treasure In The Table
I Built Some Hidden Storage In A Wall Behind A Sliding Mirror
Lemme Just Slide Out Of The Kitchen
I Built This When I Got My Very First Chef's Knife
One time, I spoke about keeping secrets with Dr. Michael Slepian, the Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. Associate Professor of Leadership and Ethics at Columbia Business School, spread out in between the pictures.
While Dr. Slepian thinks it's possible for people to live like an open book, sharing everything with the world, he wouldn't advise it.
I Figure This Fits Here
What A Sweet Surprise!
Budget: 120€
I’d Love To Have This Hidden Bookshelf Door!
One should step out of this and say “Wow, Narnia was really neat!”
"There is a class of secrets that most everyone agrees is okay to keep. People often call these 'white lies,'" he clarified.
"If you are just arriving at the party, and your friend asks you how their outfit looks, but it is too late to change, then most people agree that saying something positive is the kinder response ('You look great!'). If the truth needlessly hurts someone's feelings, holding back is often the more compassionate choice."
So I guess, if you need to tuck something away in a secret bookshelf or the far corners of your mind, go for it.
Chessboard With Secret Compartment That Only Opens When The Right Move Is Played
Too bad I'm c**p at chess. My stuff would stay safe forever, from me included
Update To My Wine Room Behind The Wardrobe. (More In Comments)
Bookcase That Conceals A Safe In A Narrow Hallway That I Built
That’s actually really smart but I really want someone to have a secret library behind their bookshelf. My uncles fiancé could use one and I, too.
It Took Two Years, But My Covid Project Is Finally Complete! Come Inside And Have A Drink With Me
Narco Getaway Tunnel
I Built A Sliding Bookcase Out Of 3 IKEA Besta Booshelves With 6 Casters Screwed To A Large Bottom Plate
Finished My Bookshelf
For Those Secret "Spices"
Here Is Some Buried Treasure
I Made This Coat Rack With A Secret Compartment
Hidden Bathroom And Pivot Door
Starting New Job Tomorrow. Took 5 Days To Build A Hidden Office Door And Desk. I Can Open It With An App Or Through A Key Card
This is where one goes to pay bills. They can scream and cuss without being heard- need to be sound proof
Built A Secret Door To Hide The Gym
Made A Secret Spot For A Safe, When Building My Wardrobes
Re-did a house in the maritimes. Every closet had a false back that hid shelves which were used by rum runners back when. The next house, workers found a hidden hallway and a small sack of gold coins. All we found other than the shelves were a half dozen whale bone corsets stuffed in the walls.
Some were really hard to tell what the opening looks like based on the photo. The others were very clever
I used to have a closet with a fairly hidden panel that led to the attic. I kinda forgot about how sneaky it was until I used it while having someone over. We were watching Shadowlands, about C.S. Lewis who wrote The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, about a family of kids whose wardrobe leads to a magical world. The look on her face when I came back out was purely priceless. I'd've done it on purpose if I'd've thought about it.
Re-did a house in the maritimes. Every closet had a false back that hid shelves which were used by rum runners back when. The next house, workers found a hidden hallway and a small sack of gold coins. All we found other than the shelves were a half dozen whale bone corsets stuffed in the walls.
Some were really hard to tell what the opening looks like based on the photo. The others were very clever
I used to have a closet with a fairly hidden panel that led to the attic. I kinda forgot about how sneaky it was until I used it while having someone over. We were watching Shadowlands, about C.S. Lewis who wrote The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, about a family of kids whose wardrobe leads to a magical world. The look on her face when I came back out was purely priceless. I'd've done it on purpose if I'd've thought about it.