DIGS is the premiere luxury real estate lifestyle magazine serving the most affluent neighborhoods in the South Bay and Westside of Los Angeles, California.
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26 DIGS.NET 3.16.2018 PHOTOS COURTESY OF CREATIVE HOME ENGINEERING L.A. HOMEOWNERS ARE SEEKING OUT HIDDEN ROOMS FOR STORING THEIR TREASURES, AS WELL AS TO ADD A BIT OF INTRIGUE TO THEIR DÉCOR W R I T T E N BY W E N DY BOW M A N AMAZING ALCOVES S ecret passageways have long been a common feature of high-end properties. From medieval castles to Victorian mansions, homeowners have sought out these hidden rooms not only to add a whimsical touch to their residences, but also as a safe place to store valuables. Today these tucked-away spots continue to be popular in cities such as L.A., complete with biometric access via bookcase doors, liing staircases, revolving fireplaces and more. "L.A. is a natural place for this stunning feature to have regained such interest," says Jon Harris, marketing director of based Hidden Door Store & Creative Home Engineering, which designs and manufactures custom motorized and high-securi secret passageways for clients globally, including its top market L.A., where clients include numerous film industry professionals. "e ci is known for its combination of creativi and wealth, so this fits excellently with a secret door's draw of high securi and inspiring decor." According to Harris, 75 percent of the company's clients invest in secret doors to add an unparalleled layer of securi for their valuables, and sometimes, their families. "Secrecy is a critical aspect oen missing from conventional securi," he says, adding a standard, large home safe can attract unwanted attention, whereas adding a secret door can transform a closet or room into a secure, yet hidden, area. On the other end of the spectrum, a smaller percentage of the company's clientele simply wish to recreate fantasies from films and books such as Young Frankenstein and Harry Potter that are rife with secret doorways. "For people who truly want the ultimate home theater, speakeasy bar or wine room," says Harris, "a secret door feels like the ultimate gi wrapping every time you open it." Among the most-requested secret door option in L.A.? High-tech access control methods—including secret buttons hidden in the woodwork, discrete fingerprint scanners and coded chess boards. Customers also are looking for sophisticated reinforcement, with the company's steel-based secret doors oen upgraded to include vault-sle, all-side locking bolts and certified bullet resistance from automatic weapons. On the simple side, a secret door can be as easy to incorporate as replacing a closet door with a mirrored door. "When it comes to creative secret passageways, the sky has been the limit for our clients," says Harris. "We've done everything from phone booth entrances to entire liing staircases." One of the company's most impressive projects centered around a themed room that incorporated a portion of a replica pirate ship, with a wooden door that slid up to reveal the entrance in the ship wall, complete with an actual chain-link noise. "If a prospective buyer has seen several homes they are interested in, there is one they are most going to remember: the one with the secret passageway," he says. "A buyer can't help but imagine how excited their kids will be, what amazing things they can keep inside the room and how they won't help but feeling like a super hero." Bookcase doors with biometric access are an attractive way to camouflage a secure and hidden area that's ideal for storing valuables.