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A woman spent $25,000 to build a room hidden behind a bookcase in her apartment - here's what it's like inside
Creative Home Engineering offers different kinds of hidden doors. They hide rooms behind staircases and fireplaces. Nainzadeh wanted a bookshelf.
![A woman spent $25,000 to build a room hidden behind a bookcase in her apartment - here's what it's like inside](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstaticbiassets.in%2Fthumb%2Fmsid-54686082%2Cwidth-700%2Cheight-525%2Cimgsize-72050%2Fcreative-home-engineering-offers-different-kinds-of-hidden-doors-they-hide-rooms-behind-staircases-and-fireplaces-nainzadeh-wanted-a-bookshelf-.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
They built it in their own workshop in Arizona. It's custom made to fit her apartment, and was installed by their own team.
![They built it in their own workshop in Arizona. It](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-54686081,width-700,height-525,imgsize-82854/they-built-it-in-their-own-workshop-in-arizona-its-custom-made-to-fit-her-apartment-and-was-installed-by-their-own-team-.jpg)
"I want to say about 99% of the people I told that I was doing this thought I was insane," Nainzadeh said. "I was like, ‘I don’t care. I’m doing to do it.'"
!["I want to say about 99% of the people I told that I was doing this thought I was insane," Nainzadeh said. "I was like, ‘I don’t care. I’m doing to do it.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-54686079,width-700,height-525,imgsize-48664/i-want-to-say-about-99-of-the-people-i-told-that-i-was-doing-this-thought-i-was-insane-nainzadeh-said-i-was-like-i-dont-care-im-doing-to-do-it-.jpg)
She uses it for work. The inside is a pretty normal office space.
![She uses it for work. The inside is a pretty normal office space.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-54686078,width-700,height-525,imgsize-55646/she-uses-it-for-work-the-inside-is-a-pretty-normal-office-space-.jpg)
And it's for hanging out. There's a couch, and one wall is covered in the wallpaper she grew up with.
![And it](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-54686077,width-700,height-525,imgsize-84693/and-its-for-hanging-out-theres-a-couch-and-one-wall-is-covered-in-the-wallpaper-she-grew-up-with-.jpg)
She keeps a portrait of her dog, Fellini.
![She keeps a portrait of her dog, Fellini.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-54686076,width-700,height-525,imgsize-69596/she-keeps-a-portrait-of-her-dog-fellini-.jpg)
If she wants to get out from inside, she has to press this button on the door.
![If she wants to get out from inside, she has to press this button on the door.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-54686075,width-700,height-525,imgsize-1037193/if-she-wants-to-get-out-from-inside-she-has-to-press-this-button-on-the-door-.jpg)
But there's also another exit.
![But there](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-54686074,width-700,height-525,imgsize-54013/but-theres-also-another-exit-.jpg)
It leads to a small bathroom with a washer and dryer.
![It leads to a small bathroom with a washer and dryer.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-54686073,width-700,height-525,imgsize-1031826/it-leads-to-a-small-bathroom-with-a-washer-and-dryer-.jpg)
From there, she can go back to her living room.
![From there, she can go back to her living room.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-54686072,width-700,height-525,imgsize-53983/from-there-she-can-go-back-to-her-living-room-.jpg)
When the living room door is closed, it looks like just another wooden panel in the wall. Nainzadeh can't get back in that way — she has to go back to the bookshelf in her bedroom.
![When the living room door is closed, it looks like just another wooden panel in the wall. Nainzadeh can](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-54686071,width-700,height-525,imgsize-54235/when-the-living-room-door-is-closed-it-looks-like-just-another-wooden-panel-in-the-wall-nainzadeh-cant-get-back-in-that-way-she-has-to-go-back-to-the-bookshelf-in-her-bedroom-.jpg)
To open the bookcase door, you have to tilt "A Light in the Attic" by Shel Silverstein.
![To open the bookcase door, you have to tilt "A Light in the Attic" by Shel Silverstein.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-54686070,width-700,height-525,imgsize-1004558/to-open-the-bookcase-door-you-have-to-tilt-a-light-in-the-attic-by-shel-silverstein-.jpg)
"I thought it was ironic," Nainzadeh said. "A light in the attic. It’s like a secret room. You can’t really see that there’s a secret light behind it, or a room there."
!["I thought it was ironic," Nainzadeh said. "A light in the attic. It’s like a secret room. You can’t really see that there’s a secret light behind it, or a room there."](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-54686069,width-700,height-525,imgsize-955520/i-thought-it-was-ironic-nainzadeh-said-a-light-in-the-attic-its-like-a-secret-room-you-cant-really-see-that-theres-a-secret-light-behind-it-or-a-room-there-.jpg)
Creative Home Engineering hid a sensor inside.
![Creative Home Engineering hid a sensor inside.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-54686068,width-700,height-525,imgsize-1245513/creative-home-engineering-hid-a-sensor-inside-.jpg)
The sensor tells a magnet behind the bookshelf to unlatch, swinging it open.
![The sensor tells a magnet behind the bookshelf to unlatch, swinging it open.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-54686067,width-700,height-525,imgsize-901359/the-sensor-tells-a-magnet-behind-the-bookshelf-to-unlatch-swinging-it-open-.jpg)
"Sometimes I ask people to pick or guess," Nainzadeh said. “They don’t realize it’s Shel Silverstein. They think it’s a Stephen King book."
!["Sometimes I ask people to pick or guess," Nainzadeh said. “They don’t realize it’s Shel Silverstein. They think it’s a Stephen King book."](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-54686066,width-700,height-525,imgsize-47464/sometimes-i-ask-people-to-pick-or-guess-nainzadeh-said-they-dont-realize-its-shel-silverstein-they-think-its-a-stephen-king-book-.jpg)
Living with a secret door poses unique problems. Only Creative Home Engineering can do repairs. But they're very responsive.
![Living with a secret door poses unique problems. Only Creative Home Engineering can do repairs. But they](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-54686065,width-700,height-525,imgsize-61976/living-with-a-secret-door-poses-unique-problems-only-creative-home-engineering-can-do-repairs-but-theyre-very-responsive-.jpg)
“When my housekeeper comes, sometimes I’ll leave one of the doors open so she knows how to get in there," Nainzadeh said.
![“When my housekeeper comes, sometimes I’ll leave one of the doors open so she knows how to get in there," Nainzadeh said.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-54686064,width-700,height-525,imgsize-47242/when-my-housekeeper-comes-sometimes-ill-leave-one-of-the-doors-open-so-she-knows-how-to-get-in-there-nainzadeh-said-.jpg)
Because it's made of wood, the door expands and contracts depending on the temperature. It can get stuck.
![Because it](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-54686063,width-700,height-525,imgsize-46775/because-its-made-of-wood-the-door-expands-and-contracts-depending-on-the-temperature-it-can-get-stuck-.jpg)
To fix that, she can take some books off. There's also a clever bolt hidden underneath the bookcase. Wrenching it pulls the door closer or farther from its hinge, which can make it unstuck.
![To fix that, she can take some books off. There](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-54686062,width-700,height-525,imgsize-52824/to-fix-that-she-can-take-some-books-off-theres-also-a-clever-bolt-hidden-underneath-the-bookcase-wrenching-it-pulls-the-door-closer-or-farther-from-its-hinge-which-can-make-it-unstuck-.jpg)
Nainzadeh loves showing the room off to her friends. “There’s a joke now that it’s not a secret room," she said. "Everyone knows about it. Cat’s out of the bag.”
![Nainzadeh loves showing the room off to her friends. “There’s a joke now that it’s not a secret room," she said. "Everyone knows about it. Cat’s out of the bag.”](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-54686061,width-700,height-525,imgsize-76861/nainzadeh-loves-showing-the-room-off-to-her-friends-theres-a-joke-now-that-its-not-a-secret-room-she-said-everyone-knows-about-it-cats-out-of-the-bag-.jpg)
Because of her apartment's shape, Nainzadeh's visitors don't always realize there's a secret room just beyond the closet.
![Because of her apartment](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-54686060,width-700,height-525,imgsize-1338128/because-of-her-apartments-shape-nainzadehs-visitors-dont-always-realize-theres-a-secret-room-just-beyond-the-closet-.jpg)
“If I’m planning on getting a new place, I definitely would want to get another one," Nainzadeh said. "I love my secret room."
![“If I’m planning on getting a new place, I definitely would want to get another one," Nainzadeh said. "I love my secret room."](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-54686059,width-700,height-525,imgsize-1346682/if-im-planning-on-getting-a-new-place-i-definitely-would-want-to-get-another-one-nainzadeh-said-i-love-my-secret-room-.jpg)
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