Bookcases, floorboards, cupboards and mirrors aren't always what they seem, as these weird and wonderful homes prove. From a magical children's playroom nestled below the stairs to a mysterious home with secret tunnels and a hidden room located at the top of a climbing wall, click or scroll on to take a sneaky peek inside some of the world's most clandestine cupboards and stealthy spaces...

If you walked into this library, located inside a property in West Des Moines, Iowa, you'd never know there was a secret hideout room located behind one of the bookcases. But what could be inside?

Head through the door and you'll find a secretive storage room, complete with the ultimate kid's play den. The space boasts a cute faux house, where the owners' children no doubt spent a lot of time playing their favourite games.

This unassuming living room can be found in a property in Attwood, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. With four bedrooms, three bathrooms, an open-plan lounge, dining room and kitchen, the home seems pretty ordinary, but take a look under the staircase and you'll find a hidden hideout that any Harry Potter fan would love.

That's right, the former owners of this pad decided to turn the redundant void below their stairs into the ultimate Hogwarts-themed retreat. Complete with a wand, wizard's hat, broom, fortune teller's orb and lantern, the space is cosy, fun and perfect for kids with bags of imagination.

This 6,115-square-foot brick Colonial home in Montgomery County, Maryland, is spacious and historic in equal measure. But far from ordinary, it boasts a rather special secret, located on the lower level. The basement is home to a games room and a clandestine office that you wouldn't even know was there...

That's right, gently push the timber bookcase to one side and you'll find an amazing home office. The room would be ideal for anyone with a cool, covert job, such as a spy, government agent or private detective.

Described as an "entertainer’s dream house" by Realtor, this property in Queen Creek, Arizona, has everything you could need and then some. The 3,350-square-foot residence features all the standard rooms; a kitchen, numerous bedrooms and a lounge. But there are also plenty of cool secret rooms, too.

From a hidden lofted hangout that lies at the top of a spiral staircase and through a tiny door, to a random tunnel that leads to a secret swing room, the pad is almost too whimsical to be true. There's even a rock climbing wall that leads to another secret room. It's no wonder the property sold for big bucks in 2022, when it was off-loaded for £1.2 million ($1.5m).

Over in Asheville, North Carolina, you'll find a striking 1920s residence with a grand 6,350-square-foot interior. The seven-bedroom house is overflowing with high ceilings, original mouldings, ornate fireplaces and decorative light fixtures. Yet head down the stairs to the basement and you'll find a secret door that leads somewhere entirely unexpected...

Open the door and you'll find yourself in a cool, secret basement speakeasy that's kitted out with unique trinkets and historic artefacts with a British theme. When the home's owners bought the place, the beautiful basement had been hiding in plain sight. It came equipped with secure doors, black-out windows and a buzzer that's linked to the kitchen. The owners undertook a renovation, bringing the speakeasy back to its former glory – and we think they've done an incredible job!

Based in Gilbert, Arizona, Creative Home Engineering specialises in designing, crafting and installing secret doors and spaces in people's homes. Whether panic rooms or just clandestine hideouts for adults or kids, their creations are some of the coolest we've seen – and this billiard room retreat is no different. Can you spot the entrance to the hidden room?

That's right, the corner shelving unit inside the plush games room is actually a secure door, which leads to a secret safe room. Should any unwanted persons enter the home, the bookcase door is finished in cherry wood and features an electromagnetic locking system for maximum security.

Hidden inside this beautifully converted barn in Jefferson, New York, there’s a secret. If you can tear your eyes past the stunning country kitchen with its vintage wooden cabinetry and look down at the tea-stained oak floor, you’ll spot a large hatch cut into the planks.

The hatch is secured by a rope to a racket on the wall to reveal an old wooden staircase, leading down to the lower floor of this 1832 grist mill. Cover it up with a rug and you’d never even know it was there! 

The owners of this impressive property, an active family of five, had been coming to a rental cabin on Lake Wenatchee, Washington, for years and were ready to build one of their own. They hired DeForest Architects to create them a house that "unfolded in time and space, rather than giving away its secrets all at once," lead architect John DeForest said of the project. Can you spot one of the home's hidden secrets?

Disguised as a set of open shelves, placed between a built-in seating nook and the staircase, a hidden door opens to reveal a media room. Since the owners wanted to create flexible spaces that could accommodate their kids and guests, but also didn’t feel too large when it was just the two of them, the concealed media room acts as useful, and very cool, overflow space.

How's this for a clever closet transformation? A teen-friendly take on the secret wardrobe room, this cosy hangout was created by interior designer, Laura Medicus, for her daughter Sylvia by simply walling off the existing walk-in wardrobe and cutting off the back of an old armoire to make the 'door'

Needless to say, the super-snug secret room has become Sylvia's go-to destination for kicking back, reading and gossiping with her friends, as well as watching her favourite shows and surfing the internet on her iPad.

Upon first glance, you'd be forgiven for thinking this wooden staircase was just like any other. However, it was actually designed and made by secret spaces experts, Creative Home Engineering. Perfectly mundane and ordinary looking, these stairs are far more than first meets the eye...

Amazingly, the staircase sits on top of a highly secure and fully motorised trapdoor, which can be lifted up at the touch of a button to reveal a hidden understairs hangout. Formed from hardwood over a core of aluminium, the stair door is impenetrable, so the space can be used as a secure hideaway, in case anyone uninvited enters the home. How's that for genius?

When this unique property hit the market, The Lord of the Rings fans went wild. Hidden Meadows Farm in Pennsylvania, USA, was sold for £3 million ($3.8m) and the hefty price tag may have something to do with the home's super-cool secret hobbit door.

A unique feature, the magnificent solid wooden door was commissioned by the former owner, a diehard Tolkien fan, who spent a fortune having it custom-made and installed in the luxurious mansion to resemble a real-life hobbit home. 

This custom clapboard home in Belmont, Massachusetts, is notable for being one of the greenest residential properties in the state. The handiwork of Platt Builders, the house has everything from low-E windows and high-performance insulation to solar panels on the roof.

If the home's virtuous green credentials don't impress, this hidden mini passageway surely will – the tiny space links two of the children's bedrooms and makes for an unexpected addition that no doubt provides hours of fun.

This pristine newly constructed home in Eldersburg, Maryland, was previously on the market for £505,900 ($645k). The five-bedroom house really has it all, including a secret room hidden behind a mirror.

A nice touch from the developer, the hidden loft space is cleverly concealed behind a mirror and would work brilliantly as a man cave, children's playroom or calming retreat in which to relax and unwind.

Here's another fantastic hidden room by Arizona-headquartered company, Creative Home Engineering. This slate wall looks like it has nothing to hide, but give the surface a little push and you'll find yourself inside a secret space. 

Akin to a louche speakeasy from the days of prohibition, the lounge is elegant and undercover, with timber walls and everything you could need to unwind. Shut the door and you'd never know the room was there! Just imagine discovering this in your home, it really is the ideal hideout!

Concerned about their personal security following a series of burglaries in the local area, Arizona couple Scott and Maria Jensen hired Creative Home Engineering to design and build a safe room they could escape to if the unthinkable were to happen.

A secret switch on the mantelpiece of the couple's fireplace opens to reveal a safe space, which the pair can retreat to in the event of a home invasion. Money well-spent in Mr and Mrs Jensen's opinion, the hidden space cost a total of £11,800 ($15k).

Located just above the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles, lies a custom-built mansion. The property was constructed in 1941 and designed by famed architect, John Elgin Woolf. It's had numerous celebrity owners over the years, including singer and actor Sammy Davis Jr. and musical legend Judy Garland, who lived here with her husband, Vincente Minnelli, and their daughter, Liza.

Fit for any VIP, the 4,999-square-foot property boasts gorgeous rooms with immaculate interior design and five bedrooms – one of which lies behind a bookcase in the screening room.

According to the listing, the calming bedroom was Garland's personal suite. The perfect place for a Hollywood icon to escape the paparazzi, relax and unwind, the room benefits from a sitting area, a luxury ensuite bathroom and a set of French doors, which open onto a tranquil courtyard garden, where Garland no doubt spent plenty of downtime.

In March 2021, American comedian and talk show host, Jimmy Fallon, placed his dreamy Manhattan home on the market for a cool £11.8 million ($15m) and it's every bit as fun and flamboyant as the man himself. Built in 1883, the Queen Anne-style property is packed with period features, one-of-a-kind antiques and truly exceptional interior design. Yet the six-bedroom home also harbours an array of extras, including a vintage-inspired pantry and a Wild West-style saloon. However, its most exciting feature can be found hiding under the stairs...

The shelves of the staircase display old wooden toys, which hint at the amazing secret space lurking behind the door. Step inside and you'll find a fantastical playground space that's perfect for children. The hidden playroom comes fitted out with monkey beams, a toy kitchen, secret hatch doors and a chalkboard wall to scribble on. The cosy room also has a  “jailhouse intercom” system that connects to the upstairs playroom. How cool is that?

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