Whether they remind you of Chicago speakeasies, medieval assassination plots or Cold-War precautions, secret rooms and passages have an undeniable mystique and appeal to them. Here are 20 secret rooms created with safety, work or play in mind. Secret rooms today can provide you and your family with a safe haven or store room in the case of an emergency. Or a fun and cozy hidden nook to hide away from the outside world. Whatever the case may be, it is their secrecy and mystique that makes them so appealing to us.

Here’s a little secret about a duvet. People who don’t sew are really impressed when you tell them you’ve just finished making duvet for your comforter (immediately after you explain what a duvet is). When this happens… simply smile, accept the ohhhs and ahhhs, but do not go on to explain that a duvet is