The Room You’ll Never See in My House
March 23 2023The room you’ll never see in my house was finally shown for the first time when my new book, House Story, came out. That might sound like a riddle because I’m saying you’ll never see it… but unless I tell you where and what it is you really won’t. If you look in the photo above, you see that next to the bar there’s a bookcase that’s opening like a door. Yep, it’s a secret room! I’ve always wanted to have a hidden room in my house ever since I was a little kid. And this home is truly the happiest home I’ve ever built, so I had to pull out all the stops! So when we built the #RothHomestead I made sure the plans included this hidden speakeasy. The House Story chapter this room is featured in is one of my favorites in the whole book – it’s Chapter 7: Fireplaces, Bookcases and Hidden Spaces. At first glance below, the bookcase next to my bar just looks like a regular bookcase.
But this is what’s inside! Our hidden speakeasy. We lined the walls with cedar grape stakes, which we bought by the bundle at Ganahl Lumber. The custom banquette seating is so fun and makes this feel like an exclusive little club. And we dressed up the walls with these handmade flags by local artist, Slightly Choppy.
Just for context, this is a closer look of the bar area next to the bookcase (that’s the bookcase hiding the speakeasy on the left). In my book, we break down some of the fun ways you can have hidden spaces in your home. If you think it sounds cool, and you can do it within budget, why not go for it?
Chapter 7 also talks about fireplaces. I break down how many textures I think you should use on your fireplace, ways to style a mantle, pro tips on paint, and show a lot of inspiration pictures. Below is my own family room fireplace. There’s a TV hidden behind that artwork!
Another spot a fireplace can be found in my home is my dining room! The wallpaper is by Astek. If this room looks familiar to you (if you don’t have my book yet!) that’s because it just appeared on the cover of HGTV Magazine! Still pinching myself about that.
Chapter 7 of House Story also talks about bookcases and built-ins, and how you can think creatively about where to add them to your home. This is Hazel’s play area in our home. Our word search wall in the stairwell is a hand painted mural that was done by the talented team @looksigns.
Bookcases or bookshelves… they can be anywhere you can dream them in your home while adding storage and style at the same time. We talk about this in the book and even include steps for styling your bookcases or built-ins, and how to shop your home for things to use from another space.
These shelves are in my entryway, and I can’t imagine this space without them!
If you think all this stuff sounds cool and helpful, you’d love my book. I packed everything I know (and then some) into it!
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