We're about to start building a new house and it occured to me that this is the perfect opportunity to build illusions right into the floors and walls.
What are some tricks you think I could incorporate into the structure?
So far I'm thinking of doing a never-ending wine cellar (with mirrors) and possibly a light/heavy trunk (with magnets under the floor).
The house will have a large library, so maybe there's something special to be built there?
Any other ideas?

Slightly off topic, but I saw an awesome blog (linked somewhere on Jeff McBride's site) about someone who built a very small theater into one of the rooms of their house. Worth hunting down, if you can find it.

How about wiring motorized ITRs into the ceiling and/or walls?

PK m****t rig under the counter top?

Ross

Marc DeSouza has a theater in his house, I believe.

Kitchen drawer boxes...

...pepper's ghost in the bathroom medicine cabinet...

...walk through mirror between two rooms...

A room behind a book case

A room covered in mirrors and the door has no knob

A chute behind the sofa - where a painting is on spring hinges and you slide onto the couch during a blackout

Mirrors in the hallway like a fun-house maze - one of them is actually a door.

A portrait where you can remove the eyes from the back (like in an old movie) and you're on the other side

Take photos and post.

Walk through wall

invisible bookshelves

secret room/compartments

A kitchen table that slowly changes heights automatically.

Hi,

Check this out:

http://www.hiddenpassages.com/

http://www.hideadoor.com/?gclid=CIrIhuCanKQCFZRR2godzhygEQ

http://www.hideadoor.com/galleryofdoors.html

http://hiddenpassageway.com/

http://www.saferoom.com/

http://www.alternativeclosetdoors.com/hiddenclosetdoors.php

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/......e-112516


I hope this helps.

Do some research into the famous Winchester house. Really freaky and weird.

Hopefully he's not building his house like that!!!

Check out these in wall speakers. They mount in the sheetrock and can texturized/painted. They sound great.

http://onsiaideas.com/different-speaker-families

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM109_EbMcs&feature=related

Richard Garriot's manor.

RCP, I'm still trying to find the speakers in the picture on that site.

Richard Garriott seems to be living in one of his Ultima games. I bet he has fun Halloween parties. (Edit- I just looked. He does.) It occurs to me that he'd be in sad shape if he ever broke a leg.

cbmar, as mentioned above, hidden rooms and passages seem to be all the rage. Be sure they're concealed well. It shouldn't be apparent to visitors that there's a large chunk of space "missing" in the floorplan.

Build a secret "dungeon" in your basement and include a small stage; make it your practice and demo room, with fun (scary but harmless) traps leading up to the actual entrance- like a descending ceiling or moving walls. Lead intoxicated guests through the corridor for fun.

Also- dumb waiter. Some applications will be immediately obvious, some will be realized more slowly.

If you intend to have a built-in bar, be sure to incorporate features to ensure you win all bar bets. Magnets on tracks, for example. Ever see those holiday ice-skating miniatures? Imagine that with drinking glasses- that would be cool.

I'd think, regardless of what you're planning, a good policy is to leave some access, especially between floors- if you decide to reroute wiring later on, it's cheaper to be able to get there without having to remove and replace a lot of drywall. (Also a good policy to leave an access panel behind plumbing fixtures where possible.)

You would just have to do a spinning cabinet like the one that gets them every week on "SCOOBY DOO"

How about a front door knocker that knocks by itself when the doorbell button is pushed. It can also ring the bell if you try to use the knocker.

This stuff is cool to watch and look at or should I say Dream about.

I think you should make a table like Cyril had to do his coins/ salt shaker through the table.... Now that's a magic trick!!!