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Dear Flipped,
I recently installed a panic room in my house so that I have somewhere to hide in case my home is invaded. The room is lined with concrete and steel and can only be opened from the inside. There is one small vent, and stores of food and water hidden in a secret compartment in the floor. To be quite honest, I thought that the contractors who installed it did a marvelous job.
The problem is, every time my home is invaded and I enter the panic room, I feel a general sense of unease and anxiousness that I can't put my finger on. It's like the room has bad vibes or something. Could it be something to do with the decor, which, admittedly, is pretty sparse? Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Panicked in Park Slope
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Dear Panicked,
It is absolutely crucial that your panic room is decorated well so that you feel as comfortable as possible whenever you enter it. My first piece of advice would be to add some plants. Of course, then you'll have to add some lights and an irrigation system, which could prove to be cost prohibitive. So my advice would be to just open up the roof to the outside. Natural light can do wonders, for plants and for your general sense of well being.
Now that the roof is open, you're one step closer to having the type of panic room we all dream about, but not all the way there. The next thing you have to deal with is the door, which, as you mentioned, can only be opened from the inside. I'm guessing it's a heavy door made out of some kind of bulletproof metal, right? A door like that can be incredibly oppressive. I'd replace it with something more fun, like one of those swinging doors from an old west saloon. Actually, might as well decorate the whole room like an old west saloon! Now that's the kind of room I'd like to hide from home invaders in.
Hope that helps,
Flipped
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