# Awesome House Features **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 9, 2013, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-house-features/663055 "2013-07-09T16:41:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Tracijo67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@Tracijo67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tracijo67)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-house-features/663055/21 "2013-07-10T03:55:16Z")
When I lived in a small service apartment in Malaysia, there was a cut-out revolving walnut shelf that allowed me to swivel my television from the living room into the bedroom. The apartment was hardly luxurious, but that was a really neat feature that I enjoyed. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-house-features/663055/22 "2013-07-10T04:17:55Z")
I know someone whose house has a lovely rear deck that overlooks a waterfall that pours over rocks into a pool below. You can open a gate and descend to the pool on a spiral staircase. Or…inside the house, there’s a walk-in pantry off the kitchen. The back wall of shelves swings open to reveal a hidden staircase, which you can go down to end up in a shower room/changing area under the waterfall! There’s also an exterior door to go out to the lawn beside the pool if you don’t want to just dive in. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-house-features/663055/23 "2013-07-10T04:19:23Z")
> [@miss\_elizabeth](#): > > We have a pretty swanky new (to us) house, but nothing as cool as what they featured. Although I have plans to add some stuff like that (I really like the swim pond idea, and also any waterfall stuff). We DO have a courtyard which is pretty cool; the house is U shaped, and the center of the U is outdoors, but the whole house opens onto it. It’s pretty amazing, and great for eating outdoors. The house isn’t huge or super fancy, so it’s a bit unexpected, to have such a neat space. It was the reason we bought the place. Oh, and we stuck one of those cheapie inflatable pools out there for awhile. It was pretty fun because it’s completely private, and almost like having a pool in the house, but you know… not. I love the idea of having a u-shaped house with a courtyard, for the reasons you’ve listed (I like my privacy and I also like to be outside a lot). When we win the 50 million, I think we’ll have one built like that. > [@ZipperJJ](#): > > **DMark** those houses sound awesome. I like when super-expensive houses have neat features like those instead of just expensive materials (marble everywhere!) and some columns. \ I watched a few episodes of “Million Dollar Rooms,” and my overall impression was that there are a lot of people out there with more money than taste. I like a lot of these ideas, too - the built-in drainer is a great idea (our dishwasher is currently broken, and we’re in no rush to replace it). I also like the pond, but I think I’d prefer more of a grotto. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-house-features/663055/24 "2013-07-10T13:43:44Z")
To find all of these neat features and more, try one of my favorite web surfing activities - Real Estate Porn. Just go to [realtor.com](http://www.realtor.com/) (or any other MLS listing site, I think there are a couple more), set it for whatever dollar range you prefer and check out the pretty pictures. Hawaii (one island at a time due to some weird licensing restriction) at 5 million plus is always fun and Las Vegas is interesting at almost any dollar amount. Check out your home city, the place you would move to if you won a 300 million dollar lottery or just randomly move around the country til you find some cool houses. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-house-features/663055/25 "2013-07-10T14:57:46Z")
I’ve seen the trap-door wine cellar in action, and I want one. Oh, and I’ve stayed in a hotel with the indoor-outdoor hot tub. Great fun in winter. It had hanging plastic strips in the opening to stop cold air coming inside. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-house-features/663055/26 "2013-07-10T15:35:52Z")
[Hollyhock House](http://hollyhockhouse.net/) by Frank Lloyd Wright in Barnsdall Art Park in LA has air, water and fire together. The koi pond flows into the house under glass to surround the fireplace hearth, with a stained glass skylight above the whole thing. It’s hard to see in the picture. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Dollar\_Tallboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Two\_Dollar\_Tallboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Dollar_Tallboy)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-house-features/663055/27 "2013-07-10T15:41:56Z")
If I ever have to get new siding for my house, I’m doing this to one of the side doors. Unfortunately my place is too small to fit any other secret passages or doors. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/2da1DRLuo9o/maxresdefault.jpg "Secret hidden exterior entrance door") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2da1DRLuo9o) ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-house-features/663055/28 "2013-07-10T16:02:20Z")
> [@Two\_Dollar\_Tallboy](#): > > If I ever have to get new siding for my house, I’m doing this to one of the side doors. Unfortunately my place is too small to fit any other secret passages or doors. > > [http://youtu.be/2da1DRLuo9o](http://youtu.be/2da1DRLuo9o) Awesome! ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-house-features/663055/29 "2013-07-10T16:47:37Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > In the house I used to own I hung two [sky chairs](http://www.skychair.com/) in the living room. Reminds me of this: [http://www.theonion.com/articles/butterfly-fuckswing-filled-with-junk-mail,2243/](http://www.theonion.com/articles/butterfly-fuckswing-filled-with-junk-mail,2243/) ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-house-features/663055/30 "2013-07-10T16:59:18Z")
> [@Moonlitherial](#): > > To find all of these neat features and more, try one of my favorite web surfing activities - Real Estate Porn. > > Just go to [realtor.com](http://www.realtor.com/) (or any other MLS listing site, I think there are a couple more), set it for whatever dollar range you prefer and check out the pretty pictures. Hawaii (one island at a time due to some weird licensing restriction) at 5 million plus is always fun and Las Vegas is interesting at almost any dollar amount. Check out your home city, the place you would move to if you won a 300 million dollar lottery or just randomly move around the country til you find some cool houses. They also have international listings! I’m a [realtor.com](http://realtor.com) addict. My favorite homes are in France. Especially the old farm homes. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Dollar\_Tallboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Two\_Dollar\_Tallboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Dollar_Tallboy)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-house-features/663055/31 "2013-07-10T19:12:30Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Awesome! What really makes it awesome is its simplicity. Anyone with some basic tool skills and a good measuring eye could pull this off. The real trick is to make sure the siding/paint on the door matches the color & weathering on the rest of the house. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-house-features/663055/32 "2013-07-10T19:53:24Z")
> [@Two\_Dollar\_Tallboy](#): > > What really makes it awesome is its simplicity. Anyone with some basic tool skills and a good measuring eye could pull this off. The real trick is to make sure the siding/paint on the door matches the color & weathering on the rest of the house. What I find amazing is how well the siding seams blend with the wall seams. I don’t know how they did that, so you can’t see any cut marks at all. StG ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-house-features/663055/33 "2013-07-10T20:59:43Z")
One of the most luxiourous homes I’ve been in had a giant atrium sunken great room; you walked down about four steps from all sides to get to it. On one side they had a huge custom-built cabinet which contained the television, which faced the sunken living room. The reverse side of it faced the front entry way and was like a big desk/tabletop. It’s sort of hard to explain but it was very impressive. The house also had a pool with a waterfall, an aquarium inside the wall which you looked at from two different rooms, and a jacuzzi in the master bath that could double as a walk-down-into shower. This bathroom had an entire glass wall, including the one next to the Jacuzzi, which overlooked the back yard and woods beyond. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-house-features/663055/34 "2013-07-10T21:11:02Z")
Due to some ‘creative’ but very permanent plumbing previous owners had done, when we replaced our bathtub it needed to be 9" from the wall on one end; I built a 6" tall headrest at that end which extends all the way to the wall. It’s handy for putting your foot up to shave your leg and as an extra shelf to put shampoo and such (though it’s got enough angle to drain water off) but it’s primarily a perfect place to put your head back and relax in a hot bath. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-house-features/663055/35 "2013-07-10T22:31:04Z")
My fella is gadget-inclined. I can open my garage door from an app on my phone. The same app controls all the lights in the house and can switch them on, off or dim them. I can also use it to put the exterior blinds up or down. I have another app that’s a tv remote. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-house-features/663055/36 "2013-07-10T23:42:29Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > The one that makes the least sense to me is the segregated bathtub. What is the point of bathing together if you can’t even touch each other? Huge bathtub sounds good. Huge segregated bathtub sounds stupid. Siblings that haven’t quite plucked up the courage to try incest yet. Or something. Yeah, it didn’t make much sense to me either. Bathing alone is nice, sharing a bath is fun/sexy. Bathing together, but separately, lame. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-house-features/663055/37 "2013-07-11T03:37:13Z")
A scorpion pit. Right under the trap door in front of the main entry door. For door to door missionaries. And mimes. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-house-features/663055/38 "2013-07-11T05:09:45Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > A scorpion pit. Right under the trap door in front of the main entry door. For door to door missionaries. And mimes. :dubious: Are you even a real ranger? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-house-features/663055/39 "2013-07-11T05:23:56Z")
> [@Nawth\_Chucka](#): > > Due to some ‘creative’ but very permanent plumbing previous owners had done, when we replaced our bathtub it needed to be 9" from the wall on one end; I built a 6" tall headrest at that end which extends all the way to the wall. It’s handy for putting your foot up to shave your leg and as an extra shelf to put shampoo and such (though it’s got enough angle to drain water off) but it’s primarily a perfect place to put your head back and relax in a hot bath. That’s an interesting idea; we’re planning to put a bathroom in our basement, and we have plenty of room to do something like that. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-house-features/663055/40 "2013-07-11T05:35:47Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Our place has a laundry chute. > > They are a lot of fun, especially for sending small animals on an unforgettable ride. Our family house had a laundry chute as well. But the only small animal I ever sent down it was my younger brother. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-house-features/663055.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-house-features/663055.md?page=3)