Hidden things are usually staring us in the face, they aren’t really hidden at all. Such is the case for an odd room in the house. The realtor, when I bought the home, described it as the Au Pair Suite. It is easy to tour the house and not realize the space is there.
This closet, in one of the guest bedrooms, looks completely normal. No reason to go in there, unless you need something from the closet.
This door off the kitchen is small, only 22″ wide. It looks like a simple pantry door.
Opening either door, only brings more mystery. The door off the bedroom does open to a closet, but the closet has another door. The door off the kitchen opens to a narrow stairway. Both doors ultimately lead to a landing and then into a small bedroom above the garage.
Presumably, the first bedroom was the baby’s room. This room above the garage had an interconnecting door to give the Au Pair immediate access to the baby. The room is quaint, with two dormers, low pitched ceilings and some oddities!
The bedroom features the same built-in knee wall drawers. Could an Au Pair Suite be complete without private facilities? Of course these are not built to code. They offer a glimpse into a different time, when space for live in help was just that, space – small and utilitarian.
I haven’t decided what to do with this room and the landing. It is not heated and because it is above the garage, it is cold in the winter. Until I decide, I have this peculiar space at the far end of the house that is both quirky and cozy. What would you do with the space?