‘Well, you “had” a panic room’: TikTok informs woman that secret room in her house is not a ‘cute’ reading room

A woman on TikTok shared what she may have thought was a cute “little reading nook,” hidden behind an air vent. As you’d expect, the denizens of TikTok immediately interjected to inform her that the room likely wasn’t what she thought it was.

The woman, whose name is Sonia, shared the clip to TikTok and it quickly blew up, gaining over 11 million views and almost one million likes in a little over a week. In the video she shares her discovery of a hidden room. Behind a vent in the house she reveals a small stairway and patterned walls that look to be made of a foam covering, all lit up by blue fairylights. Going inside and up the tiny staircase reveals an opening that’s just big enough to comfortably sit in or maybe lie down in if you’re short.

Sonia refers to the hidden room as a “reading nook” and it makes sense why she would come to that conclusion. The cute lights and patterned wallpaper all have a very cozy and welcoming feel, but the people of TikTok think she might be wrong in her initial assumption.

So what is that little room?

It seems the general consensus of the people on TikTok was that Sonia had stumbled into some sort of panic room. “I fear this is not a reading nook,” wrote a concerned viewer, “Girl how did you come to the conclusion that this is a reading nook and not a panic room,” asked another. Others chastised her for giving away the location of the panic room online with one person writing, “well, you “had” a panic room. Good job keeping it secret.”

Of course, people on TikTok are quick to let their imaginations run away with them, often arriving at the most fantastical conclusions before allowing mundane reality to provide the more boring answers. In this case it probably wasn’t ever intended to be used as a panic room. How do I know you ask? Well because this isn’t actually Sonia’s house, she’s a real estate agent.

In a second video she explains that she was hosting an open house when the seller’s agent reached out to her to inform her about the room. While her mind also went to thoughts of true crime and panic rooms, but she confirmed that it was in fact made for the seller’s kids. 

Sonia told viewers to chill, and that the room was intended for families. You know, in hindsight the fairylights probably should have been a giveaway, not that a panic room can’t have cute fairy lights of course. That’s also not to say it couldn’t be used in the future as a safe room, it’s arguably the perfect hidden room for that if ever the need arises.