Mystery cupboard *with terrible doodle*

[ProcrastinatingPingu]

Hello!

So I walked into my dining room this morning half asleep when my DD ran past and I jumped out of her way, as I did so the wall moved.

I gave it a prod and a knock and found that it's not a wall at all, but there is something hollow behind a painted piece of wood, which as been made to look like a wall.

We already have an under the stairs pantry, so we have no idea what it could be, but after looking at the living room I can see a decent chunk is being taken up by this mysterious cupboard.

Does anybody have any ideas? I can't seem to find anywhere I can buy original plans online which was suggested to me.

It's a little creepy having a portion of your house you never knew existed before, but I don't want to go tearing down the fake wall to discover a mess.

oh i am fiercely disappointed, I thought this was going to be a photo of a cupboard with a horrific drawing on the wall....like that stupid Nicolas Cage film with all the disasters and the number codes.

Pipe work from upstairs?

Need more detail. How old is your house? Have you got next door neighbours with layouts you could compare?
Could it be a boarded up chimney breast or someone being lazy and building round an old boiler rather than removing it?

Alcove round an old chimney breast?

How old is the property?

Could it be an old chimney?

@MsHomeSlice - Sorry to disappoint! You never know there could be something creepy within, doubtful though.

The house is just a big standard 1930s one, the chimney breast stack was removed properly upstairs about 10 years ago, so I'd be surprised if it was a botch job downstairs.
I've looked at other houses on the street online and they seem to be without this section, that being said there are only 4 houses on my road.

The boiler was moved from downstairs to upstairs around 6 years ago, and it was totally removed according to the information we got from the sellers.

I have a ndn who is doing a total renovation, I may have to pop over and ask them.

Do you own the house? If so, didn’t you get the original plans when you bought it? I’d have to pull the wall apart if it were me and I couldn’t find out!

Yes we've just bought it, but there is no mention of this strange wobbly wall on the plans.

I can't believe it's taken me nearly two months to notice it!

Was the fireplace on the other side of the wall? Just wondered if it was the space where an old back boiler had been. I’d have to have a look, just make a little hole in it!

How big are we actually talking?

It's not the sewage pipe from a toilet upstairs is it?

And what is in the adjoining rooms, both on the ground floor and above? Might give you a clue.

From what I can tell yes, the chimney was in the centre of the house. The new boiler is upstairs in a tiny cupboard. I bet we've been left with something else to bloody sort. 🙄

A part of me thinks the cupboard downstairs is about the same as the one upstairs depth-wise. I could do with that cupboard for my hoover!

Ooh - I wouldn't be speculating: I'd be ripping it out or at very least making a hole in it and sticking my phone in to take a photo!

can you winkle a gap and shove in the end of your phone and video about a bit to see if you can see anything.

Rubbish NicCage film was The Knowing....just in case

Nope not a pipe from the loo, it's the wrong place for it, that's on the other side of the house and was located by a builder before.

It's about 3ft wide?

The other room (the one to its left) would have originally been the kitchen and behind it is the living room.
The smaller section at the back is now the kitchen, but would have been some sort of outbuilding originally.

Without pulling it all off (or losing a hand through a gap, and probably my phone!) it'd be impossible to do anything (except make a hole) as the people have sealed it all up and put skirting board around it.

You know you need to make a hole and find out what it is i wouldn't be able to sleep until I knew it wasn't where bodies were hidden

Hit it with a hammer, then if it is boring hang a picture to cover the hole.

Or you could lift the floorboards upstairs and look through. But the hammer would be less effort. I'm all about less effort.

Although - you say it is about 3 feet wide... how deep is it?

heh. we have a tiny under-stairs cupboard, barely big enough to squeeze a toddler into, but one must have been there at some point as there's crayon scribbles all over it :D (discovered way before we had kids btw)

I would have to drill a hole to have a nosy look. If it turns out to be nothing interesting and can be ignored you can just hang a picture over the hole.

DH will go a little crazy if he comes home to a hole in the wall.
There is a picture I was hoping to put up, maybe I'll cover it up?

It's very annoying and I can't concentrate knowing I have a secret portion of house.

The cupboard upstairs is about 5ft deep, but it's in a slightly different location, and the actual section of wall taken from the living room is 3.2m.

It's possible I'm looking for permission to dismantle a fake wall from MN'ers...

@heartofgold - Harry Potter origin story?

You have my permission. But please post photos.

i bet theres treasure inside