A Phoenix-area company is bringing people's movie dreams to life, creating secret doors and hidden passageways for homes.
Creative Home Engineering in Gilbert sells its creations to people all around the world.
The founder and owner, Steve Humble, is a mechanical engineer. He was inspired by scenes in 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade' where a fireplace flips around, and 'Batman,' where a bookcase slides open.
"We take people's fantasies, what they thought used to be only in the movies, and actually build it in their house," Humble said.
Humble can disguise everything from dressers to shelves and full-length mirrors. They can also use different remotes or even magnets to open them. He says it's a lot more than just a bookcase on hinges.
"If you don't have it engineered right, it's not going to work right," Humble said. "This is not a piece of carpentry. This is a machine."
While romance and mystery drew him into the business, most of his clients are looking for security and safe rooms.
"As the time has passed, we've become more and more a security company," Humble said.
They custom build bulletproof doors, locks, and hidden cameras, but the cost can add up quickly.
"Last year, I did a single, secret door that cost $190,000," said Humble about the most expensive door he's ever made.
The company just launched a new, more affordable line of doors that start around $1,500.
