Panic rooms are out and 'serenity zones' are in, so the superrich don't have to sacrifice style to feel secure

• Super-wealthy homeowners are giving panic rooms the quiet luxury treatment.

• Dreary basement bunkers are being replaced by lavish "serenity zones" and "treasure rooms."

• High-end security suppliers say the revamped panic rooms offer security without sacrificing style.

Judging by what we see in the movies, panic rooms are bunkers devoid of natural light, lined with concrete, and bolted shut with a hulking slab of door that only opens from the inside.

Those sorts of "panic rooms are so yesterday" in some super-luxury residences, said Matthias Fitzthum, CEO of Bespoke Home & Yacht Security, a company designing security systems for the super-wealthy.

Clients want customized safe rooms that not only "look nice" but are fully "integrated into the living space," said Jon Harris, chief security officer of Fortified Estate, a high-end security supplier.

He likens the quiet luxury upgrade for panic rooms to a "performance watch — it's both beautiful but also, or equally more important, functional."

Hello 'serenity zones'

At Fitzthum's company traditional panic rooms have almost entirely been replaced by what he calls "serenity zones."

Instead of a dreary basement bunker that makes you feel like you "are locking yourself up in your grave," serenity zones are installed in areas that are regularly used — typically a bedroom — so that clients don't have to scramble too far in the event of a threat or intruder, Fitzthum said.

"You are feeling super comfortable because this is a section of the building you really love and it's reducing your stress level," he said. "A panic room was increasing your stress level."

Serenity zones can be customized with features like bulletproof windows, walls, and doors, satellite phones, emergency oxygen, and first aid, but are always designed to blend into the existing interiors, he added.

"Our security in the serenity zones is something you cannot see," he said.

Italian security company Agresti began offering a product it calls the "Treasure room" in 2015, said Gabriele Garrè, chief commercial officer of the bespoke safe specialist.

Treasure rooms can be customized and use premium Italian materials to and "mix the security with the beauty," he told BI.

"Now the client is not just asking for having a bunker in their home — they want to have a space that can be used every day."

Security is more important in luxury real-estate than ever

The new iteration of the panic room cost a pretty penny.

Agresti products range from about $3,000 to $1 million, while Bespoke Home & Yacht Security clients can spend anywhere between $500,000 and $5 million.

Those price tags don't seem to be deterring the super-wealthy. By contrast, over the last two years, Fitzthum said demand has soared.

"In the past, we had maybe 2 inquiries per working day on average," he said. "Today, we are closer to 10."

What may be driving growth is an accumulation of events and incidents, such as the fatal shooting of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December, Harris said.

"Different events certainly stoke interest," he said. "Over the last few years, there's been so many events. When you get to build your next house, those things have accumulated in your mind."

In Los Angeles, Coldwell Banker's real-estate agent Jade Mills says security has become a priority, particularly for women.

"Women are looking No. 1 to feel safe in their home," Mills told BI, adding that affluent people in general are "taking the security room to the next level."

The same can be said abroad. For example, one of the biggest projects Garrè recently took on was for a client in India who requested a tailor-made safe for their watches. To accommodate the collection, the safe ended up the size of a "small loft," he said.

Garrè's clients, the likes of international royals, business moguls, and politicians, "always want to have something unique," he said.

And for the right price, high-end security suppliers are more than happy to oblige.

"We can do whatever clients want," Fitzthum said. "It's just a question of money and time."

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