“Is it gold?” A homeowner who heard a mysterious ‘creaking noise’ under her feet was stunned after breaking up her floor and discovering a hidden 1970s ‘talking well’.

Have you ever wondered what’s hiding under your floorboards?

Well, Lara Killebrew Derderian, who lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, had a sneaking suspicion that something was wrong with her living room floor, so she decided to investigate further.

In a series of videos posted on TikTok and Instagram, which have collectively been viewed more than 10 million times, Lara reveals how she called in a team of responders to investigate the case further.

At one point one of the men says he can hear the floor creaking under the carpet before reflecting: “There must be some treasure here… gold!”

In a series of video clips posted on TikTok and Instagram, Lara reveals how she called in a team of helpers to investigate the case further

At one point one of the men says he can hear the floor creaking under the carpet before reflecting: “There must be some treasure here… gold!”

As they tap the ground with their feet, the men hear that it is hollow and one wonders if there might be a “crawl gap”.

As they begin to remove the soil and wooden foundations underneath, the property thickens as the excavation team finds a layer of rubble and an old tree stump.

The overlay caption jokes, “Lava pit?”

Subsequent clips show the team clearing away the debris to reveal a sunken seating area.

Lara explains that they discovered a “talking well” from the 1970s.

According to the interior design website, The Spruce, “the sitting pit was probably inspired by design cues found in Japanese homes and British fireplaces…a small enclosed space around the fireplace, the purpose of which is to provide a gathering place.”

“The first modern sitting pits are attributed to Bruce Goff in 1927. However, it was not until 1952 that Eero Saarinen and Alexander Girard designed the famous sitting pit for the Miller House.”

The sit pit had its heyday in the 1950s to 1970s and has recently seen a revival.

Three years after discovering the unique feature in her home, Lara said she decided to restore it to its former glory.

In one of her videos, friends and family can be seen enjoying the lounge area with a fire in its full glory and drinks.

As they begin to remove the soil and wooden foundations underneath, the property thickens as the excavation team finds a layer of rubble and an old tree stump.

Lara explains that they discovered a “talking well” from the 1970s. According to interior design website The Spruce, the lounge area was “inspired by design cues found in Japanese homes.”

“After much discussion, we decided to recreate this intimate space and restore our home to its original state,” said Lara.

She wrote her story: “We were told that our floors were all laid on a concrete slab. Krake told us otherwise!

“There were also other unexplained oddities in the room.

“The stove was too close to the ground. Against the wall was a pounding of mud brick for no apparent purpose. And there was no practical way to line up the furniture in the room.

“After exposing and removing the wooden platform… we unearthed our hidden treasure. A talking point from the 70s!

“After much discussion, we decided to recreate this intimate space and restore our home to its original state.

“I hope you join us on this trip back to the 1970s!”

Many viewers gave the talking pit concept the thumbs up.

One commenter said: “The seat well needs to go back into homes, they are so cool and timeless.”

While another said: “Rent a cabin last summer and it had a 70’s lounge with fireplace, best part of the cabin!”