Modern living meets subterranean splendor in this gorgeous home nestled inside of a 17,000-square foot sandstone cave in Festus, Missouri. Credit: www.caveland.us
- Modern living meets subterranean splendor in this gorgeous home nestled inside of a 17,000-square foot sandstone cave in Festus, Missouri.
- The front of the cave is filled with a modern three-bedroom, two bathroom house that gets enough sunlight to make you forget that you live in a cave.
- A view of the cave several years ago before construction started.
- Inside the cave, is a normally-framed house – just a small part of the 17,000 square feet of living space.
- Built by Curt and Deborah Sleeper, the underground abode features modern interior spaces that blend with the beautiful unfinished sandstone walls to create an incredible example of energy-efficient architecture.
- Geothermal heating and smart passive design keeps the interior comfortable while completely eliminating the need for a furnace or air conditioning.
- In spite of the vast size of the home, the energy costs run about the same as they did in their 800 square-foot starter home.
- Inside the cave, is a normally-framed house – just a small part of the 17,000 square feet of living space.
- The naturally insulating properties of the site’s sandstone walls keep the climate inside comfortable throughout the year.
- The cave consists of three chambers, and the Sleepers decided to leave many of the walls in their unfinished natural state, which adds to the home’s charm.
- The kitchen has nearly 400 square feet and a floor plan that lends itself well to cooking for one person, two, or parties of a hundred guests.
- The kitchen includes a range top, two convection ovens, a triple sink, large island with secondary sink and breakfast bar as well as granite countertops.
- The middle chamber holds the laundry room, storage, and a spare bath, and also opens into the cave creating an approximately 80 foot by 80 foot space.
- The bathtub has plenty of exposed rock to help you remember exactly where you are.
- Even the bathroom has a cave-like, if not grotto-like feel.
- The property has at least three groundwater springs, one accessible via a cistern in the middle chamber of the cave, one that yields an average of 100 gallons a day in an indoor pond in the front chamber, and one near the woods.
- During the five years of construction, Sleeper and his family lived in tents in back of the cave.
- These big windows provide plenty of natural sunlight into the cave.
- The Sleepers built their underground home after trading their tiny Missouri ranch house for a 3-acre parcel of property in Festus complete with an empty sandstone cave.
- Current owner Curt Sleeper spent five years building the home inside the cave.
- The home used to be a roller skating rink and concert venue.
- During heavy rain, the property gets as many as fourteen beautiful waterfalls from the cliffs.
- There's nothing like watching a winter snow storm from your cave perch.
- The “Cave House” was on the market in a distress sale in 2009, but it appears the owners were able to re-work their adjustable-rate loan and have now happily settled back into cave life.
- More >
Comments
I am not sure the baby is happy in the kitchen. Smile, baby!
the vampire family would like to live there. the director of the movie twilight was so sad that he did not find there.
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!