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Man Carves Wonderfully Livable Home Out of a Cave

After being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2007, a Briton named Angelo Mastropietro was temporarily paralyzed. After recovering, Mastropietro began to get the most out of his newly-appreciated, fully-functioning body by throwing himself into a very physical project: Carving, largely by himself, a luxury home out of a cave outside of Worcestershire.

While the excavating labor might’ve come free, the subsequent interior detailing did not. Mastropietro, who formerly ran a successful recruiting business in Australia, set a budget of £100,000 (USD $143,000) for the build-out—or is that build-in?—and eventually spent £160,000 (USD $230,000). But the results seem well worth it:

I’m impressed by how light and airy it looks; perhaps it’s the film crew’s lighting, but the space does not register as subterranean. The detailing is excellent, like the trick of using recessed lighting in the kitchen and bedroom to give the impression of sunlight traveling down a shaft. And how cool is that shower?

Mastropietro is currently renting the space out as a vacation getaway. He calls it the Rockhouse Retreat.