Quirky 'Flintstones House' that features cave-like living spaces and bedrooms accessed by TUNNELS hi
A historic home dubbed the 'Flintstones House' for its resemblance to the dwelling belonging to the famed cartoon family has hit the market for $400,000.
The cave-like abode, built in 1970 and situated just northeast of Cleveland in Painesville, Ohio, was the vision of American sculptor Wayne Trapp, who collaborated with earth-shelter architect Ken Kern on the design.
Trapp, who passed away in 2016 and spent much of his adult life in Ohio, dubbed the 3,600-square-foot residence 'Chant du Cygne' — French for 'Swan Song.'
The asking price for the five-bedroom, three-bathroom home, located at 7245 Cascade Road, is $400,000.
A home in Painesville, Ohio, informally known as the 'Flintstones House' for its resemblance to the dwelling of the famed cartoon family has hit the market with an asking price of $400,000
Sculptural elements echoing the home's aesthetic sit in the yard. Seen is one of them on the lawn
The cave-like residence spans 3,600 square feet and has a sloping rooftop that reaches the ground
Over the years, the house has cropped up from time-to-time on the local news, highlighted as among the most distinctive examples of real estate the region has to offer.
American sculptor Wayne Trapp (pictured), who passed away in 2016, worked with architect Ken Kern on the home's design
Back in 2011, it was even featured on an episode of MTV's Extreme Cribs.
At a distance, the home's façade could be mistaken for an unusually shaped rock formation protruding out of the landscape.
But that lithic silhouette was in fact constructed out of concrete and spray foam, undergirded with an internal metal framework.
Back in the spring of 1970, Trapp recruited 20 local art students to assist with the construction, which at the time was commissioned by a local family. Trapp, working with the group of recruits, completed the project by the end of the summer.
Across the yard of the one-acre property stand abstract sculptural elements that echo the organic curvatures of the home - as well as a realistic brontosaurus statue perched in the bushes.
Likewise, the interior texture of the walls and flooring throughout the residence was crafted to resemble that of a hidden-away cave dwelling.
In the children's wing of the home, which encompasses four bedrooms — plus a playroom, the separate rooms are connected by narrow tunnels, through which occupants must get on their hands and knees to traverse.
In the living room, a seating area and fireplace is located in a sunken pit. The dining room and kitchen is seen here as well
The living space includes a kitchen counter space for people to dine-in with cavernous lights to illuminate the interior
The texture of the interior walls was likewise crafted to resemble a hidden-away cave
The main house contains five bedrooms - with the spaces seemingly carved out of the cave-like interior
A network of tunnels connect the bedrooms and playroom in the children's wing of the house
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In the living room, a gathering area takes shape in a sunken pit, which, flanked by a fireplace, is lined with seating carved directly out of the faux-stone foundation.
Elsewhere, the eat-in kitchen looks out over a charming brick patio.
Just steps away, a guest house makes for a scaled-down counterpart of the cavernous main home.
The previous owner, a retired plumber named Rick Kristoff who bought the home for $130,000 in 2000, took to online forums to gush about what he described as a 'work of art' by Trapp.
'I acquired this work of art in 2000 and have enjoyed sharing it with those that I have waved in while they are slowly driving by,' he wrote on RoadsideAmerica.com in 2010, then offering up his phone number for those interested in touring the property.
At a distance, the abode resembles a strange-looking rock formation, but it is made out of concrete and spray foam
Trapp worked with a group of 20 local art students over the summer of 1970 to complete the structure
The house is constructed out of concrete over a metal frame, and finished with spray foam
The one-acre property also encompasses a guest house, which is seen above
A realistic brontosaurus statue resides near the entrance to the guesthouse
'Works of art should be shared,' he also told Cleveland Magazine in 2011.
Kristoff, however, had strong feelings against the 'Flintstone House' nickname, telling Cleveland.com in 2016 that the moniker, to him, was 'like calling the Mona Lisa some chick… It's disrespectful.'
He strongly preferred that the residence be known as the Cave House - though that designation hasn't had the same traction as that of the one referencing Hanna-Barbera's iconic Stone Age cartoon.
Jacqueline Ward at Howard Hanna holds the listing.
Of Kristoff's decision to sell his beloved home of 23 years, Ward told DailyMail.com: 'He was so proud to be its caretaker… and sad to leave.'
'It's a place that, once you visit, it has a hold on you,' she added.
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