What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about a cave? This guy spent the majority of his adult life, transforming this desert cave into a lovely house. Grant Johnson is a “caveman” in name only. He was able to transform a desert cave into a home. And now, his 5,000-square-foot desert mansion is an art piece in itself. You’ll understand why once you’ve seen it.
A home like this isn’t typical. Everything you’d want to find in a contemporary house may be found here.
At the age of 17, Johnson relocated to Moab for school in order to pursue academic goals. He began hiking while still in school, and he also worked as a miner in town. Then it didn’t take him long to discover how much he loved nature compared to city life.
Johnson moved to Utah at the age of twenty-one. He was attracted to the idea of living off the grid. He discovered a canyon where he could irrigate his own crops and provide for himself. He acquired a large piece of property, which allowed him complete freedom to develop it as he pleased.
Despite his misgivings, he nevertheless went for it. It was not an easy process to construct a home in this cave. In fact, it took him 20 years to complete. There were periods when it looked like he wouldn’t be able to complete all of his objectives. Putting the puzzle pieces together and making the place livable was beyond his abilities.
He eventually needed more than simply a few items of equipment – he used explosives!
“I started blasting in 95, blasted a little tunnel here first,” he revealed. It wasn’t long after the first blast that I became a full-time blaster.”
He had no idea what to do with the house after he finished blasting it. He needed to figure out how to convert this into a functional residence after he was done destroying it. For a few years, the property remained vacant while he thought about what to do with it. He knew that in order for this to happen, he would have to save money.
“I didn’t know what I was looking for,” he said. What a satisfying conclusion that would have been.”
He completed the work, but only after delaying for a long time. Johnson was able to use blasting techniques to make and reinforce windows. He then installs the glass in the windows for stunning views from the outside. With his inventiveness, he even brought water and electricity into it.
He uses Airbnb to allow visitors to rent a private room inside his compound. And those who have visited his current cave house have been expressing their delight on social media.
“There is no other place like the Boulder house,” stated one happy tenant. “When you think about it, this is an architectural marvel of the modern age: an entire living-space built into an enormous boulder. To get there, we had to drive across a small stream. In addition to the stunning scenery, the area was surrounded by a herd of horses and cows. If you want to stay here, don’t miss your chance!”
Twenty years after he took a leap of faith to make it a reality, his goal has finally come true. Grant Johnson is thrilled with his off-grid lifestyle and the house he built for himself, and he wants others to enjoy it as well.
