It seems too strange to be real – a home emerging from a set of giant stones, seemingly cut out of the rock itself. Yet there it stands in rural Portgual with the pictures and video to prove it. No, it is not an optical illusion nor a fancy photo-editing job … this is the real deal.

As the television interview illustrates, the home is truly bordered by two boulders that inform the interior spaces – but it is also filled in with smaller stones to finish the effect. Crooked windows complete the curious picture on the outside while rough-cut log furniture, stairs and railings add to the organic feel of the interior spaces. Of course, this design is naturally eco-friendly as it incorporates local materials and more natural elements requiring less energy to turn into structural supports, finishes or cladding.

Inspired by none other than the Flintstones, this is not a work of installation art nor a themed hotel – it is simply the private residence of one person who saw a unique design opportunity and creatively integrated the natural environment while constructing his custom home on hill with a view (images via Jsome).