Woman uncovers hidden indoor swimming pool beneath floorboards in her new home

While exploring your home, you might discover hidden gems you've previously overlooked. Henry experienced something extraordinary while renovating a spare room in her family's Arkansas home. This glasswork artist found there was more to her hardwood floors than she initially thought—a complete pool and hot tub lay beneath the floorboards. "Probably the best surprise one's home could have." She shared her astonishing find and renovation plans on TikTok @funkyglassworks, amassing 12 million views.

The comment section buzzed with numerous suggestions on how she could transform the unconventional space. "Hear me out... a 70s style conversation pit," wrote @rachel.finds. "If you are turning that into a pond, seriously consider building an aquaponics system to grow your own food," commented @earthling311. "Maybe it used to be the backyard and then they covered over it and did an extension," guessed @wafflezpls. "Lol is it one of those 70s two-step living rooms?" added @just.ryn.

Henry and her family eventually decided to turn the space into an atrium. "Although lots of you wanted to see this restored back into [a] pool," Henry said in a TikTok update, "we decided that being surrounded by these crystal clear lakes and being such outdoorsy people, it wouldn't make sense for us to have an indoor pool. I hope to fill this room with stained glass, lots and lots of plants, and a small little koi pond for us to enjoy. We're going to get so much use out of this room, and I literally cannot wait to have a place to escape to."

In another video, Henry installed running water to create a small waterfall and stream, and added soil around the ponds to plant a variety of foliage. She even plans to build a live wall and add a hammock for ultimate relaxation. The atrium features numerous windows, good drainage, and ventilation to control moisture and moss growth. "So it's built for moisture, but we do have a large dehumidifier and have an Aprilaire coming," Henry responded to a comment. It is still a work in progress. People were in praise for the renovation. "I would never leave this room. This is going to be incredible," commented @esotericbalance. "Wow this is going to be an amazing what a wonderful idea!!!!" added @kiannaspiering.

Some home discoveries can be truly astonishing. Similarly, while chasing his chickens through a hole in his basement during renovations, a Turkish homeowner stumbled upon the ancient underground city of Derinkuyu. In the 1960s, the man knocked down a wall to reveal a dark tunnel leading to the 2,000-year-old city, which housed over 20,000 people for thousands of years. Derinkuyu, the world's largest excavated underground city, lies more than 280 feet beneath the Central Anatolian region of Cappadocia.

It is believed to connect to over 200 smaller and separate underground cities discovered in recent decades. The exact date of this magnificent city's construction remains unknown, but ancient writings from 370 BC indicate that Derinkuyu existed at that time. Researchers have uncovered 18 levels of tunnels within the city, containing dwellings, dry food storage, cattle stables, schools, wineries, and even a chapel, with entrances connecting to more than 600 private homes in Cappadocia's modern, surface-level region.

This article was originally published on July 10, 2023. It has since been updated.