The Ranch-style house is  underground and has brick veneer siding but is enclosed in a waterproof concrete shell measuring approximately  and covered with a compacted earth berm. The Clark County, Nevada Records show that the Underground House is on . The main house itself encompasses three bedrooms and three bathrooms, and includes a small guest quarters. The home, designed to sustain life for approximately one year, was equipped with an underground generator and fuel tank."
The interior design of this home serves as a reflection of the Cold War era during which it was constructed. The prevailing atmosphere at the time, particularly in the aftermath of the Cuban Missile Crisis, was one of heightened concern among Americans regarding the looming threat of nuclear war. The homeowner held a firm conviction that the United States and the Soviet Union might continue to intensify their conflict, ultimately leading to a catastrophic nuclear confrontation.
The underground area has been designed to imitate an above-ground setting, including grass-looking carpet as an imitation lawn, artificial trees and wall to wall, floor to ceiling scenery. A fireplace chimney channeled smoke through a "trunk and branches" of a fake tree on the surface. The house was lit with nearly 1,000 fluorescent lights. These lights, in four colors, enabled the night sky to simulate a sunrise.
The muralist Jewel Smith painted the Trompe-lœil murals to depict Hendersons sheep ranch in Cecil Peak Station, New Zealand, the ranch he owned in Colorado, a view of Los Angeles from Beverly Hills, and a depiction of his childhood home in Suffern, New York.