The type of house that someone lives in says a lot about a person, and we have to say, some people live in some pretty unusual ones. We’ve gathered 50 of the craziest to share with you today. While many of these homes are luxurious works of art, others are downright strange and will leave you simply shaking your head.
However, the one thing that they all have in common is that they are definitely not ordinary. Alternative ways of living are all the rage these days and these 50 homes are right at the forefront of the trend. Whether these homes are good ideas or bad ideas though, we’ll let you be the judge.
1. Dome House in Melbourne, Australia
In what appears to be one part nuclear bunker, one part normal modern dwelling, could you imagine living here? It is certainly unusual, but we have to say, the nice little deck and courtyard area outside is a very enticing feature. We could totally see ourselves lounging out there.
2. Steel House in Texas
Here is a house that could easily double as a space ship. In reality, it is more of a work of art and labor of love than a house. It was created by sculptor Robert Bruno who worked on it for over 35 years until his death in 2008.
3. Transparent House in Tokyo
Tokyo’s transparent house is not definitely not for people who desire privacy. Every wall is completing see-through, meaning anyone whoever walks by it will know exactly what is going on inside. It offers abundant natural lighting though.
4. Boeing 727-200 House in Hillsboro, Oregon
Airplane enthusiast Bruce Campbell purchased the decommissioned military aircraft in 1999 for $100k. Then spent another $220k remodeling the inside to make it livable. Although the plane’s flying days are now over, it turns out, it makes for a pretty decent house.
5. Pole House in Australia
Because the property was located entirely on a slanted hill, the architects decided their best option was to build the house up on a tall pole. It’s an unusual solution that resulted in some incredible views for the homeowners. Now, you can basically step out of your bedroom and paraglide right down to the beach.
6. Skateboard House in Malibu, California
It’s a skateboard lovers dream! Every surface of this house is able to be skated on. The walls are ramps or halfpipes and the appliances and furniture are grind rails. The fun idea was cooked up by pro skateboarder and founder of Etnies, Pierre Andre Senizergues.
7. Blue House in Klagenfurt, Austria
This guy’s neighbors must love him! In complete defiance of cultural norms and homeowners regulations, he painted his entire house blue. We just wonder what color he painted the inside.
8. Langtry House in Hampstead, London
At first glance, this luxurious home looks pretty normal. There doesn’t seem to be too much out of the ordinary — that is until you take the elevator downstairs. The majority of the home is built underground in a giant subterranean complex that includes a cinema, gym, three bedrooms, and several other rooms.
9. Slide House in Japan
Kids would love this house. It has a large slide winding through the walls connecting the upstairs rooms to the downstairs ones. It is three-stories of pure fun. Although, there is also a normal set of stairs too for when you need to go back up.
10. World’s Slimmest House in Poland
No one ever would have suspected that someone would try to build a house in between these two big buildings, but that’s exactly what happened. The width of this tiny abode measures just 6 feet at its widest section. The smallest section is three feet wide.
11. Gue(Ho)st in Delme, France
This house used to be a prison, but architects Berdaguer and Pejus converted it into this all-white work of art. One possible interpretation is that some strange alien life form has attached itself to the outside, or perhaps it has been possessed by a ghost. What do you think?
12. Nautilus House in Mexico City
Created by architect Javier Senosiain, this house was designed to look like a beautiful seashell. The colors of the mosaics are pretty amazing. They create a rainbow effect inside when light passes through them.
13. Water Tower House in Belgium
This water tower house is an important piece of history. It was used as a Nazi hideout during World War II. Now, it has been repurposed into a beautiful modern home with the top floor standing at over 100 feet high.
14. Star Trek House in Hinckley, Leicestershire
The interior of this cool house was built to look exactly the Voyager, the fictional spaceship from the Star Trek franchise. It is truly one of a kind. Star Trek fans won’t find a better replicate anywhere. “Bliss is a room without wires,” their website reads.
15. Rock Palace in Yemen
The Dar al-Hajar palace, otherwise known as the Rock Palace, is located in Yemen. It was built in the 1920s as a summer retreat for one of the former rulers of the country. It has since been turned into a museum and can now be visited by the public.
16. Flintstones House in Malibu, California
This house, built by television legend Dick Clark, was inspired by the popular 1960s cartoon, The Flintstones. The interior of the house is just as rocky as the outside. Fred and Wilma Flintstone would feel right at home.
17. Moonraker House in Poole, Dorset
This home was inspired by the James Bond movie franchise — specifically, the 1979 film Moonraker. It looks exactly like something the 007 agent would live in. Its sleek and modern design makes it the perfect place to hide out and drink a martini.
18. Caterpillar House in Chile
The caterpillar house was designed to look live several caterpillars worming their way across the landscape. It was built entirely out of shipping containers and consists of several different compartments that all interact with each other while still maintaining their uniqueness.
19. World’s Smallest House in Germany
This is the world’s smallest house. It measures just 1 square meter and has a design that is easily replicable. To date, several of them have been produced. The DIY wooden structure is light enough that it can even be carried around with you on your back.
20. Mirror House in Almere, Netherlands
Every single side of this cool house is completely covered in mirrors, giving a whole new meaning to the concept of blending into your environment. The reflective structure’s appearance naturally changes throughout the day.
21. Upside-Down House in Germany
This home was designed and built by architects Klaudiusz Golos and Sebastian Mikiciuk as part of the World Upside Down Project. The project’s goal was to help people approach architecture from a different perspective and it seems like they succeeded. The house is now open as a tourist attraction.
22. Treehouse in Miami, Florida
We always wanted to live in a treehouse growing up and now it’s totally possible. This place can actually be rented on Airbnb. Living here would fulfill every one of our childhood fantasies.
23. Beer Can House in Houston, Texas
This has to be one of the weirdest homes on our list — a house made completely out of beer cans, plus some inlaid marble, rocks, and other metal pieces. It took creator John Milkovisch about 50,000 cans in total to build the structure.
24. Toilet House in Suwon, South Korea
Politician and creator of this property, Sim Jae-duck, goes by the name Mr. Toilet. He first acquired the nickname through his work beautifying the public restrooms of South Korea. He completely embraced the endearing term. Now, even the house he lives in is now shaped like a toilet.
25. Stone House in Portugal
This house was designed to look like a massive boulder and we have to say, they did a pretty amazing job with it. The only things that would make someone aware that it is actually a house and not a rock are the small windows, red roof, and chimney.
26. Church House in The Netherlands
This home, named the Resident Church XL, was designed by the Zecc Architects firm. The church itself dates back to 1870 but was remodeled into a home in 2009. The best parts about it are the stained glass windows and open layout plan in the interior, making for amazing natural lighting and lots of space.
27. Shark Attack House in Oxford, England
This insane cottage has a giant shark diving through its roof. The shark first appeared in 1986 and has since caused the cottage to become a popular local landmark. When it was first created though, the shark was extremely controversial and many tried to get it removed.
28. Cement Factory House in Spain
This stone house was originally a cement factory. Judging by the exterior, you would probably guess that it still was one. However, what looks like just another industrial building on the outside opens up on the inside to a very lovely home with very tall ceilings.
29. Sea Fort House in Portsmouth Harbour, England
This sea fort, named Spitbank Fort, was built back in 1861 to help the British Royal Navy defend the coast. In 1962, the Ministry of Defense declared the fort a surplus and sold it off to private buyers. It has since been remodeled into a luxury hotel complete with a swimming pool, restaurant, dance hall, and 50 rooms.
30. Cloud House in Melbourne, Australia
This cool house was designed by architects to look like a cloud soaring through the sky. It is absolutely stunning and couples quirky shapes with modern design features. The sides of the cloud even provide for a shaded deck and swimming pool area.
31. Jellyfish House in Spain
The most fascinating feature about this modern dwelling is the glass-bottom infinity pool. It can be seen in the image protruding from the front part of the roof of the house. There is also an additional side window in the pool that looks into the interior of the home.
32. H2Ome in The Ocean
The H2Ome concept was invented by the US Submarine Structures company. The idea is to build the homes completely underwater. They will feature transparent sides in all of the rooms allowing you to see out into the open ocean.
33. Tree Hotel in Sweden
This place is certainly a little more sophisticated than the kinds of treehouses that you might have built as a kid. The siding is made out of mirrors, giving the house the appearance that it is truly one with the forest. From the inside, you have a 360-degree view of the nature surrounding you.
34. Shoebox House in Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona is known for their trendy tiny homes. Space is a luxury in the city, but this shoebox apartment fits right in. It consists of just one cube-shaped room with most of its features folding in and out of the walls and floor.
35. Water-Home in Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam has one of the longest and most beautiful canals in the world. While living on the water is nothing new there, this floating dwelling represents the best that the city has to offer. Living here would be like being on one long never-ending holiday.
36. Costa Verde Hotel in Costa Rice
The fuselage room at the Costa Verde hotel was made from a refurbished 1965 Boeing 727. It looks like something you would see in the movies. The plane jutting out of the jungle canopy gives the appearance that you are staying in a crashed airliner.
37. Dupli.Casa in Ludwigsburg, Germany
This futuristic home is a total piece of art and easily looks like it could be part of a Salvador Dali painting. It was designed by the renowned architect firm in Berlin, J. Mayer. The firm is well-known for the crazy homes they design.
38. Wedding Cake House in Kennebunk, Maine
The wedding cake house is a historic dwelling built by shipbuilder George Bourne in 1825. It is one of the most photographed houses in the entire state. The name is due to the house’s wedding-cake like appearance.
39. Dumpster House in Austin, Texas
There is nothing more unusual than living in a repurposed dumpster. The house was created by a professor at Huston-Tillotson University as a commentary on sustainable living going into the future. We aren’t entirely sure on the message, but perhaps it’s something about turning trash into treasure?
40. Floating House in Seattle, Washington
This luxurious floating house is the pinnacle of modern living. The house is currently docked in Seattle, Washington and has three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a beautiful rooftop terrace. There is also a little ladder hanging off the deck on the side in case you want to go for a swim.
41. Shipping Container House in Austin, Texas
Austin is well-known for keeping it weird and this funky shipping container home stays right in line with the trend. The owner named the property Rancho Burrito and the entire living space measures just 280 square feet.
42. Streamline House in Inverloch, Australia
The owners had two main design requests for their home. They wanted it to provide 360-degree coastal views and they wanted it to be in sync with the natural surroundings. Their requests resulted in this amazing streamlined home that somewhat resembles a UFO.
43. Bunker House in Mill Hill, London
This house used to be a nuclear bunker. It was built in the 1950s during the cold war scare. However, it has since been repurposed into a lovely modern home. Its selling points are its wide windows and thick concrete walls.
44. Fallingwater House in Mill Run, Pennsylvania
Here we have a home that you’ve probably seen before. It’s the famous Fallingwater dwelling built by architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The cascading waterfall was left completely intact and the stream runs right underneath the house.
45. Dr. Suess House in Willow, Alaska
This strange 12-story house looks like something straight out a Dr. Suess book. However, it is, indeed, real. It was built by a local resident in the town of Willow, Alaska. It can be seen towering above the trees and forest for miles in every direction.
46. Psychedelic Mansion in El Alto, Bolivia
This mansion is the work of Bolivian architect Freddy Mamani. He is a member of the Aymara peoples of the Andes and built the psychedelic looking house in celebration of Bolivia’s economic blossoming and his people’s newfound confidence.
47. Domes For The World in Yogyakarta, Indonesia
These crazy little dome houses are part of a project offering new housing options for members of a community in Indonesia that was devastated by earthquakes. The village of 80 dome homes was completed in under six months and now houses hundreds of people.
48. S-House in Saitama, Japan
It turns out, transparent houses are in style in Japan. This “S-house” is completely see-through and has a living space of 104 square meters. The architect also took inspiration for his design from the work of M.C. Escher.
49. Wood House in Jackson Hole, Wyoming
The Grand Tetons National Park and its amazing mountains provide an incredible backdrop for this wood home. It fits right into the rural landscape while still maintaining an air of modernity. It is basically an adventure lover’s paradise.
50. Art Deco House in Raleigh, North Carolina
This beautiful red art deco house is the personal home of renowned architect and university professor Frank Harmon. He designed it himself. The home is both modern and compact while still offering an abundance of light.
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