You’ve probably seen some insane homes around the world while traveling. From beautiful villas in Bali to seaside cottages in France to massive mansions in the Hollywood Hills.
You might think you’ve seen it all, but we’ve found some even more insane homes from around the world that you probably haven’t seen yet (and definitely need to see).
These homes will literally take your breath away with their epic designs and features. So, let’s get to it!
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1. Shark Attack Home, Headington, Oxford, England
Ok, so we thought we’d start off with one of those homes that’s insane in a funny way.
The Headington Shark has been around since 1986, when Bill Heine had a 25 foot fibreglass shark installed on the roof of his house. The best part is that the shark perpetually appears as if it’s just crashed into the house from the sky.
This wasn’t always the case however. Heine faced a lot of opposition from the local Oxford council when he applied to have the art work installed.
It all worked out in the end and you will spot this house, which is super popular with tourists and locals, from a mile away if you’re in Headington.
2. Giant Seashell House, Mexico City
Built in 2006, this beautiful home features a giant wall of colored mosaics which light up the living space inside with an incredible rainbow effect.
Inspired by the works of Antoni Gaudí and Frank Lloyd Wright, the house has a mixture of smooth surfaces and spiral stairs which really make it feel like you’re living inside a shell.
Fun fact: the house was built for a family of four who didn’t want to live in a basic home, and instead wanted a home that was more integrated with nature.
3. Skateboard House, Malibu, California
Only in California huh?!
One of those homes that you not only want to see, but also would want to experience!
Built for skaters by former pro-skater and the founder of Etnies, Pierre Andre Senizergues, you can literally skate over every surface the house.
How? Basically each section of the house is shaped like a tube, forming a continuous flow between the floor, walls and ceiling. The furniture is also skateable – pretty cool huh?!
4. The Slide House, Japan
File this one under homes for people who always love to have fun!
The name of the house basically says it all – it includes a giant slide!
While it looks fairly standard and simple from the outside, a giant slide spanning three floors runs through the house.
In fact, the slide runs through the entire perimeter of the building – which is why it has soft, rounded corners.
5. The Flinstones House, Malibu, California
Ah Malibu, home of beautiful beaches and all the insane homes, apparently!
This house is a homage to the house the Flinstone family lived in in the cartoon show during the 60s.
Everything in the house looks like it’s made of stone. In fact, it’s almost the exact replica of the house from the tv show. Pretty cool, huh?!
6. The Cement Factory Conversion, Spain
Ok there are some seriously talented people out there.
The abandoned cement factory was discovered by Ricardo Bofill, a Spanish architect, in 1973.
After two years of hard labour, and planting lots of trees and plants, the former cement factory was turned into an incredible complex which doubles as Ricardo’s home and office.
7. Old Water Tower, Belgium
Who knew a 100 foot high water tower could be such a chic place to live!
This water tower was originally built around 1938 to store water and was in service until the 1990s. Apparently, it was also used as a German hideout during World War II.
However, in 2007, the water tower underwent a full renovation and is now a beautiful family home.
8. The Keret House, Poland
Welcome to the slimmest house in the world!
At around 5 feet wide at its widest points, this is one of those homes that is suited for people who are fans of really small spaces.
Designed by Jakub Szczesny, you’ll find Keret House wedged in between two buildings. Jakub wanted to make sure no urban spaces go unused.
While the house has no windows, it’s semi-transparent and has a white interior which makes it seem more spacious.
Fun fact: because of the small size of the house, it can only accommodate a two beverage refrigerator!
9. The Pole House, Australia
Some homes just defy all odds, and Pole House is definitely one of those.
The land that this house is built on is a super steep hillside, as you can see.
To tackle this challenge, the architects built the house on top of a concrete platform which is on top of a 42 foot pillar.
By elevating the house, the architects were also able to take full advantage of the epic views surrounding the house which overlooks the Great Ocean Road. Simple and stunning!
10. The Hobbit House, Wales
This one is for those who are interested in themed and eco-friendly homes.
This house is obviously inspired by Lord of The Rings. But, it was also built with the environment in mind.
The house is made out of all natural materials and includes a skylight, solar panels, water drawn from a nearby spring and a compost toilet,
It also only took around 4 months for the owner and his father-in-law to build, and cost around $5200. Winning!
11. Upside-down House, Trassenheide, Germany
There are insane homes that are just plain funny, and this is one of them!
The upside-down house was built as a tourist attraction, which means technically no-one actually resides here.
So what’s the purpose of it? Essentially, the architects, Klaudiusz Golos and Sebastian Mikiciuk, wanted people to be able to see the world from a different perspective.
If you head inside the house, you’ll see that everything is upside-down, including the furniture!
Fun fact: the house is also built on a six per cent incline, giving the illusion that the house just fell out of the sky and landed on its roof!
12. House NA, Japan
Looking for a whole lot of natural light, and no privacy? House NA is the place for you!
The entire house is transparent with no privacy anywhere, apart from the bathroom.
The owners of the house wanted to live as nomads and were inspired by the concept of living in a tree.
To help make this vision come to life, the architects used 21 individual floor plates, all situated at various heights, to help the owners’ vision come to life.
13. Egg House, Beijing, China
Tired of homes costing an arm and a leg to own? Beijing architect Dai Haifei may have the solution for you.
Unable to afford a place to live, Dai got creative back in 2010 and built himself an egg shaped house on the sidewalk. It was totally solar powered and only cost $964 to build.
At around 6.5 feet tall at its highest point, the house provided the bare necessities – a bed, water tank and a table lamp.
Dai also planted grass seeds into the exterior cladding, so the egg had a nice and natural looking green exterior.
14. Hotel Costa Verde, Costa Rica
The perfect place for a travel lover to stay and call home for a while!
This hotel use to be an actual Boeing 727 airplane and is probably one of the most unique hotels in the world!
The airplane frame was salvaged and transported to the site in pieces. It was then reassembled on a 50-foot pillar at the edge of the National Park in Costa Rica.
Because of its height, the hotel offers incredible views of the jungle in the National Park.
The hotel is also committed to sustainability and recycles, makes furniture from naturally downed trees and plants around 10,000 trees and plants on the property every year.
How many of these 14 homes have you seen or visited while traveling? Do you think you would ever live or stay in any of these insane homes?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Excellent selection. I wasn’t aware of that “home” in Costa Rica but I’d love to give it a try!
Me too!