5 of the most unique homes we’ve ever seen
People tend to be particular about the way their home looks. After all, they spend the majority of their time there. And some people are especially particular, having unique visions for their homes that go above and beyond the norm.
These five homes are examples of that, and they’re definitely giving us renovation ideas.
1. Boeing 727 – Outside Of Portland, Oregon
Former electrical engineer Bruce Campbell renovated a Boeing 727 plane so he could move in. He bought it in 1999 for $100,000 and has spent approximately $120,000 on the renovation. It has everything you could want in a house—places to sleep, relax and shower. There is also a see-through area so you can view what used to be the plane’s cargo area.
Campbell refers to his new home as “upcycled,” which is when someone uses discarded objects or materials in a way that gives them even greater value than before. “Jetliners can, and should, be transformed into wonderful homes—retirement into an aerospace class castle should be every airliner’s constructive fate. They should never be mindlessly scrapped.” We couldn’t agree more!
2. Flying Saucer House – Signal Mountain, Tennessee
This Flying Saucer House, built in 1970, is made of steel and suspended on concrete pillars, and has over 2,000 square feet of living space. Tonya Beardslee wrote on RoadsideAmerica.com, that her grandparents lived there until about 2004.
“It has a drop-down airplane door which leads into a bar area with 13 mirrors on the wall,” Beardslee writes. “You then take a few steps up a spiral staircase that lands you on the main level. Here you find a living room, kitchen with eating area (with a balcony looking over the highway), two large bedrooms and two full baths (one very large with a large round stone tub). From the living room there are a few steps that take you to a small ‘landing’ that leads you to the third bedroom.”
Intrigued? This Flying Saucer House is that it is now available for rent. If you’d like to learn more, some visitors have posted videos about their experiences so you can get a glimpse of life on the other side.
3. The Upside-Down House – Szymbark, Poland
This house is not only creative, but also has a deeper meaning—it’s a symbol of the Communist era and the state of the world, according to Freshome. The Upside-Down House was created by Polish businessman and philanthropist Daniel Czapiewski. It’s located in Szymbark, Poland, a tiny village southwest of Gdańsk. The upside-down structure, which Czapiewski’s company built in 114 days due to all the unusual angles, attracts flocks of visitors. We’re definitely adding it to our must-see list!
4. The Mushroom House AKA The Pavilion – La Jolla, California
The Mushroom House, also known as The Pavilion, is about as remote as you can get, and boasts an amazing ocean view. Its history? Back in 1960, Sam Bell (heir to General Mills, i.e., Bell Potato Chips) bought a summer home in La Jolla, California. The property included an area down a 300- foot cliff, according to PriceyPads.com, which is where The Mushroom House grew as a guest house.
A 300-foot tramway was built between Bell’s main house and The Mushroom House. The architect behind the project, Dal Nagle, chose a mushroom shape for safety reasons, feeling that this would enable it to withstand all the elements, from rock slides to rain storms and everything in between. It has a 180-degree view from Torrey Pines State Park to La Jolla. In August 2015, retired venture capitalist Buzz Woolley bought the 3-bedroom/3-bathroom Mushroom House for $4 million.
5. Dick Clark’s “Flintstones” Lookalike House – Malibu, California
If you thought the Flintstones’ house existed only on TV, think again. Dick Clark had his Malibu home built in a similar style.
But initially, it almost didn’t exist at all. The 23-acre site is next to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreational Area, and the park conservancy did not want a house built on the property. “[Clark] dug in his heels and said he was going to build a house there,” Phillip Jon Brown, Clark’s architect, told CNNMoney. “I came up with the idea that if the house looked like a rock formation, the park conservancy would let us build on top. They liked the concept.” Genius, right?
The single-story structure, complete with rocky interiors, was sold by Clark’s widow in 2014 for $1.778 million after three years on the market, reports Curbed Los Angeles. It sold for just more than half of its original asking price.
[h/t: Moneyish]