Once important industrial hubs for grinding grain, pumping water or generating electricity, windmills have slowly become obsolete. But clever real estate moguls are snapping them up to create show-stopping, one-of-a-kind homes with buckets of character.
Click or scroll on for the best windmill conversions that show exactly why these historic buildings are worth rescuing...
As authentic as it is beautiful, this 19th-century Minoterie du Moulin (wheat mill) can be found in the Pays de la Loire region of France, on the border of Brittany and Anjou, just 30 minutes from the cultural city of Nantes.
The windmill still belongs to the great-grandchildren of the original owners who ground wheat flour at the site. The cottage is accessed via the original tower, which features rotund walls and the original slate and stone staircase.
There are three light-filled bedrooms, one with an ensuite, which boast exposed beams and fresh, white walls. The property also has a family bathroom, an expansive grand salon with a vaulted ceiling and statement stone fireplace, plus a library area with a sofa bed.
While we don't know the exact size of the grounds, the mill has a verdant back garden with mature trees, a barbecue, a firepit and a small in-ground swimming pool. However, that isn't all!
An outhouse features a sauna and yoga room with a separate entrance. Perfect for unwinding after a long day exploring the nearby countryside and canal by bike or on foot.
This captivating windmill can be found in Färjestaden, Sweden, and was constructed back in 1851. Previously used to grind grains, the property has been lovingly restored, yet it retains plenty of original décor and accessories...
From the windmill's old floorboards to its rustic staircase and even the original grinder, every room is bursting with history and character. However, clearly a lot of work has been carried out to make the property modern and suitable for everyday living.
Delicate windows draw plenty of natural light inside, while the home's neutral colour and material palette keep the interior fresh and inviting. The main living space is open-plan and offers a sitting area, dining space and kitchen.
The top floor is home to a large bedroom, complete with the grinder decorating its centre. The room's angular, rotund walls add to the drama, while its little windows allow for lovely views over the surrounding landscape.
Akin to a modern beacon, this unusual home was once a working windmill. Located in the enchanting Suffolk countryside, the cool, converted home is unlike any windmill you might have seen before.
Laid out over four narrow floors, the home features a kitchen and dining room, as well as two bedrooms and one bathroom.
A top-floor living room opens to an amazing balcony at the very tip of the windmill.
The main living space is cosy and contemporary, with exposed timber wrapping its curving walls and ceiling. Yet the pièce de résistance of this amazing conversion project has to be the balcony just beyond the glass doors in the image...
Thanks to its sheer height, this gravity-defying deck provides unobstructed countryside views as far as the eye can see.
The sumptuous sanctuary even comes complete with fluffy dressing gowns and slippers, so guests can curl up and enjoy unadulterated luxury.
The word quirky doesn't quite cover this curious home in Capitola-by-the-Sea, California. A glorious burst of colour, patterns and distinctive interior design, this house has become somewhat of a local icon – and it isn't hard to see why!
According to Michael Arnone + Associates, who restored the property, the Windmill House was constructed in 1926, and while it never functioned as an actual windmill, it was designed to replicate one.
Nestled on Soquel Creek, the home is about as whimsical as it gets, with rooms painted in every colour of the rainbow, paired with bold furnishings.
There are surprises in every room, too. The kitchen sports tangerine orange cement countertops and stainless steel cabinets, while the staircase features a distinctive rope bannister. Clearly, this home was designed to dazzle!
Even the bedrooms are bonkers, in the best possible way. This one features rustic ceiling beams and big windows that provide views across the creek.
Plus, guests can enjoy access to a backyard, patio, putting green, hot tub, two outdoor showers and a large porch that overhangs the water.
Tucked away inside a lush forest landscape in Nazaré, a quaint fisherman's town known for having the biggest surf waves in the world, this windmill retreat invites guests to immerse themselves in their peaceful surroundings.
The property is nestled on top of a hill, mere minutes from the best beaches in the area.
Many of Portugal's windmills date back to the 12th century and their sails were made of cloth, allowing them to be rolled up and secured when strong winds hit quickly.
This property, however, was built in the 19th century, but thanks to a recent renovation, it is wonderfully cosy and stylish. We love the rough brick walls, exposed timber elements and rustic staircase.
Inside, there’s a kitchen and dining area on the ground floor and two bedrooms and a bathroom on the two remaining floors. The master suite, which sits on the top floor, features a stunning wooden ceiling and a window that frames magnificent views.
Outside, the dinky property provides abundant greenery, as well as walking trails for guests to explore. There's also a sitting area and a barbecue, so you can enjoy alfresco dinners under the stars.
A romantic rural hideaway, the Old Smock Windmill is steeped in history. Positioned in the quaint English village of Benenden in Kent, the former industrial property dates back to the early 1800s.
According to the website History of Windmills, the first smock mill was constructed in England back in 1650. After that, more cropped up across the country, since their design was perfect for pumping and redistributing water.
The property's iconic smock windmill design, with its tapered façade and weatherboarded cladding, gives it plenty of kerb appeal, while inside you'll find light, bright and spacious rooms spread across four levels.
The ground floor is home to the garden hideaway, a self-contained studio space, while the upper three floors boast a large kitchen, a living room, a king-sized bedroom and a beautiful bathroom, complete with a walk-in shower and soaking tub.
Every single space is decorated with rustic beams, sloping walls, natural timber floors and exposed brickwork.
The master bedroom is perhaps the finest room in the house, thanks to its soaring ceiling, hand-crafted spiral staircase and exposed windmill machinery, which includes the original upright shaft, giant spur wheel and sack hoist.
Head outside, and the exterior spaces are just as enchanting. The windmill's deck spans the circumference of the building and is the perfect place to soak up the scenery with a coffee in hand.
As far as remote luxury homes go, this one is up there with the best of them.
Anemomilos can be found in the village of Volimes, on Zakynthos Island in Greece. Enclosed by mountains and positioned facing the ocean, the former windmill was once used to grind wheat and produce flour.
As alluring as it is unusual, this one-of-a-kind conversion is really a sight to be seen.
While the home's exterior boasts rough stone walls and pretty fabric sails, the interior is characterful, bright and filled with gorgeous architectural touches.
From its exposed and rounded walls to its sweeping, handmade staircases and cosy nooks that have been utilised as living spaces, it's hard not to fall in love.
Set over three levels, the wonderful windmill has a tiny kitchen, a bathroom and two bedrooms, one on the first floor and one on the top floor.
The master suite is an absolute show-stopper, thanks to its decorative beamed ceiling, ample windows and natural stone walls. Of course, the space also provides unobstructed, 360-degree island views.
Outside, there's a backyard pavilion where lucky guests of this holiday home can sip a cocktail, enjoy an evening meal or simply recline with a book. All while taking in endless ocean vistas, plus the mountain ranges in this part of the island. Bliss!
No country is more famous for windmills than the Netherlands, which makes this conversion even more enticing.
Positioned in the town of Abcoude, about 20 minutes from Amsterdam by car, the iconic building stands proud in the middle of rolling fields and still boasts its original working sails.
The romantic windmill dates back to 1874 but was lovingly transformed into an incredible home later down the line. There are three floors, offering three beautiful bedrooms, a kitchen, a lounge, two toilets and a family bathroom.
Despite having been renovated and converted into a residence, the former windmill still retains much of its original character.
From its sloping, timber walls – seen most spectacularly in the bedrooms – to the exposed stone accents in the kitchen, it isn’t hard to imagine how the property looked back when it was used for commercial purposes.
Easily accommodating six people, the home's bedrooms are quaint and snug, all thanks to that rustic original woodwork.
Outside, guests of the windmill can enjoy the splendid countryside and even kayak on the meandering Gein River that lies right outside the front door.
This remarkable estate, known as The Clayton Windmills, can be found in rural West Sussex, England. It comes complete with a Grade II*-listed 19th-century windmill, an attached roundhouse, a converted granary, a 20th-century mill house and more than an acre of landscaped grounds.
The granary and mill house alone offer over 4,600 square feet (427sqm) of inside space and seven bedrooms, so this is one sprawling property.
The mill house was originally built in 1963 and was designed by Brighton-based architect Peter Farley. Modernist in style, it maintains the traditional black-and-white vernacular of classic Sussex mills.
However, the structure has been boldly updated with a punched aluminium extension that boasts a seed-scatter pattern – a nod to the property’s agricultural history. Inside, the house is light, bright and beautiful, with mid-century modern-inspired furnishings, large picture windows and rich parquet floors.
The home offers a large kitchen, an open-plan living area and numerous bathrooms. Suspended log burners and a substantial amount of glazing make for modern and inviting spaces.
There are plenty of older spaces, though, that still retain their original charms. This lofted area in one of the original windmills is ripe for restoration. In fact, one of the windmills, known as Jill, remains functional and is open to the public on Sundays for part of the year.
The home's one-and-a-half-acre (0.6ha) garden has formal flower beds, a vegetable patch, a stone-walled dining space, a wood-burning pizza oven and a fruit orchard. Not to mention the charming windmills that still stand on the grounds.
The conversion project was completed in 2016 to a design by award-winning architect Sarah Featherstone of Featherstone Young, and later went on to receive two RIBA Awards from the Royal Institute of British Architects in 2017.
Known as the Flea Windmill, this stunning waterfront property is show-stopping. Located on a private plot in Ponta Delgada, on the Portuguese island of São Miguel, the house was constructed in the 19th century and benefits from panoramic views of the ocean.
The unique project has a stylish exterior, with whitewashed walls and copper accents across the upper storey and the windmill’s blades. Inside, the petite property is laid out over three floors, with a living room, a kitchenette, a spacious bathroom and a king-sized bedroom.
While the interior is bright and modern, there are plenty of unique details from the 1800s, such as the rough exposed stone that surrounds the home's windows.
The bedroom is perhaps the finest space in the house. Positioned on the top floor, it features striking 360-degree windows, chic wood panelling across the walls and a huge bed.
Just imagine waking up here every day and admiring that stunning sea view.
How about this for a spectacular backyard? The garden spans 13,123 feet (4,000m) and is filled with sub-tropical fruit trees and colourful native flowers. The yard also offers beach access.
If you've fallen in love, then you can stay here anytime you like.
The Dutch began building windmills as early as 1,200 AD, according to Ancient Engineering Technologies, and there were roughly 9,000 windmills in the Netherlands during the 19th century.
Sadly, though, it is thought there are only around 1,200 left standing in the country. However, some have been rescued and preserved after being turned into remarkable homes...
This recently restored windmill lies in Maurik, in the Dutch province of Gelderland. Wonderfully traditional and yet bursting with character, the converted home was built on the ruins of a medieval castle back in 1873.
In 2006, it was given a new lease of life and today, it's absolutely stunning.
Laid out over numerous circular floors, every room features angular walls and pretty arched windows that draw in plenty of light.
There's a kitchen, a dining area, a sitting room, two bedrooms and two bathrooms, making it suitable for up to six guests.
There's a balcony in the middle of the structure, from which lovely views can be enjoyed. Plus, guests can head to the top of the old windmill and take in its original machinery and mechanisms, since they have been perfectly preserved.
When you think of windmills, you might not automatically think of Mallorca, the largest of Spain's Balearic Islands, but this is where you'll find this traditional 18th-century retreat.
The heritage property is nestled in the secluded countryside of Santa Eugènia, while still being just 20 minutes from the bustling city centre of Palma.
Despite retaining numerous authentic details, the interior is bright and comfortable with white walls, exposed beams and modern furnishings.
This cosy living room offers traditional tiled floors, rustic shutters at the windows and cool blue accents to reflect the azure waters of the Balearic sea that surrounds the island.
The rural retreat has two bedrooms, both echoing the bucolic simplicity of the rest of the home. Just take a look at the beautiful hand-painted murals on the back wall.
There's also a quirky ocean-themed bathroom with a custom mosaic mirror and a simple kitchen-diner.
The Airbnb listing states that the home and garden have "been built over the years with a lot of love and care", and it certainly shows.
Step outside into the Spanish sun and you'll find an idyllic garden with banana palms, maritime pines and cacti, plus a raised stone pond. What's more, there's a tiled pool and an undercover seating area.
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