If you’re looking for the most mind-blowingly bizarre homes on the planet, you’ve come to the right place! From a towering log cabin in Alaska to a Batman-inspired home in Mexico, these crazy homes go to the extremes of architectural possibility and human imagination. 

Just because they’re living off-grid, doesn’t mean that artist couple Wayne Adams and Catherine King wanted to keep their home low-key. Freedom Cove, their floating residence located near Tofino, a district on Vancouver Island on the west coast of Canada, is painted in a zingy palette of magenta and green.

They first began building their unusual home in 1991 using some wood they had gathered from trees that had fallen down in a storm. The 15-platform floating island has continued to expand, with the couple mainly using collected, repurposed and sustainable materials.

Despite its remote location, Wayne and Catherine have everything they need and more: there are four greenhouses, a guest house, gardens, an art workshop and even a dance floor among Freedom Cove’s vast range of facilities.

The couple enjoy living off-grid and the vast majority of the food they eat is grown on the island or fished from the nearby waters. They venture onto the mainland every couple of weeks for basic food staples but are otherwise self-sufficient.

If you’re interested in learning more about this unusual home the pair run tours of Freedom Cove during the summer months allowing visitors to understand their way of life. Love this? See more sustainable off-grid dwellings.

Want to see another weird property? Of course you yabba dabba doo! This bizarre ‘Flintstone House’, so-named because it resembles Fred and Wilma’s Stone Age home from the popular cartoon, was built in 1977 and designed by architect William Nicholson.

This outlandish property is brought to life in bright purple and red, with the structure formed of a number of adjoining bubble shapes. It’s made from wire and shotcrete (a type of concrete that is sprayed through a hose), which formed the spherical shapes that give this home its unusual look.

Yet it’s surprisingly pared-back inside: walls are whitewashed and there’s a simple colour palette of reds, oranges and browns adding accents throughout. A few quirky touches including Flintstone motifs, dolls and naive-style modern art tie the interior space in with the Flintstone theme.

Curved walls are usually an interior designer’s nightmare, as they are notoriously difficult to work with – but in this house, circular shelves and spaces for utilities have been carved into cave-like walls to provide unusual storage. The effect? Star Trek meets The Flintstones…

The home went on the market back in 2015 for $4.2million (£3.28m), though it wasn’t bought until 2017 for a much lower price of $2.8 million (£2.18m). It was bought by media mogul Florence Fang, who confessed she had had her eye on it for a number of years.

When local authorities considered building a nuclear power plant near his home, Rolf Disch wasn’t having any of it. After campaigning against the plans, he began looking into solar power and so the Heliotrope – a rotating, solar-powered home – was born.

The 48-foot high structure was built 25 years ago and is currently occupied by Rolf and his wife. It’s named after heliotropic plants which turn to face the sun, as the building rotates 180 degrees throughout the day to provide the maximum amount of solar power. In doing so, it became the world’s first home to produce more energy than it uses.

The building has an insulated metal side and a glazed side: on hot days, the insulated side faces towards the sun to keep the house cool, while on cool days, the glass wall turns to face the sun to keep it warm.

The interior basks in sunlight, which flows through an open-plan living room and kitchen space. The low-key decor allows the beauty of the architecture to shine through, nowhere more so than the specially-fitted kitchen designed to follow the circular shape of the home.

As well as the photovoltaic solar panels on the roof, which generate electricity, there are vacuum tube collectors on the balcony railings to provide warm water and space heating. Plus, the rotating design means the views change every day!

Many people dream of living surrounded by panoramic views but Falcon’s Nest makes that dream a reality. Perched above the slopes of a hiking trail known as Thumb Butte, near to downtown Preston in Yavapai County, it provides spectacular 360-degree views of the valley with visibility stretching as far as 120 miles.

Built by Phoenix architect Sukumar Pal in 1994 for his own family, the unusual property is currently the tallest single-family home in America, with ten storeys in total. The living areas are concentrated in the light upper levels, while bedrooms and bathrooms are below.

The attractive kitchen and dining area make a feature of the impressive symmetrical architecture, with glossy countertops, two dining tables and sleek fitted appliances allowing the unusual space to shine.

This double bed is perfectly poised for some serious stargazing by night and cloud-watching by day. Plus, when you need some privacy, there are subtle curtains overhead to block out the light and prying eyes.

The towering architectural home went on the market back in 2017, for $1.5million, although it later sold for just $755,000. For such an unusual property, we think it’s an absolute steal! Love this house? Check out more properties with unbelievable views.

San Miguel’s very own Dark Knight, Steve Rood, lives in a self-built ‘Bat Casa’: a two-storey home emblazoned with the iconic Batman symbol. Rood designed the house himself using sprawling structures and organic shapes to create a truly unique home, which has become a local landmark.

Rood is a film set designer who used his skills and knowledge of 3D modelling to create the organic shapes through the house. He then worked with a team of specialised builders who brought his designs to life in plastic tubing, wire mesh and concrete. Inside, the sprawling structures create a one-of-a-kind space that takes influences from Gaudi and futuristic designer H.R. Giger.

Perhaps one of the weirdest features is the staircase, which was created to look like the vertebrae of a spine. Meanwhile, the bathroom features (what else?) a set of spooky skeletal hands affixed to the walls as hooks.

The open-plan living room and kitchen space is a mish-mash of design influences from Gaudi-esque white sprawling vines to a giant surrealist pair of red lips mounted on the wall that takes much from Salvador Dali.

Meanwhile one of the bedrooms – nicknamed the ‘Bat Nest’ – looks pretty cosy, set in a cavernous space with irregular orb-shaped windows to peer out over San Miguel.

It’s certainly one of the most unusual homes we’ve ever seen but if you’re curious and want to experience it for a night or two, Rood has advertised the Bat Casa on Airbnb for a reasonable $180 (£140) per night.

If you were a Russian billionaire, why wouldn’t you make your home look like a giant spaceship? For Vladislav Doronin, who once dated supermodel Naomi Campbell, it was the obvious way to go – so he tasked the late architect Zaha Hadid with designing this 72-foot high private residence.

The basic idea for Capital Hill Residence came after an initial conversation between the pair when Doronin said: “I want to wake up in the morning and just see blue sky”. To which Hadid replied: “Do you realise you have to be above the trees?”

The home, which was completed last year after more than 10 years of construction, features a lower section that merges with the sloping landscape and an upper section that allows Doronin to gaze out over the nearby Barvikha forest, on the outskirts of Moscow

Inside it’s Star Trek-like, with a suspended fireplace that drops organically out of the curved ceiling and a number of orb-like metal sculptures. Besides that, the decor is kept minimalist to keep the focus on the architecture and the stunning views outside.

Despite looking like it’s from outer space, the house isn’t short of luxuries with a 65-foot long swimming pool, spa, gym, a Japanese garden and a nightclub. There’s a good reason why Hadid referred to the businessman as the “Russian James Bond"!

This striking complex of colourful, bubble-shaped apartments was designed by architects Arakawa and Madeline Gins. The unusual name comes from their philosophy of creating buildings that stimulate the senses, with the goal of extending life through architectural design. 

They’re currently used as both residential and public spaces, hosting a variety of cultural and educational events. Inside, the decor creates a multi-sensory experience, with tactile surfaces, vibrant colours and oddly-shaped rooms to keep residents on their toes.

Inside, there’s barely a flat surface in sight: kitchen worktops curve around a central pillar, floors are covered in a series of bumps and even the bathroom is contained in its own miniature pod.

Whether you think they’d be an exciting place to live in an assault on the senses, there’s no denying that the Reversible Destiny Lofts are a one-of-a-kind property, and they’ve become something of an attraction in the local area.

The strangest thing about this fairytale cottage is that it wasn’t actually built in homage to the famous Lord of the Rings house, despite the uncanny resemblance. Instead, owner Stuart Grant, an 86-year-old retired woodcutter, built the home back in 1984 – long before the films came out.

Located just outside of Tomich village, the picturesque cottage occupies an idyllic woodland spot, including a pond with a tiny wooden bridge in the garden. The exterior is covered with moss and ivy, giving the impression that it’s slowly merging with the natural world.

Inside, it’s full of cosy details, from the traditional tartan blankets to sheepskin throws and wooden beams. Plus, the home is decorated with one-off pieces of furniture crafted by the experienced woodcutter.

The kitchen may be small, but every inch of space is used for storage: there’s hanging crockery, shelving and corner cupboards, plus an abundance of kitsch decorations adorning the window, which looks out onto the garden.

While he admits he’s no Lord of the Rings fan himself, Grant does get a number of curious fans stopping by the property and says he’s happy to receive visitors. Fancy living like Bilbo Baggins? Check out more real-life hobbit houses
 

If living in a rural treehouse is your dream, this unusual wooden home might be just the ticket. The building is raised up on stilts with a round, undulating roof and although it’s not actually built around a tree, the style of the home leads architects to refer to it as such.

Designed by Monoarchi architects, the holiday home is located on the banks of a stream that is nestled between the mountains in the rural village of Zhongcun.  

When viewed from above it resembles three offset circles: the first, an outer balcony area, the second, a guest house, and the third, a central sunroof, which creates strikingly different views as you move around the building.

Inside, the bedroom is kept pared-back, allowing the bamboo walls and impressive architecture to take centre stage. The sloping roof is positioned so that the bedrooms have more privacy, while living areas are poised to take in the natural surroundings.

Artisans who live and work in the area used locally-sourced wood to create the structure which helps it to feel part of the landscape despite its strikingly unusual design. Check out more tiny cabins in the woods

When it comes to weird homes, this bold and beautiful creation in the Jaimanitas neighbourhood of Havana more than fits the bill. The sprawling, sculpture-adorned property is (naturally) home to a painter and sculptor, Jose Fuster, which is where the residence gets its name from. 

It’s no wonder he’s often thought of as Cuba’s answer to Gaudi – the mosaic structures bear a strong resemblance to the Spanish architect’s elaborate style, mixed with Picasso influences. Among the bizarre motifs are an eye, a giant banana and a mermaid.

Surrounding the outdoor swimming pool there are hordes of whimsical paintings and mosaics depicting cubist faces, sea creatures and fish, brought to life in an array of colours. No tile is left unpainted in this maximalist home!

The artist’s inspiration isn’t confined to the borders of his property, though: he’s taken to decorating a number of public spaces including bus stops, doctor’s surgeries and benches, putting his own unique stamp on the neighbourhood.

Looking at this picture, it’s no wonder that tourists flock to see this unusual home. The artist offers tours of Fusterlandia for free, although the local economy benefits from the influx of visitors – meaning that Fuster has had an extremely positive impact on Jaimanitas.

Visitors to Alaska might be surprised to spot this towering, cartoonish-looking house in the skyline. Yet despite looking like it’s been plucked straight out of a Dr Seuss book, the 12-storey, 185-foot tower wasn’t built in homage to any of the books' wacky illustrations. ​

Phillip Weidner, the former owner, wanted to increase the height of his log cabin in order to be able to see the nearby Denali mountain. He continued to add layers when he still couldn’t get a clear view through the trees, which is how it reached such impressive heights.

Yet Weidner died over 15 years ago and the house has since remained unfinished. It was recently taken on by another buyer, who intends to continue work on the house. Until then, it remains an unusual landmark and feature of curiosity for many.

If you’re keen on seeing the house for yourself, the best way to get a view is by taking the Alaskan railway through Talkeetna – or it can be glimpsed from the highway if you’re driving. Some intrepid fans have even approached the house to take photographs, although it is technically on private property. 

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