From French chateaus in Israel to Tudor cottages in California, you won't believe how many spectacular homes are hiding in truly unexpected places. Even more thrilling than their unexpected addresses? They could all be yours...if you've got a few million to spare that is. Click or scroll on to discover some of the world's most magnificent homes in some of the most unlikely locations...

This classic 1936 Tudor Revival home designed by renowned architect Gerard Colcord is exactly that and has just made its first appearance on the market for the first time in almost half a century, according to Dirt. With all the charm of a classic Old English cottage, the beautiful home is currently on the market with Compass for £3.7 million ($4.5m).

Originally built for Philip Chandler, son of Los Angeles Times publisher Harry Chandler, the brick and half-timbered home sits sheltered behind a dense wall of trees and shrubs, and is approached by a flagstone path straight out of an English country garden. The beautifully manicured property also boasts a swimming pool, gazebo, mature fruit trees, a barbeque, dining terraces, seating areas and a children’s playground.

Moving inside, the home offers 4,755 square feet of space, with five bedrooms and five and a half bathrooms. Classic English influences also dominate the home’s interiors, which are replete with mullioned windows, beamed ceilings, warm wood panelling, built-in window seats and bookcases, and multiple cosy fireplaces, including an inglenook fireplace, a trademark of the architect.

The home’s first storey is equipped for both public and private entertaining, with a living room, family room, formal dining room, kitchen, breakfast room, and, in true Old English style, staff quarters consisting of a bedroom and bath. The rest of the bedrooms can be found on the second floor and include a master suite complete with its own fireplace and enormous ensuite. While Tudor-inspired cottages may be a dime a dozen in the leafy English countryside, you wouldn’t necessarily expect to find one cropping up in the swanky LA neighbourhood of Los Feliz, where this house is located! 

This unique property was completed in 1959, and would certainly have stood out from its neighbours just as much then as it does today. With its prominent use of traditional Japanese shoji screens and the surrounding engawa deck, the house cuts a striking figure against the backdrop of trim New Jersey trees. However, design elements such as glass walls, high ceilings, an open staircase and a lofted mezzanine keep the home firmly planted in the American mid-century.

The home’s primary storey includes a double-height living area, formal dining room, semi-open-plan kitchen and the master suite. The open staircase leads up to a lofted lounge area overlooking the main living room, as well as downstairs to a semi-basement level, which includes the remaining three bedrooms, a full bath, a laundry room and a family room kitted out with beamed ceilings, tiled floors, built-in bookshelves and a wet bar.

The home’s interiors are universally appointed in muted earth tones, making the space feel peaceful and cohesive across all three storeys. All in all, the property includes four bedrooms and three bathrooms across 2,200 square feet of living space and occupies a lush half-acre lot. Currently on the market for the first time in 50 years, the home is listed with Keller Williams Realty for just £790,400 ($949k).

Mixing elements from traditional Japanese minka houses with classic mid-century design, the Yager Residence is a unique construction from the mind of celebrated architect Edward Durell Stone, whose resume also includes landmarks such as Radio City Music Hall, New York’s Museum of Modern Art and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. The house was commissioned by a New Jersey cardiologist to be built, you guessed it, in his hometown of Montclair.

Architecturally speaking, this property can’t be said to have strong associations with any particular region, unless you count Middle Earth. However, it’s certainly a construction that would stand out just about anywhere. The home, known as ‘The Old Mill’, is one of the last vestiges of the original tourist attraction Busch Gardens, a 30-acre botanical wonderland of flowers, trees, water features and 14 miles of scenic walkways dotted with fantastical structures depicting scenes from Hans Christian Anderson fairytales.

While the Great Depression of the 1930s may have shuttered the theme park, this whimsical Bavarian-style cottage was converted into a single-family home in 1946, according to the National Register of Historic Places, including a two-storey addition to the southeast corner of the original building. Even with this extension, the half-timbered home still only offers 912 square feet of living space, with two bedrooms and two bathrooms.

The main cottage dates to 1910 and boasts plenty of charming original features, including brick flooring, diamond-paned leaded-glass windows, pitched exposed-beam ceilings, built-in bookshelves, cosy nooks, and of course, the still-functioning water wheel. The main storey offers a compact kitchen, living and dining areas, with the bedrooms located on the second storey. There is also an additional 400 square feet of space in the two-storey cellar.

The home is fittingly nestled in a leafy glade, sheltered beneath a canopy of mature trees. There are several brick terraces for outdoor dining and entertaining, as well as a network of stone-bordered paths crisscrossing the property. With its wealth of charm and prestigious pedigree, it's no surprise that the Pasadena property has been listed for a cool £1.6 million ($1.9m) in spite of its limited square footage.

Calling all aspiring lords and ladies! This spectacular castle, currently on the market for £2.1 million ($2.5m), includes more than six acres of land enclosed by a wrought iron fence with two gated towers. Despite its apparently antiquated exterior, the property only dates to 1990, offering all the comforts of modern amenities dressed up with plenty of whimsical detail.

The castle itself stands over 60 feet in height, taller than an average four-storey building, and boasts a moat, waterfall, drawbridge and portcullis. The building’s frame is constructed of 60 tons of steel and took over six years and more than £8.4 million ($10m) to build, employing artisans from all over the world, according to the listing. The property has also undergone a number of recent technical upgrades, including the installation of new high-efficiency furnaces and air conditioners, humidifiers, a boiler and a water storage tank.

However, despite its contemporary systems, the home’s interiors are a real portal to the past, boasting countless medieval touches. These range from the historically accurate to the fantastical and include suits of armour, beamed ceilings, oak-panelled walls, five spectacular fireplaces, secret rooms, hidden doors and passageways, and even a clandestine staircase. The home offers a total of 26 rooms, with five bedrooms and five full and two half bathrooms across 6,106 square feet.

In addition to the opulent entertaining rooms on the two main storeys, the home also boasts an assortment of exciting bonus features down below. There is a large indoor garage decorated to resemble a Tudor village, a robust wine cellar, and, arguably best of all, an English-style pub! Not your typical basement wet bar, the pub boasts an enormous fireplace, faux stained-glass windows and even a nook with a booth. Plus, it turns out you don’t need to live in Europe to have your own baronial hall. This medieval-style castle actually sits in a humble Michigan township.

Described as ‘adult Disneyland’ by listing agent Neyshia Go at Sotheby’s International Realty, this entire Italian-inspired estate could be yours for just shy of a whopping £16.7 million ($20m). The remarkable property boasts an LA Lakers–themed basketball court, an infinity pool, a rooftop gym, its own vineyards and equestrian facilities, and a spectacular 11,000-square-foot Tuscan-inspired mansion.

The mansion was constructed in 2010 by celebrated local architect Don Nulty, according to Realtor, and offers six ensuite bedrooms and 10 bathrooms in the main house, as well as a guest house with still more accommodation. Other features of the main building include the eat-in chef’s kitchen, elegant family, living and dining rooms, and the library. The gated 12.5-acre property also features verdant grounds carefully cultivated by the previous owner, celebrity landscape designer Manuel Jimenez.

The home’s layout blends classic California indoor/outdoor living with traditional Italian architecture, with a loggia running the length of the front of the property and a central courtyard featuring a fountain and a stone fireplace on the opposite side. Its interiors offer a host of elegant Italianate design touches, including marble flooring, coffered ceilings, steel doors and windows, reclaimed Italian tiles, and iron and millwork from Mexico.

Complete with citrus groves, a meditation garden, koi ponds and a formal garden, not to mention the 2.5 acres of grenache and pinot noir vineyards, the entire parcel is a veritable Eden. Feeling swept off your feet by this sumptuous property? You don’t need to purchase a flight to Italy to enjoy the Tuscan lifestyle, as the magnificent California estate sits conveniently located just five minutes from the beach, and within easy reach of the posh Montecito neighbourhood. 

Defined by its curved silhouette and walls of windows, Villa Mosca Bianca is designed to maximise its high vantage point, with 180-degree views of the surrounding mountains, pine forest and lake. Multiple projecting terraces facilitate a seamless transition between indoor and outdoor living, as does the central two-storey garden atrium at the core of the building, ensuring that all the rooms are flooded with natural light on both sides.

The home’s first floor boasts a sleek open-plan living space featuring a chef’s kitchen, living room, study and spaces for both indoor and outdoor lounging, cooking and dining. The second level houses four bedrooms, all of which include ensuites and open out onto another balcony which offers spectacular lake views. The home’s 3,519 square feet of living space also includes a game room with a home theatre and a meditation room.

The home also boasts an assortment of ecologically friendly features, including solar panels, heat pumps, passive ventilation, a passive rainwater ventilation system and a fruit and vegetable garden. With its singular combination of eco-friendly design, cutting-edge technology and resort-worthy amenities, this magnificent property may well pique interest, but while it is currently on the market with Christie’s International Real Estate, if you’re looking for the price, you’ll have to ask!

Perched incongruously on the shores of Italy’s glorious Lake Maggiore, Villa Mosca Bianca is a luxury waterfront property that blends mid-century architecture with Miami-inspired design features. In English, the home’s name translates to ‘white fly’, which, according to a common Italian metaphor, means something unique and extremely rare. Though certainly incongruous with the more traditional Italian architecture that lines the banks of Lake Maggiore, Villa Mosca Bianca is a work of art and has featured in numerous international architectural publications and luxury brand advertising campaigns.

Constructed by Japanese fashion designer Kenzo Takada over 30 decades ago out of materials imported from Japan, The Kenzo House is a modern architectural marvel. The entire property took roughly seven years to complete and features an assortment of terraces, gardens, patios, an internal courtyard and even its own artificial brook to create the ultimate zen sanctuary. The Kenzo House is currently on the market with Christie’s International Realty, with the price available upon request.

Inside, the home divides into two distinct zones, one designed for family gatherings and entertaining and the other for more intimate, private retreats. The more private sector of the home includes four suites, as well as three self-contained studio apartments for a total of seven bedrooms, two full and seven partial bathrooms. 

The main living area is comprised of an entrance vestibule, as well as two kitchens, two living rooms, two dining rooms, a study, a music room and a fitness room. The heart of the home is the architecturally stunning large main living area, which features a pitched beamed ceiling and a wall of windows overlooking the central courtyard. What's more, a wall of free-floating raw wood planks serves as a semi-permeable dividing wall and an open staircase leads up to a slightly raised dining area.

Remarkably, the four-storey cedar-clad residence sits nestled in the courtyard of an 18th-century apartment building, tucked away on a secluded street in, remarkably, the Bastille district of Paris. However, steeped in traditional Japanese materials and architectural features, the home could not look any less French in either its interior or exterior design. With 13,780 square feet of living space, the unique home offers ample opportunity for seclusion and tranquillity, yet remains within easy reach of Paris’s bustling city centre. 

This breathtaking Rococo and Baroque-inspired chateau is the pinnacle of luxury and opulence, boasting Versailles-worthy interiors and spectacularly manicured gardens replete with Roman sculptures and monumental columns. The royal-style residence, currently on the market with Sotheby’s International Realty for a shocking £107 million ($129m), sits on nearly three acres and offers an expansive 75,347 square feet of living space.

Upon entering the home, guests are immediately greeted by a 2,475 square foot entrance hall adorned with crystal chandeliers and lined with marble columns. The rest of the home’s interiors are no less opulent, with every space decked out in natural marble and onyx mosaics, 14k gold mouldings, unique parquets, silk carpets and carefully selected custom-made furnishings. The ground floor includes a chef’s kitchen, breakfast room, formal dining room, living room, library and study.

Up a sweeping staircase, you’ll find four bedrooms, three of which include their own ensuite, as well as the master suite, which boasts two bathrooms, two dressing rooms and two walk-in closets, not to mention soft furnishings that would not have looked out of place in Marie Antoinette’s bed chamber. Other bonus features throughout the home include a billiard room, wine room and a 4K resolution cinema.

However, while the property unquestionably pays homage to old-world European architecture, it nevertheless comes kitted out with every modern amenity. More contemporary features include an outdoor stereo system and TV screen, outdoor and indoor pools, a fitness room, a sauna and a private spa. While it would not look out of place in the Versailles region in France, the remarkable home is actually located in Caesarea, Israel, overlooking the Mediterranean sea. 

Known as Castillo del Lago, this glorious estate was once the home of pop icon Madonna, and is now back on the market for £17.5 million ($21m). After serving the singer/actress well between 1993 and 1996, the home became the residence of Russian-born fashion designer Leon Max of Max Studio, its current owner. With its spectacular Spanish-inspired architectural details, it's not hard to imagine why this property has attracted so much A-lister attention.

With its weathered white exterior, terracotta tiled roof, minstrel’s gallery and hanging garden, the home’s picturesque exterior evokes a sunny Spanish oasis. The home boasts not one but two towers—an entry tower featuring both a spiral staircase and an antique wood-panelled lift, and a second tower encompassed in the primary suite. Exquisite Spanish architectural details prevail throughout the home’s interiors as well, which boast terracotta floors, coffered ceilings, painted exposed beams, colourful tilework mosaics and Moorish arched doorways.

With 10,513 square feet, the house offers nine bedrooms and six bathrooms, with numerous dramatic spaces for entertaining, lounging and dining, including a wine cellar and media room. Madonna supposedly invested roughly £2.5 million ($3m) in renovating the home’s interiors, importing fabrics and furniture from London, purchasing 16 William and Mary-style chairs and even installing a painting first commissioned for the Palace of Versailles in the living room. With such lush furnishings and exquisite attention to detail, the home is a true showpiece of both interior and architectural design.

However, the home is situated pretty far from sunny Spain. Perched on a ridge and framed by the iconic Hollywood sign, the home, which dates to the 1920s, is steeped in old Hollywood history and was one of the first houses to be built in what was then known as ‘Hollywoodland’, Mansion Global reports. Designed by celebrated architect John DeLario, the impressive estate became a local landmark and was supposedly used by gangster Bugsy Seigel as a gambling den in the 1930s. Later, it served as the backdrop for several scenes in the hit 1984 movie Beverly Hills Cop. 

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