Incredible fairy tale homes that people can actually live in
Mystical, magical homes
Ever dreamt of living like Snow White, like a prince in a castle or channeling a villain inside a snake? Well now you can with these fantastical, mystical homes that look like they’ve been taken straight from a fairy story.
Storybook castle, Ellington, Connecticut, USA
Built in 1917 on seven acres of land, this castle was inspired by a trip to England by the American owners. Complete with a turret and regal interior decor, you can stay here from $174 (£134) per night.
Storybook castle, Ellington, Connecticut, USA
In early 2000, a local artist bought the castle and spent five years refurbishing it to the standard it is today. The cosy living room has stone walls and classic furniture complete with a fireplace. The inside porch is guarded by a medieval knight to finish off the regal theme.
Storybook castle, Ellington, Connecticut, USA
Upstairs, each bedroom has a theme, including this Romeo and Juliet room with a burgundy colour scheme and a romantic balcony.
Storybook castle, Ellington, Connecticut, USA
The kitchen has been modernised to include everything you need and overlooks the immaculate grounds, which house a fountain, gazebo, pond and pergola.
Storybook cabin, Lake Michigan, Michigan, USA
With its decorative wooden cladding and peak roofs, this whimsical cabin channels a hobbit house with a dash of Swiss chalet style.
Read more: Check out these real-life hobbit homes
Storybook cabin, Lake Michigan, Michigan, USA
The homey yet refined fairy tale cottage has an open-plan interior with oak wooden beams and a rustic chandelier with the stone floors adding to the natural feel
Storybook cabin, Lake Michigan, Michigan, USA
The cute sage-coloured kitchen overlooks the enchanting landscape outside and sits next to a stone fireplace, perfect for the cold winter evenings.
Storybook cabin, Lake Michigan, Michigan, USA
Surrounded by lush green woodland, the 835-square-foot log cabin is located in the unspoilt nature of Harbour Springs.
Hadlow Tower, Kent, UK
This enchanting tower looks like something straight out of Rapunzel. The Grade I-listed folly is said to be the tallest of its kind in the world and has been recently renovated to include a lovely home, so you can live out a modern day fairy tale.
Hadlow Tower, Kent, UK
With impressive high ceilings and panoramic views of Hadlow village, the interior is adorned with Gothic-style windows and honey-coloured wood accents with ornate details such as arched brick fireplaces and chandeliers.
Hadlow Tower, Kent, UK
All eight floors are linked by a fully-serviced lift and these beautiful turret staircases, with the seventh and eighth floors providing the finest 360-degree views of the Kent countryside.
Hadlow Tower, Kent, UK
Outside, the tower has its very own private garden and woodland spanning over 3.45 acres as well as a croquet lawn and ornamental boating lake.
Mushroom House, Perinton, New York
The Mushroom House, or Pod House, is a unique home which takes inspiration from the flowers of a Queen Anne’s Lace plant. It was constructed between 1969 and 1972 for attorney-artist couple Robert and Marguerite Antell and was designated a town landmark in 1989.
Mushroom House, Perinton, New York
The house is made up of four 80-ton pods, which sit on reinforced concrete pillars of between 14 and 20 feet in height. The clever design means that the view will never be restricted as each pod is completely windowed.
Mushroom House, Perinton, New York
Each pod has a different purpose within the house. One is the kitchen/family room, another is the living and dining area, and two are sleeping areas. There’s also an open deck half-pod for the warmer months.
Mushroom House, Perinton, New York
This pod was the main entrance to the original home. The beautiful kitchen opens up onto a family room – fully fitted with a gas fireplace – showing how each room flows from one to another.
Dome Home, Thailand
This spectacle is called the Dome Home and was created by Steve Areen in Thailand. Taking just six weeks to build, it cost Steve a total of $9,000 (£6,900).
Dome Home, Thailand
Sitting in the middle of a Thai mango farm, it'd be the perfect retreat from the Wicked Queen. The beautifully-crafted stairs were created with hardwood reclaimed from an old temple.
Dome Home, Thailand
The cosy bedroom is fashioned with two, large, circular windows which provide amazing views to wake up to. The bedroom leads to the main dome where you could enjoy hours lounging around.
Dome Home, Thailand
The compact kitchen is simple and sweet, with all the basic essentials you need to whip up a meal. And when the stresses of everyday life get too much, all you need to do is head outside and sit by the calming lily pond to help put things into perspective.
Quetzalcoatl Nest, Mexico City, Mexico
It might look like a massive theme park ride but this giant snake is actually the shell for a block of apartments in Mexico City. The fantastical design, created by architect Javier Senosiain, is based on the Aztec serpent god Quetzalcoatl.
Quetzalcoatl Nest, Mexico City, Mexico
The structure, much like all of Javier's designs, is built around the natural caves, bends and hilltops of the surrounding landscape, with apartments spread through 16,500 square feet of living space.
Quetzalcoatl Nest, Mexico City, Mexico
The most impressive part of the entire structure is this huge serpent's head, which is built into the site's biggest cave and measures 165 by 20 feet. Mosiac tiles have been used to decorate the building's exterior and imitate a serpent's scales.
Quetzalcoatl Nest, Mexico City, Mexico
If you’re not put off by the jaws of the giant serpent, there are also some fantastic views across the site looking out onto ravines and canyons. Pretty impressive place to call home, isn’t it?
Amoeba House, Itú, Brazil
Located in Itú, Brazil, this golden fairy tale abode, also designed by Javier Senosiain, sits in a complex with a golf course, surrounded by acres of green land, 75 miles (120km) from the city of São Paulo.
Amoeba House, Itú, Brazil
Just imagine relaxing in your garden, looking out onto your own private pool with golfers in the distance, before turning back around to see that incredible gold-painted home.
Amoeba House, Itú, Brazil
The only issue with this magical dome (if we're being pedantic) is that you'll struggle to find a place for most of your furniture with barely any straight walls available – almost all of the house is built in a cylindrical shape.
Amoeba House, Itú, Brazil
But, quite frankly, who cares about straight walls when you get to come home to this beautiful sight every night?
The Nautilus, Mexico City, Mexico
You can probably spot a bit of a theme here in the designs by Javier Senosiain. For a start, he doesn’t like to present anything too simplistic, and if there’s any room to add some more colour, he will do just that.
The Nautilus, Mexico City, Mexico
This building is a logarithmic spiral, meaning it adapts itself to the land, much like the Mexican serpent home. This also means once you’re inside, walking around could feel a little like a maze as you try to navigate yourself from one room to another.
The Nautilus, Mexico City, Mexico
The spiral staircase leads through the hall, past the TV room which sits in the middle of the curved design. The next level reaches the studio, where you can see the mountain landscape.
The Nautilus, Mexico City, Mexico
The most impressive feature, though, has to be the stained glass window, which beams multi-coloured light into the building, across both levels.
Moomin house, Saitama, Japan
Here we have the Moomin-inspired property at Akebono Kodomo-no-mori Park, Japan. The building design takes inspiration from the Finnish Moomin series by Tove Janson.
Moomin house, Saitama, Japan
The house is full to the brim with interesting designs including solar panels fitted on the outside, real grass growing from the roof, elaborate wooden staircases, interesting iron railings and, of course, a neat little kitchen.
Moomin house, Saitama, Japan
The house is full of detail, including these beams that help support the spiral staircase inside.
Moomin house, Saitama, Japan
And what else would you want to see when leaving a property other than a peaceful stream to send you on your merry way?
Seashell House, Casa Caracol, Mexico
This famous Airbnb favourite looks like it should belong to The Little Mermaid. Located in Casa Caracol in Mexico, this elaborate ode to the sea is available for vacations at around $300 (£230) a night.
Seashell House, Casa Caracol, Mexico
The house was built by architect Eduardo Ocampo in 1994 for a famous painter who wanted something a little more unique than your average three-bedroom.
Seashell House, Casa Caracol, Mexico
Accordingly, it was built to resemble a seashell – rounded on the inside with a spiral staircase and a door that just creeps through the mouth of the shell. The interior follows suit with seashell-shaped headboards.
Seashell House, Casa Caracol, Mexico
The main perks of the house, aside from the fact it looks spectacular, is that it is peaceful, quiet and looks out onto the Caribbean Sea. It also accommodates four, so it would be great for a family.
Jack Sparrow House, Cornwall, England
Alternatively, this little fairy tale cabin is the definition of cosy and could be all yours for just $110 (£84) a night. Despite its name, the most famous pirate of the Caribbean has never actually stayed there...
Jack Sparrow House, Cornwall, England
Situated just off Falmouth Bay in Cornwall, England, it's been designed into a quirky little love shack for two. It's just a ten-minute walk from the local beaches (if you can bear to tear yourself away), and is surrounded by gorgeous Cornish countryside.
Jack Sparrow House, Cornwall, England
With modern facilities and comfortable built-in furniture you have everything you need as a base for your adventures on the Lizard Peninsula or as a comfortable retreat to return to at the end of a long day.
Jack Sparrow House, Cornwall, England
Just look at it – could it be any more comfortable and inviting? Jack Sparrow House comprises one comfortable room with a mezzanine double bed and seating/kitchen area.
Silo Studio Cottage, Massachusetts, USA
Robin Hood fans, rejoice. This charming one-bedroom cottage in Tyringham, Massachusetts is designed for lovers of the forest who are desperate for a fairy tale retreat.
Silo Studio Cottage, Massachusetts, USA
Formerly a sculptor’s summer studio, the cottage was originally only open for three seasons, but is now open all year round due to high demand, with prices hovering around the $228 (£175) mark per night.
Silo Studio Cottage, Massachusetts, USA
Inside, you’ll find a bedroom with a canopied queen bed, which you can fall asleep on to the sounds of the running brooks nearby.
Silo Studio Cottage, Massachusetts, USA
Talking of the forest, the cottage is situated on four acres of land, which includes gardens, a lily pond, the brooks, and two acres of woods with a walking path. All you need now is a feather hat, a bow and arrow and you’re good to go!
Unique Cob Cottage, Mayne Island, Canada
Forest lovers can also take comfort in this humble abode on Mayne Island, Canada, for just $108 (£83) a night.
Unique Cob Cottage, Mayne Island, Canada
The popular retreat is hand sculptured from local, sustainable natural minerals and is planted in the middle of an acreage with sheep, gardens and orchards.
Unique Cob Cottage, Mayne Island, Canada
Inside, the cottage has a small kitchen and living area, which is made even cosier by a bookshelf and a Persian-style rug.
Unique Cob Cottage, Mayne Island, Canada
The cosy little cottage sleeps two and is the ultimate hideaway. It’s not completely isolated though, it’s just a 10-minute walk to the beach and a 20-minute walk to a family-run grocery and deli, as well as galleries, a bookstore and a spa. What more could you want?
The Boot, Tasman, New Zealand
This has to qualify as one of the world's weirdest homes! The Boot bed-and-breakfast in Tasman, New Zealand, is now a hugely popular fairy tale escape for those coming from far and wide.
The Boot, Tasman, New Zealand
And you can see why. A two-story cottage in the shape of a giant boot, the little abode is located centrally between the Abel Tasman National Park, Kahurangi National Park and the town of Nelson.
The Boot, Tasman, New Zealand
The Boot is nestled between hazelnut trees on the outside but has room for this little courtyard, which is surrounded by a garden and alfresco dining area.
The Boot, Tasman, New Zealand
Inside, you can kick back at any time of the year with the cosy main area consisting of an open fire and comfy couch. And here's the best bit – in the morning, a breakfast of your choice will be delivered to the door. This will set you back just $195 (£150) a night for the entire place.
Gingerbread House, California, USA
You’ve probably dreamt about living in a gingerbread house – and now you can. This house in California is not exactly made from gingerbread (which is the dream, let’s face it), but it does look a lot like it might be.
Gingerbread House, California, USA
Located at the Isis Oasis Retreat Center in Geyserville, California, the house sleeps up to three people – but two is probably more comfortable – with a bedroom downstairs and an extra bed situated in the roof.
Gingerbread House, California, USA
Inside, it is decorated with stained glass windows with LED lights for after dark and is uniquely sculpted by Miguel Elliott of Living Earth Structures.
Gingerbread House, California, USA
Of course, this is all great as long as you don’t mind taking your shower outside!
Snow White's Cottage, Olalla, Washington, USA
Snow White and the seven dwarfs have upped sticks and put their cottage on the market for $775,000 (£570,000) – if you believe in fairy tales that is anyway.
Snow White's Cottage, Olalla, Washington, USA
One of the most amazing storybook homes you'll ever find, the cottage – which was built in 1982 – was made with meticulous attention to detail.
Snow White's Cottage, Olalla, Washington, USA
Each door was built using extensive ironwork and the wooden beams were hand-carved. Everywhere you look there are stained glass windows and the curved walls give a magical cave-like feel.
Snow White's Cottage, Olalla, Washington, USA
Outside, the four-bed property is set in woodland with its very own magical creek. Still hungry for more? Discover the hidden Cinderella castle suite and other secret homes you never knew existed.
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