Gorgeous homes with secret gardens hidden inside
Homes that aren’t just green in the garden
Is your property lacking in outdoor space? These luxurious modern houses show that, when it comes to bringing your home to life, indoor gardens can be just as lush as their outdoor equivalents. So ditch the traditional potted plants and get creative.
Castillo Caribe, George Town, Grand Cayman
This luxury property in the Cayman Islands couldn't be much closer to the ocean, with crystal-clear waters just metres from the door. And the feeling of the outdoors continues inside with lush greenery in the living spaces.
Castillo Caribe, George Town, Grand Cayman
With floor-to-ceiling windows and sleek wooden finishes, the room is already impressive. But the small, arched garden, completed with four towering palm trees, creates a true tropical oasis.
Castillo Caribe, George Town, Grand Cayman
The eight-bedroom, fourteen-bath property unfolds over four floors. This unusual master suite is situated on the second floor and its rounded shape offers panoramic views of the Caribbean sea.
Bantry Bay, Sydney, Australia
This lavish mansion has sweeping oceanfront views, an infinity pool and a prime hillside position in one of Sydney's most prestigious neighbourhoods. It's also awash with greenery inside.
Bantry Bay, Sydney, Australia
The verdant garden sits in an internal courtyard and is covered by a bamboo roof. It opens up to the contemporary dining room, which has waterfront views on the other side.
Bantry Bay, Sydney, Australia
Curved walls inside the property make the most of the views of Middle Harbour. It's not just the garden that's green either: the bedrooms all lead out onto the rooftop lawn above the garage.
Wall House, Khaldiya, Kuwait
At first glance, Wall House appears fortress-like with minimal openings, creating a barrier between the inside and outside worlds. When commissioned to design a private family home, architects planned the structure from the inside out, replacing space that's primarily reserved for walls with greenery and openness. The finished result is beyond imagination...
Wall House, Khaldiya, Kuwait
The property consists of a protective outer shell that comes to life on the inside with a series of atrium gardens that penetrate its quarters. On the ground level, the open-plan living area is surrounded by lush greenery that extend upwards to an open-air terrace. Further rooms, including a series of ground-floor bedrooms contain their own private oases.
Wall House, Khaldiya, Kuwait
An upper-floor common room extends out onto a series of discreet balconies, making this the perfect spot for entertaining guests on cool evenings. The extension of the ground-floor atrium garden to the property’s upper levels allows vegetation to grow upwards and outwards.
Machi House, Fukuyama, Japan
This discrete two-storey home in Fukuyama, Japan is nestled between a number of high-rise buildings that restrict the property’s access to natural sunlight. Instead of adding windows to the facade, its architects chose to install a central atrium and skylights, encouraging daylight to filter in from above.
Machi House, Fukuyama, Japan
The result is a bright and spacious home designed with the intention of blurring lines between indoor and outdoor spaces. Its architects chose to include a garden at the centre of the property, from which a tall and slender tree reaches from the ground upwards. The house that previously stood in its location also had an interior garden, so the inclusion of a new one connects the current property to its predecessor.
Vertical Court, Greenbank Park, Singapore
A beautiful modern home in Greenpark, Singapore offers privacy at the utmost level with a discrete exterior facade and stepped entrance that's set back from the main street. Enveloped in tropical greenery, this property is ideal for nature lovers, though its interior garden is what really brings it to life...
Vertical Court, Greenbank Park, Singapore
A two-storey centralised atrium garden contains of a frangipani tree that sits in the middle of a pond. The property’s open-plan living area and kitchen wrap around the atrium, allowing light to filter within. Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors give access to a spacious back garden.
Vertical Court, Greenbank Park, Singapore
The inclusion of a mini tropical garden in the master bathroom softens the stone tiling and modern cabinetry. And you can forget condensation, as this bathroom is exposed to natural air ventilation through a small atrium opening in the ceiling.
Residencia MLA, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Extending out towards the tropical plants and vegetation of its natural surroundings, this green and modern property is ideal for those seeking a luxurious lifestyle while retaining an element of privacy at home.
Residencia MLA, Sao Paulo, Brazil
The living area, kitchen and guest bathroom are positioned around an atrium garden that's filled with tropical foliage. This mirrors the geography of the property’s garden, creating a heightened feeling of indoor-outdoor living. A private terrace and outdoor swimming pool extend from the living area's double-height glass sliding doors.
Residencia MLA, Sao Paulo, Brazil
An elevated walkway wraps around the atrium garden, allowing access to the property’s private quarters. This space consists of a master bedroom, three additional bedrooms, two bathrooms and an en suite master bathroom, all of which are located at either end of the walkway and garden.
Portsea House, Victoria, Australia
This ultra-modern residence in Victoria, Australia is organised into three wings with an open-air garden positioned at its centre. Two wings consist of the property’s bedrooms and service areas, while the third and largest wing contains the living space and kitchen.
Portsea House, Victoria, Australia
Located in the heart of the property is an atrium garden that spans two floors. The property’s open-plan living space consists of a dining area, lounge and kitchen, all of which are uniformly designed in minimalist monochrome furnishings. Large floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding doors open out onto a raised terrace that contains two luxury walk-in pools.
'It is a Garden', Nagano, Japan
One of the greenest properties on the list, this stunning modern home is located in the forests of Nagano, Japan. An exceptional and unique modern home, it was designed with five interior courtyards to maximise natural sunlight in every room.
'It is a Garden', Nagano, Japan
The property was designed as a guest house containing a private gallery. The distinction between indoor and outdoor space is blurred through the use of glass as the primary surface material. Penetrated by natural light, this modern home is a perfect example of minimalism at its very best.
Lateral House, London, UK
The next property is a lateral house located in London’s chic Holland Park neighbourhood. Spread over 4,500 square feet of interior space, the recently renovated modern home features a large front garden, as well as a secret interior one. For those looking to live in luxury and solitude, its discreet side entrance makes this an ideal private home.
Lateral House, London, UK
The property is arranged around a beautiful atrium garden that provides the main living spaces with an abundance of natural light. The benefits of its interior garden are mostly felt during the summer, when the sliding glass doors can be opened up to the fresh air and sunshine.
Binh House, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
Designed for a family of three generations who wished to experience a closer connection to the natural environment, Binh House contains a number of feature gardens that are harmoniously dispersed within the property’s walls.
Binh House, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
The house is laid out over a series of stepped levels, which are interspersed with gardens and green balconies containing tropical plants found locally in the region. Transparent glass doors enhance the connection between indoor and outdoor spaces while still dividing the space.
Binh House, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
The staggering of levels within the property allows for its inhabitants to experience layers of spaces that are interspersed with foliage, creating a heightened sense of green living.
Moriyama House, Aichi, Japan
Situated on a narrow plot of land, the architects of this compact modern home in Aichi, Japan fulfilled their client’s desire of owning a garden by installing a 'garden room' within the property.
Moriyama House, Aichi, Japan
The interior garden surrounds the entire living area and consists of a harmonious combination of stone, trees and flowerbeds. In treating the property’s habitable spaces and garden in an equal manner, its architects were able to form a relationship between indoor and outdoor spaces while creating a peaceful and zen-like environment.
Moriyama House, Aichi, Japan
It isn’t just the main living areas that have been brought to life with greenery, as the garden extends to the property’s private quarters. The bathroom, for example, can only be reached by walking down a small path that crosses the garden.
Hanging Rock House, Victoria, Australia
This stunning modern home in Victoria, Australia was designed to create a connection between its inhabitants and the surrounding landscape. While wraparound, floor-to-ceiling windows provide panoramic views of Hanging Rock, the house includes an open-air interior garden that further enhances the relationship between its sleek interior and the wild locale.
Hanging Rock House, Victoria, Australia
The minimalist home is organised around two separate wings, one for living and one for sleeping. While wall-to-wall windows encourage inhabitants to take in breathtaking views of the landscape, its glass-encased atrium garden can be enjoyed from all corners of the open-plan living area.
Optical House, Hiroshima, Japan
Nestled among a row of tall buildings in the centre of Hiroshima, Japan, the architects of Optical House have created a feeling of privacy and tranquility in an otherwise overcrowded neighbourhood by placing an indoor garden behind an optical glass facade.
Optical House, Hiroshima, Japan
The garden can be seen from all rooms and is accessed through an open plan living/kitchen area. The optical glass delicately filters light into the property creating ethereal light patterns that dance on walls. A lightweight curtain made of sputter-coated metal divides the garden area from the interior when necessary.
Sycamore House, Los Angeles, USA
A 1950s 'post-and-beam' residence has been restored and extended into the forested landscape of the Hollywood Hills, swallowing up an entire sycamore tree within its walls. Though it’s an ideal location to extend onto, the owners of the 2,500 square-foot property weren’t keen to part with their beloved sycamore tree and so built their extension around, below and above it.
Sycamore House, Los Angeles, USA
Respecting the natural landscape without sacrificing the pre-existing tree, architects wove its branches into multiple levels and rooms of the property. Steel beams painted in red create a juxtaposition between the man-made structure and nature’s own forms.
Modern Villa, Messinia, Greece
A spectacular seafront home located in a private complex in Pylos, Messinia, this modern home was built in local stone according to local building traditions. The villa is laid out entirely in an open-plan arrangement with wide openings that obscure the lines between indoor and outdoor living spaces.
Modern Villa, Messinia, Greece
Indoor-outdoor living is further enhanced with the lining of olive trees and rose bushes within the property’s interior spaces, creating a natural aesthetic that harks back to the days of ancient Greece. The property itself is completely open and separated into two wings. The first wing consists of a living room with an outdoor fireplace, kitchen and dining room, while the second wing contains the property’s master bedroom, guest bedrooms, study and bathrooms.
Condominio Balea, Sao Sebastiao, Brazil
This stunning modern home in Sao Sebastiao was designed for those seeking their own piece of paradise. Surrounded by tropical trees and plants, there’s more to the interior of this home than meets the eye.
Condominio Balea, Sao Sebastiao, Brazil
The heart of the house features a large atrium garden that has been planted with tropical trees, shrubs, rocks and sand. The indoor planting allows light and ventilation to enter the property, while forming a connection with sandy beaches that are located within walking distance. Sliding doors create a passageway between the dining and living rooms.
Condominio Balea, Sao Sebastiao, Brazil
The luxury home features an additional spot of green in the form of a roof garden that sits between its rooftop terrace and atrium. The roof garden is an ideal location for entertaining and enjoying uninterrupted views of the ocean.
Casa MCNY, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Built to withstand Brazil's tropical weather, Casa MCNY consists of an open-plan living space with retractable perforated doors that can be pushed back to create an indoor-outdoor living experience like no other. Designed for a family of four, the house consists of four bedrooms, a living/dining area, kitchen and plenty of outdoor space.
Casa MCNY, Sao Paulo, Brazil
The highlight of the property would have to be its open-plan living/dining area, which contains an indoor vertical wall that spans the length of the space. The vertical wall boasts dark and leafy tropical foliage that perfectly compliment the property’s primary building material: wood. In turn, this creates an aesthetic that is both exotic and truly Brazilian in nature.
Casa MCNY, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Heightening the indoor-outdoor experience, its commissioners requested a kitchen that transforms into a gourmet balcony, from which the family enjoys entertaining guests. Luxury touches include a wood-fired oven, breakfast bar, fireplace and a terrace that extends out onto a walk-in swimming pool. Complete and currently inhabited, the entire project was budgeted at $5 million (£3.7m).
Casa Veintiuno, Guadalajara, Mexico
Built over three floors, this unassuming modern home in Guadalajara, Mexico has an incredible secret to tell within its walls...
Casa Veintiuno, Guadalajara, Mexico
Breathtaking gardens set within two atriums span out over the property’s ground-floor living area and private upper levels. Each garden is planted with a combination of tropical trees, flowerbeds, hanging ivy and artificial ponds. Designed with minimalist living in mind, a floating staircase leads up to the private quarters and down to the guest room and garage.
Casa Veintiuno, Guadalajara, Mexico
An indoor-outdoor aesthetic is enhanced by the open plan living area, which leads out onto a terrace and lawn. The property’s upper floor features wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling windows and spacious balconies, further intensifying the feeling of indoor-outdoor living.
66 MRN-House, Singapore
With its natural textures and abundance of greenery, this zen-inspired home seamlessly blends inside and out. When the doors are open on the ground floor, the individual spaces seem to merge into one.
66 MRN-House, Singapore
The focal point of the house is at its centre. Here you'll find a reflective pool and delicate trees – this adds softness, which contrasts with the heavy granite exterior.
66 MRN-House, Singapore
The rooftop is another interesting spot: adjoining terraces and open decks lined with artificial grass blur the lines between indoor and outdoor spaces.
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