Going off the grid doesn't have to mean going back to basics. More and more people are trading traditional homes and hefty household bills for energy-efficient Earthships. Growing in popularity since the 1970s, these stylish eco homes are built from upcycled materials packed with mud or set into the ground – hence their name. Step inside and explore these remarkable houses designed for living off the land...

Built with eco home building materials, Earthships offer comfortable and cosy living spaces without relying on public utilities. They're totally self-sufficient, producing their own electricity, heating and food, whilst managing sustainable rainwater harvesting and sewage systems too.

Architect Michael Reynolds created the first Earthship in the 1970s. Listening to news stories about mounting rubbish piles and the lack of affordable housing, he realised that by combining the two issues, both could be tackled head-on. He set up Earthship Biotecture, which is now the world's pioneering company in homes of this kind. If you want an Earthship, you can buy plans for homes, seek building advice and even attend the company's eco-construction school.

The Greater World Community in Taos, New Mexico was the first Earthship community in the world and is now home to more than 70 awesome off-grid homes. With some of the properties available to rent out on Airbnb, the community also has an academy for students and hosts self-guided tours so others can learn about the collective and its eco structures. Let's take a look inside some of these amazing homes...

Known as The Desert Flower, or Ahkon Povi in the Tewa language that's spoken by the Pueblo people across New Mexico, this eco-home was constructed in 1981. It was inspired by the ancient houses of Pueblo Bonito, which were built by the Ancestral Puebloans between AD 828 and 1126. While the facade is dramatic, angular and formed from a mixture of stucco, glass and adobe, a composite material made of earth, water and straw, the interior is utterly dreamy...

Step through the front door and you'll be greeted by breathtaking rooms, overflowing with quirky design details and wow-factor architectural elements. Yet its amazing interior isn’t all there is to love about The Desert Flower. Outside, you’ll find 11 acres of land, a 1,863-square-foot guest house and a 2450-square-foot art studio, which could be converted into a holiday home.

There are endless living spaces across the 3,600-square-foot home, which is made up of two separate structures. This cosy family room would be the perfect place to curl up with a book, thanks to its custom-made kiva fireplace, free-form couch and climbing vines. Other enticing features include the room's teeny tiny alcoves and shelves, which only add to its charms.

There are five bedrooms and seven bathrooms throughout the property, including this dazzling master suite. Everywhere you look there's something else to fall in love with in this VIP-worthy retreat. From its elegant timber ceiling to its shuttered French doors, which open out to the garden, this bedroom is a true oasis in the heart of the desert.

The master ensuite boasts a cave-like shower, a handmade tub formed from rocks and plenty of foliage that will have you feeling like you're bathing outside. Despite the fact it's made from dirt, the home also boasts plenty of lavish extras, including a private spa! The wellness centre comes complete with a custom steam room and sauna, and a Japanese cedar hot tub. Bliss!

In fact, many of the rooms blur the lines between inside and out, thanks to the use of extensive glazing. This chic dining space would make you feel like you were eating alfresco, all due to its custom skylights, endless house plants and patio-style paving. The house is for sale with Realty One of Santa Fe for a cool $3.47 million (£2.6m).

The Phoenix is the highest-priced rental space within the Earthship community and at 5,300 square feet, it's the biggest too. With enough room for six people, it offers comfort and modern amenities in a sustainable structure. Pictured from above, the incredible eco home can be seen in all its glory, from the solar panels to the circular walled garden.

Completed in 2018, the Vallecitos, created by Earthship Biotecture, is a start-of-the-art, off-grid building with all the fixtures of a conventional house. The refined exterior mixes angular modern lines with rustic construction methods, creating a completely unique property.

The walls are designed to trap heat in the winter and to keep the living spaces cool during the summer. As well as this smart thermal design, 40% of the building was made using recycled materials, including glass bottles that provide extra heat from the sun, which is especially helpful in the winter. 

Rainwater and melted snow are filtered and piped into the sinks, which then goes on to water the greenhouse plants. After that, it's used to flush the toilets and is finally redirected outside to treat plants in the garden. You'd never guess from this cute little bathroom the intricate process that goes on behind the scenes!

The Vallecitos has two bathrooms and two bedrooms, both with king-sized beds, as well as a kitchen, dining room and living room. The Wi-Fi is powered using solar energy and residents can enjoy the vegetables and fruit grown onsite – perfect for self-sufficient living! 

No matter the season, the Waybee's indoor garden grows plenty of organic fruit and vegetables, including herbs, peppers, tomatoes, kale and cucumbers. When it comes to both functionality and design, natural resources are celebrated. Rainwater is utilised for daily washing and recirculated to water this magnificent indoor greenhouse.

Also located in the Global World Community in Taos, New Mexico, this stunning Earthship, known as the Euro, features a dramatic angular design. Inside, the desert home offers an open-plan living space, three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a beautiful indoor garden. 

The Euro has a comfortable master bedroom with views out over the property's greenhouse, where water is filtered for home use. Solar panels sit at the highest point of the building on top of the greenhouse which acts as a hub, connecting the kitchen, living spaces and bedrooms. 

Throughout the project, the focus was on spreading a positive message in the community, raising awareness of climate change and helping people to reduce their carbon footprint in their day-to-day lives to create greener homes.

Earthship Brighton also uses the sun to heat its interior. The walls are made from rammed car tyres and earth which act as a storage heater. The structure sits facing south, which maximises solar gain, while the angled glass across the façade draws sunlight inside in the winter and cleverly reflects the heat in the summer months.

Situated in a semi-rural location about 40 minutes from the bustling city of Adelaide in Australia, the Earthship Ironbank is a quaint bed and breakfast that costs around £137 ($180) per night.

With a well-equipped kitchenette serviced by solar energy and a sustainable water supply, the space has everything you need to cook and prepare meals while living off the grid. There’s also a wood-fired oven – perfect for cooking pizzas!

Despite being off-grid, Earthships have all the modern conveniences of most conventional builds. With a comfy queen-sized bed, the Ironbank is the perfect place to relax and unwind. Used in many parts of the home, salvaged glass bottles add a beautiful decorative feature as well as letting plenty of natural light into the building. 

Built by non-profit organisation Seven Directions, who develop innovative homes based on Michael Reynolds' vision of sustainable living, the Big Sky is located in Montana, USA. The Earthship was built in the traditional local vernacular, with plenty of exposed wood and natural materials for a rustic and cosy feel. 

The self-sufficient home generates all of its energy and water and functions entirely off the grid. The smart structure maintains a constant, comfortable temperature in the living space all year round, come snow or sunshine.

Inside, this eco dwelling has all the modern appliances you would find in any contemporary home. The big difference here is that the building itself generates the energy to power them, meaning there are no monthly bills and it's not reliant on any external energy suppliers.

A desire to embrace the natural world is intrinsic to the homebuilding principles of Earthships. Using tree trunks inside the property blurs the distinction between inside and out, combining natural resources with man-made structures for an amazing wooden home that goes against the grain.

Taylor and Steph Bode created their very own Earthship in Santa Cruz, California. At just 560 square feet, the couple used reclaimed and repurposed materials to build their tiny home. 

After spending a year learning how to build Earthships around the USA, Taylor and Steph decided to but their new skills to use and construct their own home. Built into a south-sloping hill, the east, west and north walls are buried underground which insulates the home and keeps indoor temperatures stable. 

To create the frame for the upcycled tiny house, the couple cut down two redwood trees from a nearby grove, while the rest of the build was constructed using discarded materials such as tyres, glass bottles and aluminium cans.

The layout of the small home is open-plan, occupying a piece of private land high up in the Santa Cruz mountains. With all the salvaging and self-building, it cost the couple just £8,000 ($10,000) to construct their Earthship. 

Brittany Groundhouse is a modern Earthship located in the middle of rural Brittany, France. With three double bedrooms and a spectacular round room, the house was featured on Channel 4's Grand Designs. 

There's no conventional heating in the Groundhouse as its south-facing position, glazed front and passive underfloor heating keep the house warm. But if it does get too chilly there are two wood-burning stoves. Anyone looking for an environmentally-friendly holiday home can rent the place from £500 ($650) per week.

Inside, the clever passive house really doesn't look too different from many other country homes in the area. With rustic colours and lots of wood, it's furnished with a mix of vintage French furniture and bespoke one-off pieces made from natural and reclaimed materials.

For that welcome touch of luxury, the bathroom has a huge stone bath with an overhead shower. Like many other Earthships, it also uses glass bottles for light and heating, with the one in the bathroom offering up a wow-factor design feature. 

Each of the three bedrooms has glazed tri-folding windows that look out over the organic garden. In the warmer weather, the outdoor and indoor living spaces merge together, so residents can be at one with nature. Ready to go off-grid in your very own Earthship?