10 Wildest Houses in the World

Would you live in any of these crazy houses?

• 1. The Bubble House

  

  Tourettes-sur-Loup, France
   This bulbous structure isn't even 40 years old yet, but it's already been designated an historic monument by the French Ministry of Culture. Designed by organic architect Antti Lovag, the home features panoramic views of the Mediterranean Sea and celestial views at night. A garden at the center of the home features a waterfall and stream with palm trees and exotic vegetation. DON'T MISS: Wacky Hybrid Appliances

• 2. The Crazy House

  

  Dalat, Vietnam
  
  The namesake for this hotel, Hang Nga, designed the unusual building and, according to travel sites, she is often on hand to chat with guests. Hang Nga (who cites Salvador Dali and Walt Disney as her inspiration) is the daughter of the former president of Vietnam, which may explain how she was able to create such a far-out structure in communist Vietnam. Ten individually designed guest rooms were opened to the public in 1990. The interior features a network of bridges, ladders, and passageways that include odd ornamentation, such as spider webs, caged birds, and a giant giraffe. A night at the Crazy House ranges from about $30 to $85 USD, depending on when you go. DON'T MISS: Wackiest Pet Products

• 3. The Hello Kitty House

  

  Hsinchu, Taiwan
  
  Calling all Hello Kitty fans! The Hello Kitty castle, which opened in a Taiwanese resort in 2009, is a tribute to the Japanese anime character that has a bit of a cult following all over the world. The pinked-out palace is decorated in head-to-toe Kitty, including details such as Hello Kitty wallpaper and cushions. A word to the wise: Many sources say the castle is in Shanghai, but it is in fact located in Taiwan. DON'T MISS: Wackiest Kitchen Products

• 4. The Perforated House

  

  Victoria, Australia
  
  This project, by Kavellaris Urban Design, was a finalist in the 2009 Australian Institute of Architects Awards. It was designed to challenge the urban constraints of orientation and sustainability. The unit moves fluidly from private to public, thanks to a facade that goes from opaque to translucent via "perforated" panels and glass walls that open to flood the place with natural light. DON'T MISS: Wackiest Bath Products

• 5. The Elephant House

  

  Margate, NJ
  James Vincent de Paul Lafferty, Jr., the original owner of this house, thought its unique design might lure property buyers to his nearby land holdings back in the 1880s. Nicknamed "Lucy", the elephant never really did attract people to Lafferty's real estate, but it remains a tourist hotspot some 130 years later. DON'T MISS: Wackiest Yard and Garden Products

• 6. The Blob

  

  Mechelen, Belgium
  The oft reviled trailer park staple has been
  completely reimagined in the form of this sleek, portable "blob" house by Mechelen-based architects dmvA. The mobile unit's two doors open on hydraulics to create outdoor canopies and close into the nearly seamless "space-egg" design. Complete with a kitchen, a full bath, storage niches, and even a built-in bed niche, it's up for sale and currently on display at the Verbeje Foundation in Kemzeke, Belgium. DON'T MISS: Laws You Didn't Know You were Breaking

• 7. The Cosmic Muffin

  

  Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
  Originally a 1939 plane that belonged to aviation innovator Howard Hughes, this Boeing 307 Stratoliner was one of only ten built before production was halted at the start of World War II. In the 1970s, realtor Kenneth W. London saved the flyer from the scrap heap, made it into a boat, and toured the Florida coast with it. It was during this tour that the current owner, David Drimmer, made an offer on the thing. DON'T MISS: Is Your Pro a Con?

• 8. The Hobbit House

  

  Wales, United Kingdom
  
  Simon Dale's DIY house wasn't intended as a Tolkien tribute, it just happened to turn out that way. Nicknamed for its resemblance to the Hobbit-holes in "The Lord of the Rings," the house was built with energy conservation in mind. Dale told The Independent newspaper: "I'm no literary expert, but hobbits seem to be a representation of humans living in a sustainable sort of way. I'm happy with that." Crazy Home Inspection Nightmares

• 9. The Onion House

  

  Kailua Kona, Hawaii This estate, owned by a member of the McCormick Spice Co. family, wasn't nicknamed after the company's dehydrated onions. Instead, the Onion House moniker came courtesy of an angry neighbor overheard complaining that "The damned thing looks like an onion!" DON'T MISS: Throw an Outdoor Party

• 10. The Beer Can House

  

  Houston, Texas
  With the help of his wife and neighbors, John Milkovisch drank enough brews to cover a whole entire house. He started reusing the empty cans as a type of "aluminum siding" in 1968 and finished the job 18 years later. The house is open to the public on weekends. DON'T MISS: Summertime Weekend Projects