Unique housing - Quirky designs in the UK

Unique housing - Quirky designs in the UK



Everyone wants their homes to be unique. Most of us are content with scattering a few carefully chosen cushions on our settees or to maybe hang a painting of questionable taste on the living room wall. But some home-owners take personalising their living space to the next level. In this blog, we take a look at some of the most quirky designs of UK homes.

This eco-friendly “hobbit home” can be found in Glandwr, Pembrokeshire. The ceiling sports a sustainable grass surface and the rumour has it, building the house only cost £15,000 and it was built by a young couple for their baby son to grow up in.

The Pineapple at Dunmore was built by the 4th Earl of Dunmore in the 1760s as a present for his wife, who apparently went bananas for exotic fruit on her trips to the Indies and America. If you’re fascinated about fruit, you can rent the house as holiday accommodation through the Landmark Trust.

Traditionally, shipping containers are used for transporting goods from one side of the world to another. In east London they've also become home to an entire community built from these giant metal boxes.

This old water tower was originally built to receive water pumped from Thorpeness Windmill, with the water tank disguised to be in keeping with the rest of the buildings in the village. When Thorpeness got a mains water supply in 1977, the building was converted into a living space.

The 30 metre long 'Balancing Barn' near Thorington dramatically extends over a slope in the landscape, thus offering exceptional views of the surrounding woodland from its large panoramic windows. The structure had to be anchored securely with sufficient weight to maintain its stability.

And finally, if you ever wondered what it would be like to have a giant shark plunge through the roof of your house, you can experience it first hand at Headington, near Oxford. Created by sculptor John Buckley and installed at the request of owner Bill Heine in 1986, it was designed to be a political statement to reflect the times.

Have you seen a quirky design not featured here? Why not tweet your finds to us at @BarbourNews!

Add to Project Board

Create a new project board:


Related Blog Articles