10 of the Quirkiest, Coolest Rooms on Houzz
When imaginations run wild, design fantasies take flight. See these daringly unconventional spaces for yourself
Houzz Contributor. I am a former magazine editor specializing in travel and design. I just completed my first remodel, turning my crumbling 1941 kitchen into a beauty of grays, whites and natural wood. If I could, I'd sleep on the countertop. That's how much I love it.
You can also read my parenting blog on Baby Center http://blogs.babycenter.com/author/sschoech/
Houzz Contributor. I am a former magazine editor specializing in travel... More »
| Share: |
|
These 10 rooms take thinking outside the box to new levels. They are examples of design and architecture gone wild and injected with imagination, playfulness and creativity. But it takes more than just imagination to create a space so different from conventional norms. It takes major guts (and a robust bank account). While most of us hem and haw and wring our hands while trying to choose the perfect "greige," designers of spaces like these just go for it.
The designs may not be for everyone, but they are all good reminders that it's OK to go ahead and take some chances.
The designs may not be for everyone, but they are all good reminders that it's OK to go ahead and take some chances.
|
by skratchworks
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| So, say you're a really big fan of Game of Thrones and you want to build a basement rec room. First order of business: Create a spiral staircase that looks like a dragon's tail. Add a rock wall, a fanciful golden arch and voilà — you've got an architectural fantasy room worthy of Tolkien. Just lose the Coca-Cola sign in the back, please. See more photos of this room |
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| This whole house is filled with whimsy, but my favorite touch is the slide that leads to the basement. I'm sure it makes doing laundry a lot more fun. |
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Gothic arches and blue lit acrylic tubes make this a wine cellar worthy of a sci-fi overlord. See more photos of this project |
| This amazing steel slide connects two apartments in New York City. It adds major fun but retains its design chops too. It's a slide and sculpture in one. |
by Jenny Carter
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
Hansel and Gretel meet modern art. There is something both beautiful and slightly threatening about these backlit branches "growing" in this hallway. They certainly are a departure from the bench and shoe rack that reside in most entryways.
| This is in an apartment in Iran. My best guess is that this room is the bedroom and that the sheepskin-lined sculpture is the bed. Either that, or it's the consciousness realignment pod. Either way, it's hard to find sheets for it at Bed, Bath & Beyond. |
| Busting through a wall to create more space and a sense of flow is a popular item on the remodeling wish list. But most of us don't consider hiring the Hulk as our contractor. |
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| An interior basketball court is not such an unusual amenity in luxury homes, but one at the center of the home, with viewing decks and windows, is an unusual twist on the sports theme. |
|
by Nic Darling
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| This peekaboo plywood wall is an inexpensive, fun way to keep kids from falling off an open staircase. It's also great for playing spies. |
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
This moat in a Colorado ski house leads to the wine cellar. The waterfall door stops when you step on the stone so you don't get wet grabbing that bottle of cab. If you ever wanted to feel like Indiana Jones, this is your chance.
See more photos of this project
See more photos of this project
Ideabook published on Jan. 21, 2013.
Latest Ideabooks
People found the photos in this ideabook after searching for:
View over a million photos:
Find Local Pros by Category:
Architects & Designers · Carpet and Flooring · Closet & Home Storage Designers · Design-build Firms · Fireplaces · General Contractors · Home Media Design & Installation · Interior Designers & Decorators · Kitchen & Bath Designers · Landscape Architects & Designers · Landscape Contractors · Specialty Contractors · Tile, Stone & Countertops
Find Local Pros by Metro Area:
Atlanta · Austin · Baltimore · Boston · Chicago · Dallas · Dc Metro · Denver · Detroit · Hawaii · Houston · Las Vegas · Los Angeles · Miami · Minneapolis · Nashville · New Orleans · New York · Philadelphia · Phoenix · Portland · Salt Lake City · San Diego · San Francisco · Seattle · St Louis




















OH.
MY.
GOODNESS.
It's true. All the movies have been true. Amazing.
I do, however, love the wine cellar waterfall.
Here's a suggestion: use prints:
http://www.artsia.com/art-detail/kate
and check out more images on the site and others
http://laurentiu.artspan.com/
http://pinterest.com/laurentiutodie/
As a fan of A Song of Ice and Fire series as well as Tolkien, I just felt the need to comment on how fantasy doesn't have to be tacky like presented here!
But I would love to visit their home...
Resale value? Is everything resale value?
Also, I object to the Coca-Cola sign not because I love the room but because it is an anachronistic eye-sore.
Using the word "stupid" to criticize a style or design...now that's what I call ironic.
R. D. Wood, Architect
Do like the various slides; they look like fun, and can probably be removed when everyone grows up. Thought the uneven broken-brick doorway was novel, yet functional, but raw plywood? Sure, if you don’t mind pulling splinters from your kids’ hands & faces, when they stick their noses into the holes!
Trisha Rose – Take a look at this high-rise fire escape system; from Israel:
There are much stranger homes than these, like the castle home in Lincoln, MA, that get swooped up just because they are so quirky.
I found the piece rather inspiring. The question is how to take, say, clear acrylic and blue lights, on a much smaller scale, The slide was awesome.
I am thinking - slide - too! Our stairs honestly are not "standard" which is tearing up my knees. We are dreading the amount of work replacing the stairs will be...a slide may be the answer! (Probably not in reality...can't see myself in my business suit sliding out to work, but it's a fun little fantasy...would be fun to have when we are having a house party...maybe we can do a combo stair/slide...hell, may as well put in an elevator...duh)
A lot of things can be done that aren't permanent if you're worried about resale.
More of this kind of article, please.