9 homes made of the darndest things

Treehouses

What kid — and kid at heart — hasn't always wanted to live in a treehouse? Well, now you can, thanks to a number of enterprising architects and builders.

Britain's Blue Forest Treehouses has been building fanciful structures high above the ground all across Europe. The company makes gorgeous treehouses for play, shelter and gardens, using fine woods, traditional water-reed thatch roofs and hand-split shingles. The work doesn't come cheap, but you can customize your dreams and inspire your friends and family for a lifetime.

If you are thinking about building your own treehouse, consider make it out of reclaimed wood, or at least wood harvested from a sustainably managed forest, such as wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

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Converted churches

Churches have also been reimagined in new ways, from thumping nightclubs to modern homes. Adrian Wright converted an 1870s Anglican church in East Cambridgeshire, England, into a beautiful living space, which he sold in 2007. Wright recently purchased another Victorian Anglican church and is repeating his success.

Wright's finished work is a marvel, with underfloor gas central heating, a comfortable living/dining/kitchen area, a master suite and ample parking. It includes a study and 2,275 square feet of open-plan space.

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Houses made from airplanes

Creative individuals around the country have taken to converting used airplanes into living spaces. Some relish the novelty and connection to aviation, while others trumpet the toughness of the frames.

In 1994, a hairstylist in Benoit, Miss., named JoAnn Ussery lost her 1,400-square-foot house to an ice storm. Ussery had a relative who worked in aviation, and the two came up with the idea to salvage a Continental Airlines 727. It cost her $2,000 to buy the plane, $4,000 to move it to her lakeside lot, and about $24,000 to outfit it comfortably. Ussery did much of the renovation herself, and took advantage of the ample windows and storage bins, as well as the lavatory. Ussery told reporters that she was mainly attracted to the idea because of the plane's low cost and durability.

Mercedes-Benz dealer Francie Rehwald of Malibu, Calif., has been working on a unique home built from a recycled Boeing 747, at an estimated cost of $2 million. Rehwald told reporters that she is interested in green building and that her project involves turning the wings into a roof, the nose into a meditation temple and the trademark "bulge" into a loft.

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Missile silo homes

In the fascinating Chris Smith documentary “Home Movie,” viewers meet an affable couple who made a comfortable home on the sweeping plains of the Midwest — in a decommissioned missile silo. The self-proclaimed pacifists relished the challenge of turning an object of mass destruction into a welcoming abode. They aren't the only ones. A number of relics from the Cold War have been converted into homes and for other purposes, from storage to an astronomical observatory.

Own your own piece of history with the recently renovated Silohome in upstate New York. Located in scenic Adirondack State Park near Lake Placid, the former Atlas-F Series silo is a "pristine mountain property with panoramic views in combination with the ultimate level of security and privacy," according to restorers Bruce Francisco and Gregory Gibbons. Silohome features a small runway, a hangar and spacious living areas on the surface. Below ground, the former launch control center has been converted into a two-level residence, with three bedrooms, 2.5 baths and an open living area and kitchen, adjoined by a spiral staircase. “Star Wars”-like doors open to the tunnel that accesses the silo.

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Earthships

Earthships are “Mad Max”-looking structures made of mud and reused materials, such as old tires, bottles and tile. Earthships take advantage of the cheapness and availability of building materials and are well-insulated. Many include solar panels or other renewable energy sources, as well as water-recycling systems and green roofs. Quite a few are made surprisingly cozy and even beautiful inside, with ornate detailing and a high degree of customization and expandability.

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Boat houses

Lots of resourceful people have converted boats into living quarters on dry land. One example that stands out can be found on South Bass Island in Lake Erie at Put-in-Bay, Ohio. After 50 years of service on the Great Lakes, the Henry Ford-built Benson Ford was sectioned by an enterprising Ohio couple, who turned the elegant cabins into a private residence.

In the 1920s, a Southern California architect and recycler by the name of Miles Minor Kellogg built two distinctive homes in the shape of boats, out of bits of material he found locally.

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Shipping container homes

Architects and homeowners are gradually discovering the benefits of shipping container homes. It turns out that the strong, cheap freight boxes make pretty useful building blocks. They can be loaded with creature comforts and stacked to create modular, efficient spaces for a fraction of the cost, labor and resources of more conventional materials. Shipping containers can be easily insulated and climate controlled, and they are being deployed as disaster-relief shelters and modest vacation homes. In stacking configurations, they are appearing as student housing and even luxury condos.

Would you live in a recycled shipping container?

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Funky spheres

Emerging from the rain forest of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, are the futuristic designs known as Free Spirit Spheres. The "treehouses for adults" are handmade from local wood and suspended from the tree canopy. The spheres are recommended for meditation, photography, canopy research, leisure, wildlife watching and other activities. Some are available for rental, and do-it-yourself kits are offered. There are separate bathroom spheres.

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Converted grain bins

Another great conversion idea is homes made from grain bins. Mother Earth News has some how-to instructions, as well as photos of how surprisingly attractive such structures can be. Used grain bins are common in many rural areas, and can often be bought for a song. They aren't even that daunting to move, given the right gear.

Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage in Rutledge, Mo., converted a grain bin into a two-bedroom apartment. According to the center for sustainable living, "We chose the grain bin because it already had walls, a roof and a concrete floor. This made for a simpler project that we could complete in the three months before winter." The pleasant dwelling is insulated with locally sourced straw bales, is powered by solar panels and is heated with wood stoves.

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