This one sold for $2.8 million last month, but I definitely couldn’t resist posting it anyway. Here’s the listing description:

This Hillsborough iconic landmark, seen from highway 280, is on the market for the first time in 20 years. In 1976 Bay Area architect William Nicholson designed the multiple domed home that is nestled into the hillside overlooking Crystal Springs Reservoir. Architect, Eugene Tsui, designed the “biologic” kitchen. Interesting rooms include a game room, the conversation pit, and the 3rd bedroom with a loft. This is an amazing opportunity for buyers who appreciate the architecture and design.

Some call it the “Flinstones” home, but to me the only true real-life Flinstones home is Dick Clark’s old Malibu home, which sold in 2014 for $1.8 million. You can read more about that home on Curbed.

I’d be worried about constantly skinning my elbows on the walls.

If I had to guess, I’d say the room above is probably “the conversation pit.”

I wonder if that stone table is made of actual stone, or if it’s a lightweight facsimile.

I… have no idea what this room is. But it has dinosaurs so it’s A-okay with me.

What’s so special about this home? From the listing description:

It straddles the border, and a small portion of the building in in Canada. Historic building called the “Old Stone Store” was formerly a store and US/Canadian Post Office.

Okay, that is pretty cool. Here’s the satellite view from Google Maps, with the home marked by the small grey pin:

An article from the Associated Press has more:

For sale: A 1782 fixer-upper with thick granite walls, 1950s decor, and armed 24-hour security provided by both Canada and the United States of America.

The just over 3,000-square-foot house, cut into five currently vacant apartments, is on a lot of less than a quarter-acre that, along with the building itself, straddles the border between Beebe Plain, Vermont, and Stanstead, Quebec.

Selling a home in two countries is proving to be a challenge for the couple who owns it. The structure, which has an estimated rebuild cost of about $600,000, is on the market for $109,000. It’s structurally sound but needs lots of work. And then there’s that international border.

“In the day, it was a normal and natural thing,” Brian DuMoulin, who grew up in the house and was accustomed to life literally on the border at a time when no one thought twice about crossing from one country to the other. “Now it stresses everyone out.”

The home itself isn’t much to look at, but the location is certainly unique!

What a location.

What a house.

This unique remote California desert home has been off and on the market five or six times since 2002. The current asking price on the “Volcano House” is $650,000. When Curbed wrote about it in 2009 the asking price was $750,000.

Every room has an amazing view. You know, if you’re into barren desert landscapes.

Because that’s pretty much all you get.

As far as the eye can see.

It’s about a 50 minute drive to Barstow, the closest town of any significant size. This place certainly seems like it would make a sweet retreat for someone in Southern California.

If you’re craving more photos, here’s a great Flickr set of the Volcano House by Chapman Publications. Amusing Planet has an article with some more details about the home’s background.

Also, CNNMoney did a segment on the house a few years ago:

Finally, here’s a cool night timelapse video of the house:

Can’t say I’ve seen a home with an entrance quite like this one before.

Perhaps there was some sort of odd zoning or permit restrictions?

Apparently the back of the home is level with the alley, so at least they don’t have to drive their car over a crazy bridge.

Privacy is also hard to come by when you have lots of guests who’ll share a meal with you in the lodge-sized kitchen/dining combo.

Or the ones who won’t be able to keep quiet after lounging on the observation bench… in front of your spa tub.

Any guest who wins his or her handball match would likewise be tempted to spill the beans.

Oh, geeze… so there’s at least nine more guys who no doubt will blab about your full-sized basketball court.

And your batting cages…

But the absolute deal breaker for keeping your location a secret is to advertise that you have…

…your own baseball diamond. With night game capability. Makes finding you a total snap. BTW, the home is on West Patrick Lane, about 2 miles due west of McCarran International Airport and right next to the Korean Catholic Church that fronts on South Jones Blvd.

[Note from Marty: The full address was fairly easy to find. It’s 5990 W Patrick Lane, Las Vegas, NV 89118]

In the dining room…

Even in the hallway…

Well, until you hit the home theater. It’s… um… different…

The busts are of Greek and Roman origin. Some are even of famous philosophers. But the theater is an Egyptian tomb reborn… with a dozen gold thrones seats. And a totally creepy black obelisk.

Even so, the Egyptian theater may not sport the weirdest decor. At least Greek, Roman, and Egyptian are all ancient. But this…?

Definitely a “Wait… what?” moment. I dunno, maybe the dolls count as sorta busts?

It has gorgeous views of the Scottsdale and Phoenix area.

It has some interesting spaces inside, including the kitchen…

…and the amazing master bathroom.

It even has a totally cool mural in, of all places, the garage.

But the real magic happens after dark, when the lights go out…

…and the black lights come on!

Now that is what I am talkin’ about!

Ooh… it even has a cool castley type door!

OK, the “throne room” is a bit tacky, but at least it’s in keeping with the theme.

Wait a sec… this hand carved wood is probably supposed to be a wolf, but it sure looks like Anubis, Egyptian guardian of the underworld. Huh…

And this kinda reminds me of… an indoor gallows room?

I’m not sure I want to know where that lower stair leads, let alone… This Terrifying Tunnel!

A dungeon? Really? That’s carrying the theme a bit far, don’t you think?

What do you mean, there’s “more”? Oh no no no no no… not a… Subterranean Sacrificial Altar!!

Sweet Jesus, there’s even a convenient drain!

How’s that? It’s really just an old brewery?

Well, OK. But if I promise never to drink beer again, can you promise me I’ll never have to go inside it? Please?!

This is a nice looking place.

Hey, wait a minute… is this actually a cave?

Yup, looks like a cave. Who needs windows, I guess?

At least the finishes are nice, so you have something pleasant to look at while you’re not looking out any windows.

Okay, okay, I jest.

If you want some sunlight, just look up!

Here’s how the listing agent pitches this house:

Finally, a home as unique as you are! Unique Dale Percy design, underground home on 1.3Acres. Look no further for a fabulous, energy efficient, eco-friendly home design.

Fabulous!

Inside there is an endless supply of non-traditional spaces, including the 2-story, semi-circular music niche…

…a sharply angled, glass walled hallway that snuggles around a deck…

…and numerous rooms that manage not to suffer from a lack of parallel walls, including the office and a practice/recording studio.

Still, the thing that’s likely to hold your interest the longest isn’t even technically a part of the house itself. Nope. It’s…

…the bright purple leather sofa! (With matching ottoman!!)

With a ceiling fan!

And a skylight!

Don’t forget the three, count’em three, greenhouses! (There’s even a fourth if you’re up for repairing it.) In addition, there is a “huge display garden [with] mature, unusual trees and shrubs, including one endangered species.”

After a long day of plant tending, both indoors and out, have a nice comfy lie-down in your cozy (aka small, 452 sq ft) yurt.

tile-work…

and stone-work.

Then again, details can be, well… pretty weird… as in an artificially distressed basketball court(?)

Or even one’s own private… “orgasmatron”(?!)

Huh. And I thought Woody Allen was a die-hard New Yorker.

You literally can’t get more waterfront than this—360 degrees of waterfront, located just 1 hour from London!

From the listing description:

Number 1, The Thames, otherwise known as Grain Tower Battery, was built around 1855. … The property is of course in need of complete renovation but could be transformed into almost anything (STPP) – a private residence, an off shore hotel, a houseboat community, outdoor pursuit centre, film location, nightclub, casino to name a few!

And in case you’re having a hard time imagining some of those possibilities, they’ve included some helpful renderings:

Personally I’d go for the classy, see-through pub:

More from the listing:

Planted on a spit of land on the Isle of Grain, it can only be reached at low tide. The bomb-proof 150 year-old estuary gun emplacement is a kilometre off the Isle of Grain shore at the strategically important point where the Thames meets the Medway. The original tower is similar in design to the Martello towers which were first constructed as a defence against Napoleon in the early 19th Century.

So… parking might be a slight issue, but you’re set for home security.

This very unique property can be yours for just £500,000 (about $830,000)!

Here’s another one that’s less “looney” and more “lavish.”

Love the distinctive, unique shape of this home, as well as the finishes like the nice wood deck.

Is that basement just carved out of the rock below the house? Crazy.

Nice round second-story balcony, too.

Bonus: if kids get bored with the main house, they’ve got “Fort Apache” out back, complete with its own log wall.

Delightful!

Not many homes have their own Wikipedia page, but the John Sowden House does.

From said Wikipedia page:

Built by Lloyd Wright, the house is noted for its use of ornamented concrete blocks and for its striking facade, resembling (depending on the viewer’s points of cultural reference) either a Mayan temple or the gaping open mouth of a great white shark.

Note that we’re talking about Frank Lloyd Wright, Jr., the eldest son of Frank Lloyd Wright.

If you’re thinking that the pool and some of the home’s more modern-looking features seem a bit out of place, you would be correct.

The house, with seven bedrooms, four baths, and 5,600 square feet (520 m2), was listed on the market at $1,575,000 in 2001. It was purchased that year by Xorin Balbes for $1.2 million. Balbes, who said the house was “a wreck” when he bought it, spent $1.6 million to restore the house, though some of his alterations drew criticism from preservationists as well as Lloyd Wright’s son, Eric Lloyd Wright. In addition to restoring the stonework, Balbes converted the three-room kitchen area into a large open kitchen, added new upscale bathrooms, and installed a pool and spa in the central court.

The almost-glowing velvet furniture throughout is an odd choice as well, in my opinion.

Here’s a shot of one of those new bathrooms:

Wikipedia is silent on the subject of the koi pond, but other sources online indicate that it too was a modern addition.

Speaking of fish…

Plus, more of that weird velvet furniture.

The spotlight in the living room is an interesting choice. I suppose when one lives in a famous home like this, it feels like the spotlight is always on you. It’s metaphorical, you see.

Additional photos can be viewed on the virtual tour.

This home sports what is easily the skinniest kitchen I have ever laid eyes on. If you’re overweight, you’d need to go on a diet just to squeeze in there and use your sink.

Okay, to be fair, the whole kitchen is actually pretty big:

It’s just that, for some reason they decided not to put the sink and dishwasher out in the usable space, and instead opted to shove them in what basically amounts to a closet.

The weirdest part about it all is that judging by the finishes, the kitchen appears to have been remodeled relatively recently.

Worst kitchen work triangle ever.

I’m a sucker for a geodesic dome home.

Put it on a little river and you’ve got a double-win.

From the listing agent’s description:

A rare opportunity to own a waterfront home on the Sammamish River, minutes from Lake Wash. This one-of-a-kind dome has many updated design features such as brushed SS backsplash, marble tile, 25 skylights half that open, creative loft, brass fire pole, hot tub & sauna, enclosed patio & large outdoor patio w/ outdoor shower. Dock your yacht out front.

Gotta have a place for my yacht.

Love the wood shingle siding.

Wait, what’s that pole over by the stairs?

How did the listing agent fail to mention I miss the mention of the fireman’s pole?

Geodesic dome, on a river, with a fireman’s pole? Triple win!

Whoa.

This place is seriously incredible.

How is that roof even possible?

SOLD. Or, it would be anyway, if I had 1.8 million dollars.

For the fanatical fungus-lovers out there.

No word on if the home has a history of princess kidnapping.

I’d probably put up a turtle fence just in case.

Great find by a reader. If this home looks a bit… odd to you, that would be because it sits in a man-made cave 26 feet underground. Currently on the market for $1.6 million. The listing photos are garbage though, so the photos in this post come from a great piece over at Vegas Inc.

I love the “life-like” murals painted on the walls.

So you can remember what life was like before the bomb.

Gotta love the decor inside, too. No, I mean you seriously gotta love it because the whole world has been decimated and you’re literally never going to be able to replace it.

The idyllic kitchen is a nice touch, too.

For the full high-res photo set head over to Vegas Inc. For more about this home, check out this post on Messy Nessy Chic.

From the listing description:

Now available, as seen on television, San Diego’s world famous “Cats’ House”!

Because who wouldn’t want who knows how many cats crawling around directly above your dining table?

Or climbing down into your bad whenever they want?

Wait. I’ve found the perfect buyer for this house:

This one also sold back in December, but since I’ve never seen a whole house built on wheels before, I had to share it.

Seriously, what is going on here? Why is the whole home propped up on wheels on a circular track?

I mean, it’s a groovy design and all…

…but what’s the point?

I happened upon this one while I was browsing expensive listings in Southern California a few months back. Yes, those are two authentic segments of the Berlin Wall. More about the estate at the Wall Street Journal