For many of us, home sweet home is a place with four walls and a garden fence. However, all over the world innovative architects are pushing the boundaries of residential architecture into the realm of abstract – and occasionally absurd – artistry. From an invisible mirrored home in rural Slovenia to a snake-shaped apartment complex in Mexico, these spectacular properties are anything but predictable. Click or scroll for more...

Fancy slumbering in the belly of a beast? From its scale-like tiles to its long curvaceous structure, this otherworldly home is a replica of a slithering snake. Located just north of Mexico City, the architectural marvel and surrounding sculpture garden is the work of architect Javier Senosiain.

Built on a rugged, sloping terrain, an ancient cave on the site reminded Senosiain of the mouth of snake, so he set about creating a coiling concrete structure to complete the serpent. Incredibly, 10 apartments now reside within this unconventional dwelling.

In one of the striking communal areas, a multicolored glass dome frames an indoor greenhouse, illuminating the space with vibrant shards of light. With an eight-bedroom holiday home available to rent, you can experience the awe-inspiring architecture for yourself. 

Built in 1961, this sculptural timber home in Oklahoma is more than a little unusual. Reminiscent of a shaggy buffalo or a disheveled bird, layers of cedarwood overlap to create a feather-like effect. An example of organic architecture, the two-bed home's architect, Herb Greene, drew inspiration from the natural world and its creatures.

The quirky patchwork wood cladding continues inside, creating a characterful weather-worn aesthetic. Caught somewhere between a rustic Wild West retreat and a dystopian dwelling of the future, light is channeled through the interior from a large domed window on the top floor.

Hidden in the eaves, the master bedroom is cozy and compact, with built-in storage cleverly slotted in between structural beams. Found in three acres of rural land, this quirky property is perfect for those yearning for the pared-back prairie lifestyle.

Raised on stilts, this triangular structure perched on England's Cornish coast has a futuristic air to it. Clad in wood, the unusual construct is actually a one-bed holiday home, tucked away in a secluded rural spot.

Designed as a retreat where visitors can disconnect from the outside world and reconnect with nature, the innovative home sits around eight feet off the ground, allowing panoramic views across the surrounding tree canopy. Available to rent from $124 per night, the hut even comes with its own hot tub tucked away in the forest.

Inside, the compact layout squeezes a lot into a snug space. A built-in sofa hides under-seat storage and provides a cozy spot to kick back and relax. Above the main living area you'll find a mezzanine bedroom that can comfortably accommodate a solo visitor or couple. Just imagine waking up to those breathtaking tree-top views!

Blending seamlessly into the snowy rural landscape, this clever camouflaged house in Slovenia was designed by Austrian studio Delugan Meissl Associated Architects. Clad in mirrors, the property reflects its rural surroundings, creating a wow-factor architectural statement that responds sensitively to its natural spot.

The façade is even more spectacular at night when the edges of the property blur into the dark sky, reflecting shooting stars as they flash overheard. Available as a prefabricated design, the total cost of the dwelling is just $110,000, which even includes furnishings.

Measuring 47 feet by 11 feet, the interior may be snug, but there's no shortage of style. Light wood cladding, tactile accessories and minimalist lines ooze Scandi chic, while floor-to-ceiling glazing frames the stunning surroundings outside. Cleverly, the floorplan is divided into prefab modules, so homeowners can adapt the design to suit their needs.

Taking the mobile home concept a step further, Belgian architectural firm dmvA designed this egg-shaped unit as a multifunctional home that can be adapted to each homeowner's individual needs. More than just practical, its fascinating silhouette is a minimalist work of art.

Despite its small stature, the blob is surprisingly roomy. The side of the house can be opened up to create a porch, allowing light and air to flow through the structure on warmer days. Constructed out of polyester, the cozy home is light enough to be moved to any location you like. 

Inside, the open-plan living space contains a bathroom, kitchen and a multipurpose space that can be used as an office or a bedroom. Built into a compact area measuring 215 square feet, the blob can be adapted for any use, from a traveling tiny house to a garden room or futuristic home office.

If you thought you were pressed for space in your house, spare a thought for the owners of the Keret House in Warsaw, Poland. Built in 2012, the super-skinny house measures just 48 inches at its widest point, yet remarkably, it still offers a fully functional living space.

Squeezed between two buildings in the city, the house is set on raised stilts, with a narrow staircase connecting the living areas. While there’s a bedroom and small living space, it’s no surprise that the facilities are limited. In the bathroom there’s a small toilet with a showerhead, while the kitchen’s tiny fridge offers enough space for two drinks.

Once residents have enjoyed a meal on the compact dining table, they can climb up the ladder that connects the first and second floors and crawl into the cozy single bed or work at a small built-in desk. There’s even a small window in the bedroom to bath the narrow space in light.

For the lucky owners of this award-winning home in Melbourne’s Fitzroy North, living with their head in the clouds is no new experience. From the street, the property may look like a normal Edwardian home, but head around to the back and you'll find a fantastical, cloud-shaped extension which transforms the home from a traditional building into a quirky, dreamlike space.

The south-facing addition, which is made of sustainable material, draws plenty of light into the kitchen, whilst framing the yard and pool to create an exceptional outdoor living area. Lined in wood, the curvaceous façade reflects the interior cladding for a sense of continuity between indoors and out.

Designed by the architects at McBride Charles Ryan, the interior of the property is far from ordinary too. The hub of the home is the vibrant red kitchen, which is offset by warm wood paneling. The walls curve around, enveloping the unusual space and creating a cozy, contemporary feel. 

The Reversible Destiny Lofts in Tokyo certainly stand out from other bland residential projects. An exciting mishmash of colors and shapes, the apartments were inspired by basic geometric forms and designed to challenge and stimulate the senses. 

Each apartment consists of a circular open-plan living area which radiates out from a central kitchen space. Further rooms are connected by bulbous doorways and hanging ladders, offering a humorous colorful playhouse aesthetic that's enchanting for children and adults alike.

A combination of 14 colors are used to decorate each apartment and create a bright and bold living environment. The playful use of color, texture and form heightens the senses, while unconventional design elements, such as circular rooms and hanging storage units, are meant to challenge the way we move around conventional homes.

The work of Austin Maynard Architects, the Hill House in Melbourne is an exceptional example of a modern home that challenges the norms of architectural design. A large black box seemingly juts out of the hillside, which is, in fact, the grass-covered ground floor of the property.

Melbourne has experienced an increase in the number of high-rise builds in the past decade, which means gardens are a luxury for most. For this reason, the architects of Hill House took the innovative decision to extend the green space up onto the exterior walls, transforming the structure into a veritable playground.

Inside, the south-facing property is injected with light through a series of floor-to-ceiling windows, as well as a large, glass entrance portal. A winding staircase connects the lower ground open-plan living area to the upstairs bedrooms, offering a spacious and stylish suburban family home. Pretty ingenious!

The Capital Hill Residence in the Barvikha Forest near Moscow was created for Russian businessman Vladislav Doronin, dubbed the Russian James Bond. Designed by the late architect Zaha Hadid, the futuristic property resembles a reimagined spaceship from the 1960s. With an impressive total floor plan of nearly 30,000 square feet, the enormous property isn't short on space. 

The home's most notable feature is its upper-level master bedroom suite and terraces, which offer the ultimate in privacy. The suit floats above the rest of the property on a column, nestled among the treetops. This was a feature designed especially for Doronin, who said that when he woke up in the morning, he wanted to see only blue sky.

Inside, the Capital Hill Residence is sleek and minimalist. But don’t be fooled by its pared-back design – the home is kitted out with a number of 21st-century luxuries including a sauna, hammam bath, a library, entertaining spaces, an indoor swimming pool and a fitness area.

This ambitious, psychedelic house was created for a family who wanted an unusual home that would bring them closer to nature. Designed by innovative architect Javier Senosiain, this giant shell-shaped structure was designed to be both a striking example of organic architecture and an enormous contemporary art piece.

A stained glass window marks the entrance to the house, giving way to a fluid, open-plan living space. The floor is covered in plants and there's even an artificial stream to bring the outdoors in. The windows cast colorful lights across the living area, adding to the whimsical feel. The interior is just as convincing as the exterior, with the walls, floors and ceilings twisting and turning like a snail's shell. 

Bold, organic-inspired architecture is present throughout, with the rooms imitating natural structures. Here, the master bedroom appears to have been hollowed out of rock, creating a warm, enveloping environment that's straight out of a fairytale.

The Truffle is an experimental, tiny house that's as close to nature as you can get. Built from concrete, earth and natural rock, the home fits seamlessly into the natural landscape. To enter, there's a discreet opening at the back of the property, while a large window at the front frames stunning views of the ocean.

Designed by Ensamble, the interior is minimalistic, consisting of a single open-plan space where a double bed, fireplace and bathroom have been slotted into the rock. The natural stone surface cleverly protects the tiny house from the heat of the Spanish sun during the summer. 

Described by its architects as a piece of nature built with earth, the innovative house was created by pouring concrete between hay bales and soil. Left to set, the earth helped to shape the structure, resulting in the quirky organic home we see today, which aptly resembles a truffle.

This shiny brown property is the last thing you’d expect to find in the Connecticut countryside. Designed to combine avant-garde architecture and cozy living, the bronzed stainless steel structure challenges the notions of residential forms with its bold design.

Conceived by Studio Libeskind, not a single facet of the exterior surface is the same, with the house offering a fresh perspective from every angle. The mirrored finish means the façade's hue is constantly in flux too, adapting to reflect its surroundings.

The curious construction is repeated in the home's interior, with angular rooms that appear to morph into various geometric forms depending on where you stand. Despite the sharp corners, a seamless flow is created between the living, dining, kitchen and sleeping areas, with gentle level changes distinguishing the different spaces.

Occupying the top four floors of a late 19th-century tower in lower Manhattan, this elevated property might look like your average apartment from the outside, but once you step inside, you'll find all is not as it seems...

A number of shapeshifting walls pop up at various angles, creating a multi-layered interior out of a previously tight layout. Architect David Hotson played extensively with the space to create a quadruple-height living room, indoor balconies and plenty of playful elements.

A house for the young at heart, the property is bursting with fun and interactive features. A series of climbing walls have been created from the structure’s support beams, while a looping, 80-foot slide connects the property's floors through a series of shiny, mirrored tubes. If you don’t fancy taking the slide, there's a more conventional staircase too.

Prepare to be simultaneously baffled and exhilarated by this modern house from Yuusuke Karasawa Architects. Designed and constructed without walls, the crisscross skeletal home is set over two abstractly organized floors, connected to each other by multiple staircases. 

An array of intertwining rooms creates the illusion of a floating space, with a dining room and kitchen that can only be reached by crossing over the mezzanine kitchen. Confused yet? The three-bedroom house also has an additional living room, bathrooms and a roof terrace.

Inside, the property looks like an Escher drawing with multiple staircases and levels left exposed due to the lack of walls. The property’s four glazed facçdes allow passersby to peek into the interior. This is definitely not a house for introverts!

Built to function as both a sculpture and as a house, A House to Die In by Snøhetta is being built for Norwegian artist Bjarne Melgaard. The eye-catching structure was built close to painter Edvard Munch’s former home to continue the area’s tradition as an artistic hub. Located in Oslo, the extraordinary dwelling comprises a wooden house, resting upon animal-shaped sculptures.

The project, which is still ongoing, has been carefully designed with the future in mind. A shallow pond is situated under the building to give the illusion of floating, while the exterior is covered with black, burned oak. This material, inspired by building traditions in Japan, will naturally weather over the years, allowing the home to shift and change as it ages.

Plans for the interior are intriguing, with rooms serving multiple purposes. One room functions as both a swimming pool and a dining room, while another combines a workspace and a spa. We can't wait to see this architectural marvel when it's complete!

Loved this? Check out these mind-bending homes that defy all logic