8 incredible metal mansions that ditch traditional bricks

Blindingly beautiful metal homes

Move over bricks and mortar! We've scoured the globe to bring you the very best gleaming metal homes to feast your eyes on. Designed by talented architects or savvy homeowners, these properties, clad in copper, aluminum, steel, and tin, are architecturally stunning and sure to inspire.

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Bellbrae House, Victoria, Australia

Constructed in 2019, this shimmering metal home lies in Bellbrae, Australia, just off the Great Ocean Road. Designed as a forever home for the retired owners, it had to suit their needs now and in the years to come.

Crafted to be low-maintenance, easy to maneuver through, and peaceful, it's the perfect place from which to enjoy all that this stunning part of Victoria has to offer.

Bellbrae House, Victoria, Australia

Originally, the homeowners wanted to alter and extend the home that once sat on the 10-acre site, but upon further investigation, it was deemed unsalvageable, due to poor building practices. 

So, Wiesebrock Architecture designed a new property to sit within the existing footprint of the building.

Bellbrae House, Victoria, Australia

Since the owners are retired, there was “no room for budget blowouts or costly future maintenance,” the architects explain. The house needed to "work socially for two people, three families, or a wedding for 100 guests".

It also needed to reflect the owners' desires to preserve the natural environment and limit their waste output. Therefore, plenty of materials were salvaged from the existing house and reused during the build, including the galvanized steel cladding that wraps the property.

Bellbrae House, Victoria, Australia

The 1,940-square-foot house was designed as two pavilions, separated by a large deck. The main pavilion was designed for day-to-day living and features a sitting room, kitchen, dining zone, and bedroom. There’s also a mud room, tack room, laundry, pantry and bathroom.

Fresh and modern, the rooms are finished in sustainable Victorian ash, radiata pine, and river red gum to reference the old farmhouses that dot the region.

Bellbrae House, Victoria, Australia

The second, smaller pavilion boasts two extra bedrooms, either side of a shared bathroom and kitchenette. Ideal for visiting friends and family, this guest unit helps everyone maintain their privacy and can be closed down when not in use, to conserve energy and minimize cleaning.

The units are oriented to capture plenty of light and feature rooftop solar panels. Their position also maximizes shade and allows for stunning views across the surrounding landscape.

Container home, Sicily, Italy

Over in Terrasini, on the Italian island of Sicily, you'll find this unique container home. Perched on a hillside and partially cantilevered, the property overlooks a valley and offers views of the Gulf of Castellammare.

Container home, Sicily, Italy

Formed from a single shipping container, clad in rust-coloured Corten steel, the property will weather and age beautifully over time, allowing it to softly blend into its idyllic setting.

The home can be accessed via a set of steps that lead up to a small exterior patio.

Container home, Sicily, Italy

Described in the Airbnb listing as an "example of naturalistic design", the home is clean, fresh, comfortable, and modern. It features bold metal elements throughout, which stand out starkly against the crisp white walls, ceilings, and floors.

Container home, Sicily, Italy

Open-plan, the inside of the container home provides a kitchenette, sitting area, and bedroom, which is located right in front of a huge picture window, allowing guests to capture coastal views from the comfort of their sheets.

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Container home, Sicily, Italy

Big porthole windows draw ample light inside, while the home's high ceilings ensure every space feels comfortable. The bathroom is one of the finest spaces in the home, thanks to its open-air shower and indoor garden.

It also connects to an outdoor patio, so guests can feel like they are showering alfresco.

Galvalum-wrapped home, California, USA

Located in Northern California and surrounded by vineyards, this metal-wrapped residence was originally owned by a renowned clay sculptor and their work played an important role in the design of this distinctive hillside home.

Galvalum-wrapped home, California, USA

Designed by the team at Sander Architects, the slimline property sits neatly on its compact, sloping site. Placed horizontally to maximize square footage, it's covered entirely in a roofing product, Galvalum – a coating formed from zinc, aluminum, and silicon.

Designed to be corrosion-resistant, the cladding also minimizes maintenance costs and ensures maximum durability. Prefabricated off-site, the home was also highly affordable when it was built in 2003, costing the owners just $50k for the entire frame.

Galvalum-wrapped home, California, USA

Inside, the home opens into a dramatic entryway, with a 22-foot ceiling, a torqued steel accent wall, and a floating staircase that wraps around the exterior wall. According to Dwell, the hallway was designed to resemble the original owner's tall-neck clay pots.

A steel bridge with a grate-like floor leads through to the home's main, open-plan living area, which offers walls of glass and a high ceiling.

Galvalum-wrapped home, California, USA

The great room comes complete with a lounge, dining area, and kitchen, all decorated with exposed steel beams and columns. The torqued steel wall of the entrance hall extends up into the living space, too, adding wow factor to this already impressive room.

Galvalum-wrapped home, California, USA

The home also boasts five bedrooms and two bathrooms, while outside there's a tranquil patio that's accessible from the kitchen. Shaded by trees, it features an entertaining deck and a hot tub.

Joshua Tree Folly, California, USA

As one of the coolest off-grid homes in the world, the Joshua Tree Folly was designed to blend in with the dramatic desert surroundings of California's Joshua Tree National Park.

The home is formed from two modern metal cabins, clad in locally sourced and salvaged Corten steel.

Joshua Tree Folly, California, USA

Created by architect Malek Alqadi, the eye-catching residence was designed for tourists seeking an off-grid vacation retreat that also provided all the comforts of home.

The larger of the two structures houses an open-plan living area, kitchen, dining space, bathroom, and mezzanine bedroom.

Joshua Tree Folly, California, USA

While the exterior is clad in weathered steel to reflect the colors of the desert, the interior is decorated with natural plywood walls and metal finishes.

A large solar panel powers the home and guests can even monitor their energy consumption during their stay. Smart in other ways, too, everything from the internal temperature to the lighting can be controlled at the touch of a button.

Joshua Tree Folly, California, USA

The smaller of the two structures is home to an amazing open-air bedroom that offers views of the mountains. Guests can sleep under the stars and drift off while listening to the sound of birds and crickets.

Joshua Tree Folly, California, USA

Suitable for four guests, there are three bedrooms and one bathroom in total. Plus, outside you'll find a solar-powered hot tub, a barbeque and firepit, cozy bean bag chairs, and, of course, dreamy views as far as the eye can see.

Tin House, London, UK

Nestled on the site of a former breaker's yard – where old cars are dismantled for parts – you'll find the award-winning Tin House.

Located in London’s Shepherds Bush neighborhood, the house was designed by architect Henning Stummel, who decided to deconstruct the building into individual yet connected pods, with a tranquil courtyard in the center. 

Tin House, London, UK

Enclosed on all sides by other buildings, it was important to create a family home with plenty of private spaces that weren’t overlooked and that didn’t block light or views for others.

Instead of building one large property with a minimal garden, Stummel opted to create six separate pavilions in a U-shape, providing each interior space with a greater sense of privacy, despite their surroundings. The architect's inspiration reportedly came from Hugh Casson's elephant house at London Zoo, built in the early 1960s.

Tin House, London, UK

The pods total 2,798 square feet of inside space and they are all finished in a Swedish steel known as GreenCoat PLX. It’s coated in rapeseed oil rather than fossil oils, minimizing the home's environmental footprint.

They all feature raised seams across their walls and roofs, helping to create cohesion. The metal's rust-inspired shade was chosen to complement the iconic hues of the surrounding homes, all finished in orangey London stock bricks.

Tin House, London, UK

Inside, each room has a steeply pitched roof, topped by a dramatic skylight. As well as helping to draw natural light inside the pods themselves, the pyramidal roofs have minimal impact on the surrounding homes, allowing light to enter the adjacent gardens. 

The pods each contain an individual room, including an entrance hall, living room, kitchen, dining room, bedrooms, and bathrooms. Gaps between each area are filled with stairs and toilets.

Tin House, London, UK

The same orange hue as the tin exterior can be found throughout the pods, complemented by plaster surfaces and concrete floors. Plus, the rooms are innovative and multi-functional – in the main bedroom, an orange bathtub is concealed behind the bed’s headboard.

The shallow pool in the courtyard helps to naturally cool the home, thanks to condensation, adding to its green credentials.

Cliff House, Granada, Spain

This unique, cliffside home is like nothing we've seen before. Sitting at a 42-degree incline, the property was built for a young couple with ambitious ideas and a tight budget. Thanks to GilBartolome Architects, the result is an architectural wonder with breathtaking views of the Mediterranean Sea.

Cliff House, Granada, Spain

Built during Spain’s financial crisis, costs were kept low and machine-building was avoided, resulting in a dwelling made onsite by hand, using the age-old method of measuring from plans, rather than digital processes.

The structure itself was handcrafted from a trundle metal mesh canopy, allowing it to be molded into an organic shape. It was finished with handmade, scale-like zinc tiles, individually placed to create a natural wave effect.

Cliff House, Granada, Spain

Built to respond to the local climate, the shell of the house was specially designed to keep the interiors cool during the hottest months of the year, thanks to cleverly regulating the flow of air.

Buried into the ground and arranged over two floors, the house almost resembles a cave protruding out of the landscape.

Cliff House, Granada, Spain

The primary living zone measures over 47 feet wide and is completely open, with a fluid multi-level layout that reflects the gradient of the cliff outside.

The unusual living area features multiple lounges, a dining area, and a kitchen. With its wave-like ceiling and unusual built-ins, the room is connected to a cantilevered exterior patio and swimming pool.

Cliff House, Granada, Spain

The home's three bedrooms all benefit from huge windows, allowing the lucky occupants to take in ocean views while they doze.

Undeniably one of the world's most incredible homes, this dramatic property featured on Netflix's The World's Most Extraordinary Homes and is now available to rent on Airbnb. 

Copper house, Sibiu, Romania

Set in an ancient city with a wealth of medieval architecture, this striking copper home was designed to bridge the gap between past and present, with its innovative appearance. The result is a gothic-inspired property with a minimalist feel.

Copper house, Sibiu, Romania

Designed by architect Radu Teacă, in collaboration with Péter Marx and Raluca Velescu, the home boasts a double-pitched roof and is entirely covered in copper – a material that ages beautifully over time.

Copper house, Sibiu, Romania

Stretching across four storys, the internal layout is divided into two, thanks to a large, multi-story atrium in the center.

Swathes of glazing mimic the reflective quality of the external copper cladding, while drawing natural light inside and framing views of the home's historic surroundings.

Copper house, Sibiu, Romania

The ground-floor entrance leads through to a grand dining hall and kitchen, while the living room, with a sweeping glass façade and striking artwork, is found on the first floor.

The bedrooms, including the master suite, are located on the second floor, overlooking the garden. There's also a luxurious home cinema nestled below ground level in the basement.

Copper house, Sibiu, Romania

Half levels add to the unique finish of the interior and are connected by white staircases and an elevator. In contrast to the dark copper façade, the interior features a calm neutral scheme with bright white walls.

Balancing Barn, Suffolk, UK

Situated on six acres in the heart of Suffolk’s countryside, the spectacular Balancing Barn was commissioned by Living Architecture as part of a series of holiday homes designed by world-class architects.

The modern barn is a striking 98-foot-long cantilevered house with a glass floor, large picture windows, and skylights.

Balancing Barn, Suffolk, UK

This innovative venture was a collaboration between Dutch architectural firms MVRDV and Studio Makkink Bey and was built on a site where old dilapidated farm buildings once stood. Outside, the barn is covered in reflective stainless steel cladding, mirroring the landscape.

“The Barn, rather than sitting on the landscape, appears to meld with it, both in reflecting the surrounding landscape and sky, and by traversing the two levels of the site," Living Architecture explains.

Balancing Barn, Suffolk, UK

In contrast, the interior is awash with natural textures and light wood. Studio Makkink Bey created a simple palette of ash-lined walls and ceilings, while contemporary fixtures and furnishings create a cool, multi-functional living space, incorporating a kitchen and dining zone.

Balancing Barn, Suffolk, UK

Accessed via a playful hidden staircase in the center of the property, the living room is located in the lower cantilevered section of the barn.

Quirky features include a glass floor that offers a glimpse of the ground below – plus a reminder of the home's gravity-defying aesthetic.

Balancing Barn, Suffolk, UK

At the property’s mid-point, the barn starts to cantilever over the descending slope below, meaning that exactly half of the barn is floating.

There's even a swing underneath – the only one known to be suspended from the underside of a house!

Three Capes Cabin, Tasmania, Australia

Standing out among native gum trees, yet wonderfully suited to its surroundings, Three Capes Cabin overlooks the clear waters of Little Norfolk Bay in Tasmania, Australia. 

Finished with Tasmanian Oak and black color steel, the property is stylish, modern, and wonderfully inviting.

Three Capes Cabin, Tasmania, Australia

Designed by architect Dan Bush, the single-story property is suited to two guests and features a stunning interior that opens up to the landscape outside, thanks to floor-to-ceiling sliding doors.

Three Capes Cabin, Tasmania, Australia

The main, open-plan living area boasts a designer kitchen, a lounge, and a dining space, all decorated with natural timber and raw concrete.

The room's slanted, beamed ceiling creates a sense of grandeur, while the way the different living areas have been segmented allows for cozy, intimate places for relaxing, cooking, and dining.

Three Capes Cabin, Tasmania, Australia

There's a beautiful master bedroom and a stunning bathroom, with dual showers and a tub positioned next to a huge picture window, allowing for nature views while you soak. Gilded details make the room feel extra luxurious.

Three Capes Cabin, Tasmania, Australia

Guests can spend their days exploring everything the Tasman Peninsula has to offer, before kicking back and watching the sunset from the bathtub on the exterior deck.

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