Fancy yourself a D.I.Y.er? Frugal?
Curbly is a fun site where the frugal do-it-yourself’ers hang out. Maybe you are on the geeky side, like myself, and are also familiar with Make. If so, this is the same concept but centered around the home. You’ll be able to find a wide range of projects.
Do you have an extra fridge in your basement or garage?

You could make it look brand new and stainless steel.

How about a togo cup of tissue. Having one of those cups in your cup holder in your car or just a conversation piece in …read more

CONTEST ALERT!
The first TEN people who can name the President, who was also an Architect, I will send you the monetary amount his face also graces.

The Winchester Mystery House is a 160-room, once-7 story mansion built by a grieving widow. For thirty-eight continuous years Sarah Winchester commanded construction of this house, led by a spiritual medium to believe that if she stopped construction she would be afflicted by the family curse that had struck her husband and child.
 
In 1884, Sarah reached Santa Clara Valley in California and began funding the endless construction of her new home. As time progressed, the house grew bigger and bigger and bigger, reaching 7 stories in 1906.

Obsessed with the number 13, the home features 13 panes of glass, 13-panelled …read more

I love, love, love electronic gadgets and innovations. If I could move into the following home, I would. It looks like paradise.
Take for instance, the rec room, which features a 110″ Flat Screen television, and a wall of pinball machines. I’d probably switch a couple of the pinball machines for an air hockey table, but that’s just me. I wouldn’t mind hooking up an Xbox 360 to that bad boy and lounging back for a while. Actually, I’d probably never leave!

 
Controlled by keypads and buttons, this home is a gadget-lover’s paradise. The living room comes complete with in-wall speakers that …read more

Offbeat America, the cool and quirky show on HGTV, is on the lookout for some more of that “unconventional, unusual and infamous” that America is so renowned for. In their continuing celebration of the offbeat spirit, they’re interested in finding some more fascinating characters who have transformed their homes to fit their unusual lifestyles.
Do you have a wacky, out-of-the-ordinary home? How about an unusual yard that’s unlike any of your neighbours? Have a friend who has done something totally unique to their house? Then they want to talk to you.
You can find out more about the …read more

The Hakka people of China were originally immigrants from the northern regions who moved and settled into the southern provinces. Because they were latecomers to the area, the Hakka had to set up homes in mountainous regions and were often subject to attack. This led them to develop a unique form of architecture and buildings that they called tu lou, or earthern structures.
Focussed on defensive purposes and consisting of one entrance and no windows at ground level, these communal structures would serve as a fortress and apartment building in one. Round in shape, they were internally divided …read more

30 feet below the surface of Emerald Lagoon in the Key Largo Undersea Park in Key Largo, Florida, one will find a hotel accomodation unlike most others. The Jules’ Undersea Lodge – originally a mobile underwater laboratory – has been completely remodelled to provide 600 square feet of unique living space for up to six guests.
Conditions in the ‘Habitat‘ are monitored 24 hours a day from the land-based ‘Command Center‘ located at the edge of Emerald Lagoon. An umbilical cable connects the Jules’ Undersea Lodge to the surface and delivers fresh air, water, power, and communications. The Lodge …read more

This guy is my new hero. His name is Jeff Lebo and his claim to fame is that of owner of the House of Beer Cans. Built between 1998 and 2001 with the assistance of family and friends, the House of Beer Cans boasts a collection in excess of 50,000 different beer cans, the second largest of its kind on this planet.
The diverse collection is divided up into geographical regions and the separate rooms in the house showcase the specific regions. The ground floor pretty much covers the US and Canada. Upon reaching the second floor, …read more

One of the taller buildings in downtown Seattle is the Smith Tower, which features a pyramid at its peak. The space in the pyramid used to be the caretaker’s suite and an enclosure for an old water tower.
Then someone was able to secure a 40-year lease for the space. That tenant hired the local Castanes Architects firm and they proceeded to turn the place into a very cool and funky apartment.

If you head on over to Seattle Unusual Homes here, you’ll find a few more photos of the space. Definitely one of a kind. I love …read more