Yearning to escape the rat race and hunker down in a secluded retreat? Well, these cleverly concealed homes are the ultimate remote residences. Hiding in plain sight, these dazzling dwellings effortlessly blend in with their surroundings. From magical mirrored homes to subterranean escapes below the ground, click or scroll on to discover the coolest camouflaged cribs in North America. Blink and you might just miss them!
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High Desert House, California, USA
Camouflaged among the rocky terrain of Joshua Tree National Park in California, High Desert House is made up of a cluster of concrete slabs that were designed to cover the interior like the leaves of a tree. Likened to an alien spaceship or a giant armadillo, the property is quite unlike any you might have seen before…
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High Desert House, California, USA
The weird and wonderful dwelling was designed by San Diego-based architect Kendrick Bangs Kellogg and was completed in 1993. Kellogg designed the house back in 1988, but it took over a decade to finish. The ambitious feat of engineering required expert craftsmanship and is formed from 26 freestanding concrete columns. These pillars are embedded seven feet into the bedrock and resemble fish bones.
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High Desert House, California, USA
Inside, the house is just as unusual. There’s a parasol installed in the center of the dining room, which was made from 800 pieces of sandblasted glass. At one with nature, the home perfectly slots into its surroundings boulders. “The idea was that the house would be settled in the landscape,” Kellogg said of the house. “Like it was crouching on the rocks, maybe like an animal asleep.”
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High Desert House, California, USA
The home sits on 10 acres of land and light enters through narrow sandblasted glass panels that are slotted into the ceiling. These windows cleverly spread light throughout the interior during the day and frame the stars at night. The textures used in the design mimic the touch and feel of the desert, thanks to the carefully selected materials Kellogg used. Even now, the home remains one of the world’s most incredible pieces of organic architecture.
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Tula House, Quadra Island, Canada
Can you spot the house tucked away on a hillside in British Columbia? Neither could we at first, but there it is, a modern paradise engulfed by nature, almost completely concealed by the trees that surround it. Positioned 44 feet above the Pacific Ocean on the remote Quadra Island, Tula House is a luxurious remote retreat.
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Tula House, Quadra Island, Canada
The beautiful lakeside property features a living green roof that further enhances the notion of seclusion from the outside world. From above, the mossy cover looks like a continuation of the earth’s natural plane, camouflaging the house and fusing it with the rural landscape.
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Tula House, Quadra Island, Canada
Though it appears private from the outside, the interior of Tula House is completely exposed, thanks to its dramatic floor-to-ceiling walls of glass that perfectly frame the view. Consequently, the living areas are spacious and airy, with vistas of the open waters, mountain ranges and forests taking center stage.
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Tula House, Quadra Island, Canada
In keeping with the residence’s transparency and clean lines, the main lounge and kitchen are open-plan and free-flowing spaces. Above, a steel-framed roof dominates the property, while narrow skylights allow light to filter inside. Botanical touches like the green living walls further connect the interior to the natural landscape outside.
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Joshua Tree Mirror House, California, USA
If you look closely enough, you may just be able to spot the Invisible House. Located in the heart of Joshua Tree National Park in California, USA, this mirrored property is quite unlike anything you might have seen before. Designed to resemble a New York skyscraper lying on its side, the unique reflective home magically dissolves into its desert setting.
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Joshua Tree Mirror House, California, USA
The building was designed by architect Tomas Osinski and Hollywood producer Chris Hanley. It boasts a long and slender steel frame that’s covered in mirror-like tempered glass. Known as ‘Solarcool’ glass, this special glass reduces the home’s carbon footprint to near zero, making it eco-friendly as well as beautiful. Elevated subtly off the ground using concrete stilts, the property appears to cantilever over the desert landscape on which it sits.
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Joshua Tree Mirror House, California, USA
The building’s structural elements do all the talking inside, with concrete floors, an exposed metal ceiling and endless glass walls, which allow for unobstructed jaw-dropping views across the surrounding 90-acre estate. There are 5,500 square feet of inside space, formed from one continuous living room with a kitchen, lounge, dining area and a 100-foot-long swimming pool that further reflects the desert outside. With three bedrooms and four bathrooms, there’s more than enough space for eight people.
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Joshua Tree Mirror House, California, USA
A solar hot water system heats the entire house, including the 47,000-gallon pool. Plus, from the comfort of the master bedroom, guests can enjoy mountain views and wildlife watching, including native lions, eagles and coyotes. If you fancy staying the night in this envy-inducing abode, then it’s currently available to rent via Airbnb. Reportedly, Demi Lovato even vacationed in the desert dwelling in June 2020.
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Edgeland House, Texas, USA
Upon first glance, this hilly patch of land appears rather uninteresting, but look closely and you might just be able to spot one of the world’s most concealed homes. Built seven feet underground, Edgeland House was inspired by one of America’s oldest homebuilding traditions, the Native American Pit House. Though it’s not obvious from this angle, what lies beneath the dirt is far from what you might expect…
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Edgeland House, Texas, USA
Designed by the architects at Bercy Chen Studio, the earth house was completed in 2012 and sits beneath the surface of the ground. The home’s insulated roof and subterranean setting take advantage of the earth’s mass and use it to maintain a comfortable interior temperature throughout the year, which is particularly important in Austin, Texas, where summer temperatures can soar.
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Edgeland House, Texas, USA
Angular and architecturally unique, the property sits inside a deep excavation on a redundant brownfield site. The purpose of the project was to heal the land after its industrial past. In its place sits a modern masterpiece with some seriously innovative design features, including a triangular pool and private terrace.
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Edgeland House, Texas, USA
Though a large part of the property is concealed underground, its architects ensured that plenty of natural light can filter into its spacious interior. Angled to imitate the form of the hill, the floor-to-ceiling windows create a modern space while encouraging indoor-outdoor living to its fullest. The underground retreat features 1,400 square feet of living space with towering ceilings and an airy open-plan layout.
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Glass forest home, Minnesota, USA
In a forest just outside of Minneapolis, Minnesota, you’ll find this glass and mirror woodland retreat by ALTUS Architecture + Design. The verdant surrounding scenery – woodlands, wetlands and a stunning lake – guided the design choices on this project to a stunning final effect.
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Glass forest home, Minnesota, USA
The bunker-style property is made up of three connected wings and is fronted with an attractive courtyard, along with a storage shed clad with panels of polished and mirrored stainless steel. This mirrored shed was primarily built to reinforce the surrounding views and incorporate the natural landscape into the home’s architecture.
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Glass forest home, Minnesota, USA
The central area of the house offers a spacious open-plan living area, dining room and kitchen. Here the sleek, modern furnishings, pared-back décor and floor-to-ceiling windows allow the focus to remain on the outside landscape.
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Glass forest home, Minnesota, USA
The fireplace was created out of bluestone and blackened steel, drawing on regional materials to add an element of coziness to the minimalist lounge. Walnut finishes and wooden beams also reinforce the property’s connection to nature, as well as adding some textural interest.
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Mill Valley Cabins, California, USA
Designed by Feldman Architecture, Mill Valley Cabins is one seriously eye-catching piece of real estate. The charming property was commissioned as a private retreat for its owners, who dreamt of owning a home that harmoniously blended into its landscape.
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Mill Valley Cabins, California, USA
Located in the heart of a forest on the outskirts of San Francisco, California, the remote cabins sit on a steeply sloping site that offers breathtaking views of towering pines and redwoods. Formed from numerous structures that slot between the trees, the home’s construction had a minimal impact on its surroundings, while still providing the homeowners with ample interior space.
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Mill Valley Cabins, California, USA
The home’s rooftop garden has been described by the architects as ‘quilt-like’, which perfectly sums it up! The yard provides space for growing flowers and plants, but also seamlessly blends in with the hillside.
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Mill Valley Cabins, California, USA
Inside, the cabins are light-filled and spacious, with towering ceilings and simple whitewashed walls. Its minimalist interior boasts everything you could need for modern living, including a private artist’s studio. Exceptionally large floor-to-ceiling windows allow residents to reflect on the beauty of nature while remaining warm and nestled inside.
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The Stealth Building, New York, USA
One of New York’s oldest and most iconic cast-iron structures was recently renovated and transformed into a contemporary residential unit. However, it isn’t just a facelift that Obsidian House received, as its inhabitants were soon to discover, because the building was hiding its very own secret…
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The Stealth Building, New York, USA
Tucked away out of sight is a series of ultra-modern rooftop apartments, known as The Stealth Building. The owners of the property were only given permission to construct these unbelievable penthouse properties if they were capable of keeping them completely invisible since Obsidian House is a historic listed building.
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The Stealth Building, New York, USA
The team at WORKac took on the unique design project and created some seriously cool apartments, complete with compact kitchens and open-plan living areas. A small herb garden is located above each kitchen, allowing residents to experience a little bit of greenery from the comfort of their homes.
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The Stealth Building, New York, USA
In addition, a roof terrace has been tucked away behind the historical building’s original pediment. The structure’s old elevator shaft has been transformed into a Jacuzzi and there’s plenty of space for outdoor entertaining. Can you imagine kicking back and soaking up that spectacular view?
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Los Terrenos, Monterrey, Mexico
For this sleek structure, architect Tatiana Bilbao used mirrored glass, rammed earth and clay bricks to build a home that complements its natural surroundings in Monterrey, Mexico. Rather than forcing the landscape to accommodate the house, the property has been built around the rural terrain. For example, instead of removing wayward trees from the patio, tiling has been laid around their trunks.
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Los Terrenos, Monterrey, Mexico
Built as a holiday home, the concealed crib is set out over three buildings. The main structure is entirely covered with a mirror façade, housing a large open-plan living, dining and kitchen space. From the outside, the property appears to vanish into the surrounding forest.
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Los Terrenos, Monterrey, Mexico
The home’s architectural interior pairs glass with tactile natural materials. One particularly interesting design choice in the open-plan living space is the floor-to-ceiling ceramic screen, featuring a chevron-style pattern that’s repeated throughout the house. This unique space connects seamlessly to the terrace thanks to vast glass doors that swing open into the yard.
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Los Terrenos, Monterrey, Mexico
The bedroom unit was built from rammed earth and clay bricks laid in the build’s signature chevron shape. A wow-factor sleeping space has been created from humble natural textures, including the shutters, which were crafted from simple plywood. Overall, the effect is snug and comforting, reflecting Tatiana’s belief that bedrooms should feel enclosed, not exposed.
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Secluded woodland retreat, New York, USA
One of the most secluded properties on our list, you’ll need to be eagle-eyed to find this hidden luxury home. Close to the sandy beaches of Montauk, New York, but far away enough to experience complete seclusion, this camouflaged retreat is perfectly positioned for a quiet, technology-free escape.
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Secluded woodland retreat, New York, USA
An incredible treetop terrace looks out over the 100 acres of Shadmoor State Park. While the balcony is the perfect spot for getting lost in your thoughts, it’s also ideal for entertaining guests during the summer months.
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Secluded woodland retreat, New York, USA
Inside, the property channels laid-back beach home vibes thanks to its coastal-inspired open-plan living, kitchen and dining area, which opens out onto a small terrace with its own outdoor bar. Whitewashed walls are harmoniously paired with solid wood flooring and furnishings, while vaulted ceilings and ample windows make for a light and inviting interior.
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Secluded woodland retreat, New York, USA
Each of the property’s three bedrooms is decked out with chic, minimalist décor and quirky pieces like this statement mobile. The house channels 1960s vibes, which perfectly complements its California surf aesthetic.
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The Pierre, Washington, USA
Part rock, part home, The Pierre (which means stone in French) was purposefully designed to slot into the rocky landscape of the San Juan Islands in the American state of Washington. Incorporating stone, greenery and foliage into the design, the architects at Olson Kundig created a contemporary structure that effortlessly morphs into the landscape.
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The Pierre, Washington, USA
Formed from steel, concrete and drywall, the modern metal property was curated by Tom Kundig. The owner’s affection for a stone outcropping on her property inspired the unusual design of the house. In order to nestle the property into the rock, portions of the stone were excavated by machine and by hand.
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The Pierre, Washington, USA
Yet the excavated rock didn’t go to waste. It was reused and crushed up to create the home’s sleek concrete floors. Excavation marks were left exposed across the stonework too, offering a unique reminder of the building process. Inside, the site’s natural rock has been incorporated into the interior design too – in fact, the home’s fireplaces are all carved out of stone.
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The Pierre, Washington, USA
The home’s organic palette of materials seamlessly blends together to create a harmonious backdrop for the property’s luxurious furnishings. A large pivoting steel and glass door allows access to a terrace just beyond the open-plan kitchen. This beautiful, brutalist home is the perfect showcase for the beauty of raw rock.
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