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NARRATOR: There are extreme homes all over the world,
and we're going inside some of them for a personal tour.
The word "extreme" has a different meaning for everyone,
but to these homeowners,
it means pushing the envelope as far as possible.
From construction to completion,
we're taking an up-close look at these spectacular houses
to find out what makes each of them so unique.
This house spins like a top,
and this one will have you feeling like a pirate.
We'll show you a house hanging from the trees
and one floating on the water.
A Tennessee home will transport you to Spain,
and one in Pennsylvania
will take you straight to Bourbon Street.
From their shapes to their sizes and their locations,
we're checking out some of the coolest residences around.
[ Screams ]
-- Captions by VITAC --
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.
We begin in Cape Town, South Africa,
at a home set in a stunning hillside location.
At first glance, this house
has plenty of distinctive architectural features --
its stark, white appearance,
the circular layout, and the uniquely shaped windows.
The interior is set up in a circular floor plan.
Archways make the rooms flow from one to the next.
In the main living area
is a collection of artifacts from all over South Africa.
A portion of the ceiling features a starry galaxy,
and the floor replicates
an African clay hut with plant etchings.
Also on the main level
are two bedrooms connected by a spacious bathroom,
with more details celebrating
the location of this amazing home.
The traditional African motif continues into the kitchen,
with the same clay flooring and bright furnishings...
situated next to a warm TV room
with cozy chairs and a round picture window.
The interesting look and feel of this home
is just the beginning of what makes it unique.
What really sets it apart is the fact that this house rotates.
Revolving nearly 360 degrees
means that wherever you are on the second floor,
you can push a button and soon be somewhere else.
So when you want to capture the winter sun
or get out of the summer heat,
just hit the remote, and the spot you're standing
will soon face another direction.
And since the entry to this home is on the second floor,
there needed to be a creative way to access it
in case the front door moved.
The solution --
a timber, decked bridge that releases and swings away
before the house is put in motion.
Making this house turn
isn't as difficult as you would think.
This relatively small, 3.8-kilowatt motor
is all it takes to rotate the 850-ton upper floor full circle.
The top floor rests on 15 steel rollers
that ride around a 50-foot circular track.
At top speed,
the house can fully rotate in only 10 minutes,
but the normal setting is a much more comfortable
20-minute crawl.
As for utilities,
a 35-inch fixed tube in the center of the house
carries all plumbing and electrical.
So if you're ever feeling a little gloomy,
just give your house a spin
and you'll be basking in the sun in no time at all.
Our next residence is a chic European home in Amsterdam
called the Water Villa.
It has a modern kitchen, a spacious bedroom,
a unique, two-story bookcase, floor-to-ceiling windows,
and a skylight.
But the reason all of this is extreme
is because this house is floating.
HULYING: We made this view, which we call "the aquarium,"
because left water, in front water, and to the right water.
NARRATOR: And the interior is just as spectacular,
with sleek spaces custom-built to maximize the idyllic scenery.
Kitchen appliances integrate seamlessly into their spaces.
HULYING: You see here the cooking island,
with gas burner, with induction plate.
Here's a combination oven.
And this is a steam oven.
This is the fridge.
It's one wall.
The fridge is incorporated.
In this kitchen block,
we have a hidden electric block so we can't see the ugly cables.
NARRATOR: And if there are leftovers,
just take them outside.
We don't throw bread away.
Just for the ducks.
NARRATOR: 18 windows wrap around the entire house,
and the master bedroom has a strategically placed window
that performs double duty.
Thanks to the window in this floor,
we get light from outside in the basement.
NARRATOR: Surprisingly, this floating house
includes a downstairs --
another floor of living space
with a guest room, study, and bathroom, all underwater.
And that bedroom window on the upstairs floor
looks right into the shower.
Here you see the window in the floor.
It's very nice to take a shower and looking outside
to see the trees, to see the clouds, and to see the sun.
The shower is a little bit strange,
but when they see it, they are laughing,
and they think, "Oh, that's a nice place."
NARRATOR: And there's another special feature
in this floating home.
The bookcase cuts straight through
the lower-floor ceiling to the upper floor,
giving this underwater room natural lighting from above.
And with walls of glass,
any barriers between indoors and outdoors seem nonexistent.
HULYING: Living on a houseboat is living outside.
Thanks to the sliding doors,
we live, when the sun is coming, outside.
NARRATOR: Another benefit to living on a houseboat --
catching dinner has never been more convenient.
Yes! We have a bite.
Ooh la la!
A real Dutch eel.
Come on. To the kitchen.
We're heading to Bali
and a luxurious home built in traditional Indonesian style.
But it's missing something important --
its walls.
NARRATOR: We're taking a tour
of some of the most extreme homes in the world.
The tropical island of Bali, Indonesia,
is home to beautiful, sandy beaches and bustling city life.
There are also jungle-clad mountainous regions,
which is where you'll find our next house.
The traditional Indonesian home is called a longhouse --
an extremely lengthy structure
that is built on stilts to allow the rivers to run underneath it.
At 110 feet long, it perches above the Ayung River,
providing a perfect view to the rushing water below.
Head across a bridge
and you'll be inside the first-floor living area.
Upstairs, you'll find the master bedroom, bathroom,
and another large sitting area,
all supported atop 20-foot stilts.
The house is made up of separate structures.
The kitchen is in its own building.
The owners of this airy, jungle estate
took its tropical location to heart.
Built without walls,
the plants and trees appear to be growing inside the house.
At night, sails attached to the tops of the windows
are lowered to protect the interior.
The materials used to build the house
also pay tribute to Indonesia's deep respect of its environment.
The supports are former utility poles
made from local ironwood trees.
HARDY: This...
is the most loved electricity pole
ever chopped out of an ironwood tree.
NARRATOR: Inside the house is a collection
of trinkets and treasures collected from around the world.
Antique Indonesian furniture
is decorated with colorful cushions,
and some of the pieces were custom-built by the homeowner...
...like upstairs in the master bedroom,
where he built a canopy bed out of aged teak from Java.
The upper level has glass walls
to protect the house from the elements,
but still carries the same open and airy feel,
and balconies add more spectacular vantage points
to the river below.
Even the bathroom gets its own jungle scene,
and the oversized rainforest shower with copper walls
maintains the home's open feel.
Down the hall from the master bedroom is a huge sitting room
filled with tons of colorful lounges and cushions.
Another eye-catching feature in this tropical home
is the separate children's pagoda with a thatched roof.
And the kids have this building all to themselves.
Custom-built by their father,
the five-story pagoda includes two beautiful bedrooms
with built-in dressers and fun, hanging chairs.
The girls' bathroom is also custom-built by Dad,
with a rain shower like their parents'...
...and a metallic-gold sink.
The pinnacle of the pagoda is a lookout deck
where the girls can check out the entire property.
And at night,
when the sails come down over the sides of the house,
the lights cast a glow on the river,
making this Indonesian longhome a true sight to behold.
Our next house isn't in the French Quarter,
nor is it anywhere in New Orleans.
But go inside, and you'll definitely find Bourbon Street.
Pennsylvanians Tony and Penny Caciolo love a good party.
CACIOLO: If my husband had his way,
we would be in New Orleans every weekend.
NARRATOR: Look around this expansive home,
and you'll notice some tasteful decor
and nothing really out of the ordinary.
But head downstairs, and you'll find a space
that was made for one very important activity --
partying.
It's outrageous -- absolutely outrageous.
[ Cajun music plays ]
NARRATOR: Built 21 feet belowground is a three-story basement
that mimics New Orleans' famed French Quarter.
This is a precisely detailed, 2,000-square-foot replica
of Bourbon Street,
complete with cobblestones, weathered, brick facades,
an iconic bar front, and their VIP area, The Lipstick Lounge.
Tony and Penny love New Orleans, having been there many times,
and since Tony is a custom-home builder,
turning his basement into a slice of the Big Easy
was not only beneficial for their social life,
but also acts as a showpiece for his company.
Tony made sure every detail
looked authentic to the streets of New Orleans...
right down to his latest addition --
a 12-foot Mardi Gras jester.
But this house is really about one thing -- the parties.
Obviously, as you can tell from looking at their house,
they're all about fun.
There's never a bad time [laughs] on Bourbon Street.
NARRATOR: Even if this Bourbon Street
is inside a home hundreds of miles from the real Big Easy.
Vancouver Island is a sparsely populated area of Canada,
and next you'll see an extraordinary home
that you won't find on any map.
NARRATOR: We've checked out a spinning house in South Africa,
a floating home in the Netherlands,
a home with no walls in Bali,
and a French Quarter tribute house.
Next, we head to Vancouver Island,
off the west coast of Canada.
This house is set deep in the forest,
but you won't see it...
unless you look up.
Named Free Spirit, this house is just that --
a freeform sphere hanging from the trees.
Boat builder Tom Chudleigh
designed and constructed this home
as a getaway for himself and his partner, Rosey Cowan.
At first glance, it may look a bit minimalistic,
but this house has everything you need --
a dining area on one side, sleeping quarters on the other,
a kitchenette tucked in between, and a loft bed above.
Getting to the front door is not for the faint of heart.
Access is via a hanging spiral staircase and swinging bridge.
Free Spirit was a labor of love for Tom,
but as it came together,
this suspended sphere grew into something more -- a business.
Tom now makes fiberglass versions for sale,
but the original, wood version is still his favorite.
It's made of two laminations of wood.
I used Sitka spruce,
and then there's two layers
of really fine-weave fiberglass cloth over that,
set in an epoxy resin.
NARRATOR: The bouncing takes some getting used to,
but this house is totally secure.
Attaching the structure to its home in the trees
is a three-man job
that requires a couple of days to hang the house
and then construct the stairs and bridge.
When completed,
it's a fully equipped home with all the amenities.
The sphere feels part sailboat, part treehouse,
and it's equipped with the three major components
every house needs --
electricity, heat, and water.
Though the home is only 10-1/2-feet wide,
Tom has had as many as 10 people over.
They can't all spend the night,
but with five porthole windows,
it doesn't feel claustrophobic at all.
It allows us to move out into the forest
without disturbing it
so that we can celebrate
the beauty that's already there...
in comfort.
And this spherical treehouse
can rise to the top of the trees.
Suspended on rigging
that can carry three times its half-ton weight,
the house currently sits 20 feet off the ground,
but can be pulled up to an astounding 120 feet high.
And every so often,
Tom can be found making sure everything is safe and sound.
CHUDLEIGH: I enjoy it. It's an adventure.
Hey, there!
NARRATOR: The city of Gent, Belgium, is our next stop,
where a 300-foot-long barge has been converted
from a grain hauler
to a huge, 2,200-square-foot, loft-like space.
And this house has been purpose-built --
not for high-rolling adults, but for a very young family.
This is my boat.
My son loves these stairs because of the noise they make.
[ Metallic stairs clanking ]
What he likes to do is --
it drives me mad, but he likes them.
The inside of the boat is very, very nice for the kids.
They can run from the front to the back.
NARRATOR: The one and only bedroom
sits isolated from the rest of the interior space.
Everything else is one huge room.
DEBRUYNE: I wanted to have something special.
We don't like to live in the small house
with rooms, with doors.
That's not us.
NARRATOR: The family's favorite space is the living room,
with its ultramodern, convertible couch sitting.
DEBRUYNE: The sofas here -- you can change them.
It gives a lot of creative possibilities.
NARRATOR: Wall color as lighting can be changed, too.
Depending on what I do, I change the color.
NARRATOR: And, as with any boat,
"everything in its place" is the mantra,
especially with kids around.
Well-hidden closets help manage clutter.
DEBRUYNE: Of course, you have children.
They want to look at the television.
The nice thing is, if I don't want that, I just close it.
Everything is clean again.
NARRATOR: The living area in the converted barge
lies partially below the waterline,
so the ample number of windows create a reflecting-pool effect.
If you stand here and you look,
the only thing you can see is water.
NARRATOR: Above and on top of the barge, a vertical skylight
provides natural light to the living area,
including the custom dinner table.
I designed and made this table myself.
The table is 4 1/2 meters long.
It can never leave this boat again.
My doors are not big enough.
We built the kitchen in stainless steel.
We kept it very, very minimalistic.
Everything is tucked away, even the dishwasher here.
Looks like a cupboard, but it isn't.
NARRATOR: Even the bathroom entrance is hidden.
This is the way I enter my bathroom,
just by pushing this away.
NARRATOR: Found in the bathroom is the only colored wall in the home,
and for good reason.
There's actually a heating element right behind it.
We chose the orange color because it resembles the heat.
It has a radiance of itself just by the color.
NARRATOR: And when the weather beckons for an outside stroll,
the family does not need to leave the boat.
They have their own deck-top garden.
DEBRUYNE: It's spacious, you have a nice view,
and it's in the middle of Gent.
It feels a little bit like holiday all the time.
NARRATOR: Now we're heading to east Tennessee,
where one couple really wanted to live like royalty,
so they built a castle.
NARRATOR: Welcome back to "Extreme Homes."
When you think of grand castle locations,
Johnson City, Tennessee,
probably isn't the first place that comes to mind.
But at 20,000 square feet set on 13 acres
with a turret and a five-story tower,
this house achieves castle status.
Steve and Ashley Grindstaff modeled their massive home
after a 1900's Spanish Castle,
complete with a grand entrance
with marble floors, a huge chandelier,
and a classic double staircase that has a history of its own.
When Steve was building the house,
the local architect said that a staircase of this size
and this weight could not be done.
And he said that's not true,
so he went and did some investigating on it,
and he brought in some Italian architects.
And before they actually finished building
the front of the house,
they brought in the staircase, and they built around it.
NARRATOR: The entry's enormous chandelier
also came to be in an unusual way.
GRINDSTAFF: The interior designer called, and he said,
"Steve, go get the movie 'The Haunting,'
and look at the chandelier in it."
And I did, and he said, "Do you love it?"
And I said, "Yes," and the next day, it arrived.
So we designed this whole grand hall around this chandelier.
NARRATOR: And now when they want to see their own movies,
Steve and Ashley head to their posh home theater,
which includes a ticket booth, a bar, and plush seating for 20.
GRINDSTAFF: Well, we use this theater
for Super Bowl or World Series or a special program.
We always have guests over.
As soon as we open the door, they say, "Oh, my God!"
That's it for everybody.
It don't seem like a few, but everybody.
That's the first thing they'd say.
NARRATOR: Son Steven takes full advantage of the castle grounds.
He can practice jumps off the imported Italian stone fountain,
rule his own miniature castle,
or shoot hoops in the indoor basketball court.
The Grindstaff Castle boasts 9 bedrooms and 12 bathrooms.
As far as the best lookout in the house,
there's only one place to be.
As you can see,
this is the tower that overlooks the property.
NARRATOR: And what would a modern castle be
without its own elevator?
Construction on this regal home took 10 long years.
Custom stained-glass windows, 22-foot doors from Paris,
a stone fountain hand-carved in Florence, Italy,
and numerous other items
Steve picked up on his European travels,
add to its authenticity.
Steve explains his extreme home like this...
Everybody wants to be a king.
NARRATOR: Near San Miguel De Allende, Mexico,
native Texan and retired investor Timothy Sullivan
set out to build a regular house.
But through the use of a lot of concrete and even more color,
he got a bit carried away, and he ended up with this.
Named Timolandia,
Tim created a fantasy home worthy of "Alice In Wonderland."
Literally stretching the possibilities of concrete,
the shaped walls were built
by molding the concrete onto wire frames.
Outside the house, a rambling garden comes to life
with giant, concrete creatures.
Reptiles are an obvious favorite.
SULLIVAN: The snakes are fun, and they're safe.
One of the great parts about this part of Mexico
is that they have a lot of ceramic stuff.
NARRATOR: The house is set on five colorful acres,
and its interior is equally as vibrant.
Here's the shocking part --
this may be a huge property,
but the home itself is only 750 square feet.
Walk in, and you'll find a fully functioning kitchen,
but you won't do as much cooking
as you will staring at the animated designs
covering the walls, floors, and appliances.
I really enjoy this -- what they call cemento pulido.
They do a lot of work in here in Mexico,
so I enjoy this little, blue sink
where we clean up everything.
NARRATOR: Ladders on opposite sides of the kitchen
lead to two small sleeping areas,
and they connect to an upstairs patio overlooking the garden.
The fairy-tale theme continues in the living room,
where Tim lined the walls in waves of tile,
painted a ceiling of clouds,
and even built a corner for daydreaming.
Timolandia has splashes of color and whimsy in all directions,
giving visitors a surprise at every turn.
The shower is conveniently located downstairs,
but the rest of the bathroom is outside.
He also wanted his playful home to be environmentally friendly,
so he added a composting toilet.
And when you're finished, you just kind of put a little bit
of the old wood shavings on top...
and close it up...
and you're done.
NARRATOR: The house takes advantage
of the strong Mexico sun.
On the roof, solar panels are strategically placed
to provide all the power this unconventional home needs.
This house may look like a cartoon come to life,
but all of its quirky components
add to the homeowners' energy-saving mandate.
Even its construction saves heating and cooling costs.
Because of this solar wall out here
and this room being fairly small and the nature of the dome,
it's very efficient and very comfortable year-round,
both during the hot time and the cold time.
But just in case, if you need to knock a little chill off,
you can fire up these gas logs that are vent-free and --
phew! --
five minutes, your whole space is quite comfortable.
NARRATOR: The concrete used to form the walls is only 1/4 the weight
of normal structural concrete.
Built as a skin-like covering for the house,
its thermal features help to keep the house
warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
There is so much going on in this house,
you almost forget about basic functions --
like where to sleep.
For daytime napping,
there is the enticing hammock on the front porch,
where the spectacular, shell-shaped roof
keeps the hot Mexican sun at bay.
And at night, the master bedroom is a fantasy all its own.
Modeled after a caterpillar's transformation into a butterfly,
its cabbage-leaf ceiling
leads to colorful, stained-glass windows
of the butterfly in all its glory.
And there's one last touch being put on Timolandia --
a full-sized tennis court.
It even has its own royal viewing tower,
perfect for an "Alice In Wonderland" tea party.
From San Miguel De Allende, we travel southeast to Mexico City,
where one home gives new meaning to the term "high-rise"
because it sits atop a 100-foot pillar.
NARRATOR: We're taking a spin
through some of the most extreme homes in the world.
Our next home is the dream
of famed architect Agustin Hernández in Mexico City.
It's perched atop a massive, 105-foot concrete pillar.
And, by the way, it's his house.
Agustin says living in his ultra-contemporary perch
is like living in a raptor's nest.
To live here, I feel like a bird --
no, I feel like eagle
to live in the air, up in the tree of concrete.
NARRATOR: Agustin calls his way of design
"emotional architecture" --
combining structure, form, and function.
He secured his towering home
by sinking its steel footings 45 feet into the hillside.
You access the house by a bridge
that stretches from the top of the hill to the front door.
And with no railings,
you may not want to cross if you're afraid of heights.
It's a 50-foot drop down.
Step inside
and a spiral staircase suspended on springs leads upstairs.
This level serves as Agustin's office and studio.
Head up another floor,
and you'll find the entire living space,
decked out in minimalist fashion.
The bedroom's simple focus is on the bed itself,
which is raised on a platform in the center of the room.
A narrow hallway leads to the bathroom
with a vanity and sink...
...a steel door leading to the toilet,
and a hidden shower behind a mirrored-glass wall.
The living room continues the industrial theme,
with heavy objects of art and sharp edges
giving contrast to the concrete, sloped walls.
Agustin's niece, Viviana, marvels at the design.
I don't know how he can live here.
For me, it's really, really hard.
But I like how he enjoys to live here.
NARRATOR: And there's one more level,
where Agustin built a cozy library brightly lit
from a domed skylight.
For the best view in the house,
simply step out on the rooftop terrace,
which also has no railings.
HERNáNDEZ: Oh, I feel in heaven.
I feel fine.
There's sunshine here.
I feel I'm in the Tropics.
NARRATOR: Agustin has thrived
in this rarified air for almost four decades,
and for an architect, there's no other place quite like it.
From one elevated architectural masterpiece, we move to another.
But this home is entirely different.
Deep in the tropical jungle
of the Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge in Costa Rica
are 10 acres within which can be found a true surprise --
creatures, including troops of monkeys, rare green iguanas,
and even sloths, share their tree space
with a very well-camouflaged structure
you might not even realize is there --
a two-story, two-bedroom, elegant tree house.
Using native, living trees as architectural inspiration,
this home was initially intended for use
as a small weekend retreat,
but the tree house soon became a destination for people
from around the world.
Built on stilts, a sloped, wood bridge
leads to the front door and the two levels of living space.
The local hardwood nispero tree was used extensively throughout.
Floors, walls, countertops, and furniture
were all hand-carved from fallen trees.
Before construction,
this jungle material was cut to size where it lay
and pulled out by oxen.
This form of building
is certainly organic in conforming to the living trees,
carefully building around them in every aspect
of structure and amenities.
The trees dictated what the human space would look like,
and indeed, care must be taken
to occasionally cut away portions of the house
to accommodate the still-growing trees.
The first floor contains
the main living area, a guest bedroom, and bathroom.
The second-level bedroom is accessed via a hanging walkway.
A magnificent, 100-year-old Sangrillo tree
became the impetus for the bathroom,
sheltering a toilet in one trunk fold and a shower in another.
The kitchen is small, but functional.
Windows are screened for insect control,
but careful food storage must be maintained
so as not to attract unwanted guests.
But the native species are much of the attraction for visitors
coming to stay at the tree house.
BESIER: It's the monkeys around you.
It's the sloths. It's toucans.
It's really -- it's wildlife.
They wake you up about 5:15 every morning.
Every morning they are there, and there's no exception,
and that's when the day starts, yeah.
The best thing of waking up --
you don't wake up with any worries.
You wake up, every morning is a new day.
NARRATOR: This Costa Rican treehouse
is a beautiful example
of successfully mingling nature's woodwork
with the craft of man's design and ingenuity.
Now we're heading to the Nevada desert,
where one homeowner didn't just build
a backyard playground for his kids.
He turned his home into one big amusement park.
[ Screaming ]
NARRATOR: We're back for more of our tour
of the world's most extreme homes.
Just outside of Las Vegas, Nevada,
is a home that's taken family fun to a whole new extreme.
Craig Tillotson and his family live on a sprawling estate
in Boulder City, overlooking Lake Mead.
This adobe mansion is a spectacular house in itself.
An open floor-plan
flows from the inviting living room to the formal dining area
and spacious kitchen.
The huge master bedroom features its own sitting area.
Collectibles obviously make up a big part
of the Tillotson household.
This two-story, curved foyer
has displays of all types of southwestern paintings,
wall hangings, and memorabilia.
It's also clear that a certain swashbuckling theme
is going on here,
but that's not totally evident until you get to the backyard.
Arr!
Step outside, and you'll find a giant pirate ship,
cannons, a 50-foot rock mountain,
and endless waterfalls.
Welcome to Pirate's Cove,
the Tillotson family's personal playground.
This house is a buccaneer fantasy land.
There's a grotto with a full bar,
making this space a popular hangout
for the entire family and their pirate friends.
And then there's the main attraction of the backyard --
a 45-foot pirate ship
with a rocking floor to make you feel
like you're on the open sea.
A skeleton crew keeps a close eye on things,
and blown-out cannonball holes force you to watch your step.
But by far the best feature is the 90-foot water slide
that sends the kids soaring right through the ship.
[ Screaming ]
The slide drops into a large swimming pool
surrounded by waterfalls
and giant rock walls made from sandstone.
Craig's house didn't start out as a pirate's cove.
He bought four pirate statues
that quickly became conversation pieces,
so he added on to the house and kept the pirate theme going.
He stacked some stone, dug some caves, added a pirate ship,
and voilà --
he soon had a swashbuckler amusement park to call home.
The water-slide pool is another favorite family hangout.
And if they dare,
a 42-foot jump can be made from the top of the mast.
Whoo!
For Craig and his family,
the spectacle of such a grand backyard,
with its waterfalls, water slides, and pirate ship
makes for a party every time they go outside.
Our next house sits on the Costa Rican coast
in a tropical setting called Punta Uva Beach.
This two-story, all-wood home boasts four bedrooms,
an open-air living room and deck at one end,
a small kitchen in the middle of the house,
and one very large, very interesting bathroom.
The occupants are a property-management duo,
Guillermo Lizano and Carmen Dobles.
They live here with their 9-year-old daughter, Juliana.
Juliana's bedroom is on the lower floor,
and her parents are not far away.
A spiral staircase right outside her room
leads to the master bedroom.
The other end of the house
holds a separate, two-bedroom guest wing.
The spacious living room and the entire house,
including walls, ceilings, and floors,
is made from various types of salvaged timber.
A tidy, yet functional kitchen sits just off the living room.
These homeowners allow the beauty of their home
and its setting to take center stage
and have kept the luxuries to a minimum...
...that is, except for the bathroom,
which is 800 square feet of relaxation.
When you need a shower,
you can choose from the bejeweled snake's mouth
or the rain shower pouring from the domed ceiling.
There's also a Jacuzzi tub
that will fit you and 10 of your closest friends.
And this colorful room is topped off
with stained-glass portholes made from car windows
and colored-glass dishes and bowls.
And with large, angular windows,
the master bedroom is the perfect place to spot wildlife.
Although the house is primarily made of repurposed materials,
it still costs as much as a new construction.
Finding reclaimed wood is a slow and difficult process,
but when the end result is this masterpiece in the jungle,
it's well worth all the effort.
One man built a house in Texas with a very special feature --
an entire underground city.
NARRATOR: Welcome back to "Extreme Homes."
Sydney, Australia, is known
as one of the world's most beautiful cities,
in no small part due to its fabulous seaside setting.
An exclusive Sydney suburb called Bayview
is the location for our next home.
Atop this amazing locale
sits an equally amazing piece of residential architecture
built in 1966 and nicknamed "The Spaceship."
It is, of course, the roof line and massive, circular main room
that make this home so distinctive.
It has become beloved
by structural engineer Lloyd Anglicas, his wife, Jane,
and daughter, Bree.
The reason I know that the house reflects our character
is the fact that every time
we ever talk about selling this house,
our friends come to us and say,
"You can't sell this house, because this house is you."
NARRATOR: The main structure of the house includes two levels.
The open kitchen anchors the center space of the first level,
and the living room opens out onto a wonderful veranda.
Off the kitchen is daughter Bree's bedroom.
From the living room,
a small workshop space is available for Jane,
who designs her own jewelry.
On the other side of the kitchen is the master bedroom,
while the dining room completes the first level.
Up some stairs to a second level is Lloyd's study
and a den-like area for the entire family.
But it is the exterior design of the second-level pod
that gives the Spaceship House its name.
You'd think that people
would think it's a bit of an eyesore, but they don't.
They absolutely love it.
And whenever we talk about
changing the house or having another design done,
everybody's up in arms, and they say,
"You can't change it! It's the Spaceship House!"
NARRATOR: And with amenities like this infinity pool,
why change anything?
The master bedroom
may be the most impressive area of the house.
It's quite spacious and opens to an outside terrace
that provides the homeowners one of the most spectacular views
in all of Sydney.
For more hands-on pursuits,
Lloyd can go up some stairs through a second-level hallway
and steal away to his garage for some hobby time.
Restoring vintage motorbikes is his passion,
and this space is perfect
for working on these classic two-wheelers.
So, these are my pride and joys -- my toys.
This is a 1926 Harley that's being meticulously restored.
NARRATOR: The dynamic design of this home,
though unusual and period-specific,
has proven to be a very livable and welcoming environment
for the Anglicas and their friends.
The hillside setting and breathtaking view of the bay
make the Spaceship House visually stimulating
both inside and out.
Our next homeowner took a different approach
to building a house in the village.
He built a village underneath his house.
Enter this estate in the Texas hill country,
near Fredricksburg,
and you'll see a traditional, adobe-style home
owned by Charles and Rebecca Trois.
[ Bell tolls ]
The ground floor is lovely,
with warm spaces and comfortable furnishings,
but the surprise of this home is not what's in it.
It's what lies beneath it.
Head underground,
and you'll find an elaborate network
of vaulted, brick tunnels.
TROIS: The house has 3-foot-thick walls.
They're incredibly strong.
Some of these vaults --
they'll withstand 500,000-pound download.
So the house is like a fortress.
NARRATOR: One tunnel in particular has a unique glow,
incorporating a plentiful resource --
wine bottles placed inside the walls for a specific purpose.
As you can see, it's all wine bottles that made windows.
Just lets in just a wonderful light,
and at the same time, you're recycling
and, you know, you make use of your bottles
instead of throwing them away.
NARRATOR: This house has it all.
Wind your way through the tunnels,
and you'll find a fully functioning chapel.
Take one more twist and one more turn,
and you'll reach an amazing grotto.
TROIS: Most of this is all gummite that's shot.
It's kind of the way they do it in Disney World.
I've done special effects and things like that before.
NARRATOR: This is one of Rebecca's favorite places
in the underground.
It's just a real magical place to be.
You're completely in your own, lost world here.
NARRATOR: But it's not always a quiet space.
Charles and Rebecca have three kids,
and they love the grotto just as much as their parents do.
The grotto is one of the coolest,
'cause everyone just comes down here and hang out
and swim and everything.
It's awesome.
Yeah, I also like that slide and the stalactites.
It's like a real cave.
NARRATOR: Charles does more than build underground tunnels.
He's an avid collector, as well.
Big boys' toys. [ Laughs ]
I sometimes can pick up a piece,
and you can feel the history behind it.
NARRATOR: One very special piece dates to the 18th Century.
TROIS: This belonged to Napoleon.
It's just an absolutely exquisite dagger
that was presented to him.
And this is the flautist's sheet music,
with all his notes and everything on it,
from the Battle of Waterloo.
When I buy stuff and get new things,
I don't know where to put it, so I have to make another room.
NARRATOR: But adding another tunnel is no problem for Charles.
He just consults his blueprints, that are all in his head.
No blueprints. [ Laughs ]
There are no blueprints.
I don't think we ever need blueprints.
Well, it's like living in the mind of Charles.
Oh...
No, it's like -- I feel like it's our heaven on Earth.
Charles has been adding rooms for nearly a decade,
and he may never truly finish
his underground, adobe paradise.
TROIS: I should probably stop, relax, and enjoy it more,
but it's always looking at,
"Oh, I need to do that, and I need to do that."
NARRATOR: We've seen homes in all shapes and sizes,
located all over the world,
from a spherical home that bounces in the trees
to one designed solely for Mardi Gras parties
and a home perched on a 100-foot pillar.
But all these houses have one thing in common.
To their owners, they're simply home.
Thanks for watching "Extreme Homes."
Whoo!