8 Glass Houses You Can Rent Right Now

Stay connected to your surroundings in these sparkling contemporary homes of glass.

Fully glazed walls and floor-to-ceiling windows are a mainstay in modern architecture as they help flood interior spaces with light, maximize outdoor views, visually connect its inhabitants with their surrounding environment, and create a spacious, open feel for the home.

Here are eight holiday rentals that use glass panels and windows boldly and generously to create a glass house effect.   

Glass Cottage in the Sonoran Desert

Average price: $149 per night 

This glass-walled cottage in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert has concrete walls and floors, covered quartzite stone decks facing both the east and west, an acorn fireplace, and midcentury furniture such as a cocktail table designed by Frank Gehry. | Book Now 

This house in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert has concrete walls and floors and covered quartzite stone decks facing both the east and west.

This house in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert has concrete walls and floors and covered quartzite stone decks facing both the east and west.

A Stylish South African Pool Villa

Average price: $1,255 per night 

Near the fishing village of Hout Bay, and close to Cape Town, this luxurious three-pool villa is fitted with towering glass walls that look out to the gorgeous Cape Peninsula Mountain Ranges. | Book Now

A pool villa near Cape Town in South Africa

A pool villa near Cape Town in South Africa

Renovated Manor Home Near a Catskills Creek

Average price: $875 per night 

A 1820s manor home along the edge of a Catskills creek in Eldred, New York, was revamped and transformed into "Floating Farmhouse." The modern, five-room vacation home has a touch of old-world charm, and a double-story wall of glass that frames views of the brook and surrounding apple trees. Best of all—it was featured in Dwell. | Book Now

"Floating Farmhouse" in Eldred New York is a modern five-room holiday rental home with a touch of old world charm.

"Floating Farmhouse" in Eldred New York is a modern five-room holiday rental home with a touch of old world charm.

360-Degree Views in Piedmont, Italy 

Average price: $607 per night 

Combining innovative glass technology with modern Italian design, this property in the commune of Terrugia in Italy’s Piedmont region has electricity supplied by solar panels and floor-to-ceiling windows that present 360-degree views of the hilly landscape. | Book Now 

A glass house in Piedmont, Italy

A glass house in Piedmont, Italy

See-Through Texas Ranch 

Average price: $600 per night 

In Kyle City, Hays County, about 30 miles from downtown Austin, is a lofty Texas ranch of limestone and steel that’s been converted into a three-bedroom holiday rental with a massive, screened-in porch that offers almost complete visual connectivity to the outdoors. | Book Now

A converted ranch in Kyle City, Texas

A converted ranch in Kyle City, Texas

Australian Beachfront Oasis 

Average price: $720 per night 

Sited on a beachfront plot, this 12,917-square-foot, five-bedroom holiday retreat in Cairns, Australia, has eight-meter-high glass windows that look out to the beach, a spa, and a 59-foot-long lap pool. | Book Now

This holiday retreat in Cairns, Australia, has eight-meter-high glass windows and a 59-foot lap pool.

This holiday retreat in Cairns, Australia, has eight-meter-high glass windows and a 59-foot lap pool.

Glass House in Californian Nature 

Average price: $261 per night 

Nestled in a peaceful site in the community of Three Rivers in Tulare County, California, this house has an all-glass structure that looks out to the great outdoors. There are curtains in the bathroom for privacy, and a solid wall that keeps the bedroom separated from the living area. The house has no Internet or television, which makes it a great choice for a digital detox nature getaway. | Book Now


A house of glass in Tulare County, California

A house of glass in Tulare County, California

Soaring Angled Ceilings in Ontario

Average price: $923 per night 

Presenting unobstructed views of Ontario’s Lake Rosseau, the tall glass walls of this house brings in plenty of natural sunlight, and all the rooms frame amazing views. The house has soaring, angled ceilings and an open-concept floor plan that creates many cozy nooks for lounging around. | Book Now     

A home with tall glass walls near Lake Rosseau in Ontario, Canada

A home with tall glass walls near Lake Rosseau in Ontario, Canada

Michele Koh Morollo
Dwell Contributor
Michele Koh Morollo is a journalist who has been writing about design, lifestyle and travel for the last twenty years.

Published

Get the Dwell Travel Newsletter

Start exploring far-flung design destinations, the newest boutique hotels, and well-designed bars and restaurants perfect for the modern jetsetter.