Farmhouse

Rent a Belgian Farm: Because who wouldn’t want to vacation in this lovely place? The Heerlijkheid van Marrem farm is available to rent in Wevelgem, East Flanders. From Remodelista.

"It only cost about $48,000 to build, which was incredibly cheap," says Turner of the Stealth Barn. "We got the Timber Frame Company to supply the shell, then we clad it and fitted out the interior and windows ourselves. The idea was to take the archetypal black tar-painted agricultural building and make an almost childlike icon of that."

The north wall of the IST home functions as a cut-away, offering a peek inside an efficient yet cozy dwelling. Architect Peter Jurkovič built the home for a woman who had sold her flat in the big city of Bratislava and wanted something that reminded her of the village life of her childhood.

With a few small changes and regular maintenance, existing buildings are some of the most sustainable around.

A door leads out from the romantic courtyard, lush with plants. “Although we live in a big city, it doesn’t feel like it,” Kolasiński says. “The neighborhood and the nature are very relaxing and quiet.”