These days everyone is trying to live green by updating how they live day to day, making improvements on their homes, buying organic and taking reusable bags to the grocery store. All of these things are done with the hope of reducing our carbon footprint and making the world a cleaner, healthier place to live. Some people around the globe have taken the idea of recycling to a whole new level by creating unique, recycled homes. One trend that is emerging in home building is airplane homes.

Airplanes are one mode of transportation that really put a strain on the ozone layer. What better way to help repay the Earth than by taking an old, retired airplane and turning it into a home. One of the most unique ones is found in Costa Rica and rents out as a hotel room. Architects took a retired 747 and turned it into a 2 bedroom fully furnished house. The interior is completely finished with teak paneling making it feel like it’s part of the jungle. There is even a deck built on top of one of the planes wings. The airplane house is complete with queen size beds, a flat screen television, ceiling fans and a chandelier in the kitchen. The windows are small but offer breathtaking views of both the jungle and the ocean.

This isn’t the only home in the world that was built using a retired airplane. The idea is quickly catching on and the possibilities are endless. One option is to tear the plane apart and use the various pieces for different parts of the home like the in progress “Wing House” in Malibu. They are using the wings and tail stablizers to build a roof over the master bedroom. Using parts of the fuselage they have created a guest house. There is even a gazebo made from the nose of the airplane situated so that the cockpit windows form a skylight. With a little bit of creativity and surprisingly little money you can create a one-of-a-kind home. It is possible to find an old retired plane for around $30,000. With labor and materials to turn it into a home, you will spend about the same you would building a more traditional “cookie cutter” home.

There are even companies popping up to build you a fully customized airplane home. These homes literally take a full sized, assembled aircraft and turn it into a home. Some of them are even mounted on a metal column and turn into the wind like a weathervane. Architects will work with you to create exactly what you want inside your new aircraft home. You can put down wood floors, details in the kitchen and bathrooms, etc. Your only limit is the size of the airplane, typically around 1100 square feet. These homes are equipped with air conditioning and the sides of the interior are covered with paneling. You can even have access to the wings of the airplane and have railings put up for a unique deck experience. Homes like this typically start in the high $200,000s which is actually a pretty good deal for such a unique living experience!

Author Bio: Keith Smallwood is the president of Creative Energy Exteriors, a leading Virginia home improvement company offering products and services such as Virginia replacement windows and Virginia sunrooms. Creative Energy Exteriors can be found online at: CreativeEnergyExteriors.com .

Category: Home Management
Keywords: green houses, airplane houses