We’re fairly certain y’all are familiar with Biltmore Estate — but there are plenty of other iconic houses in The Land of Sky. Here are five of the most unique + interesting homes in the Asheville area.
This DIY house uses salvaged windows, bolts + other second hand materials. | Photo by Keli Keach
Shipping Container House, 6 Lawndale Ave.
This 1,100 sq ft West Asheville home, which sold last year for $334,000+ , is the first known shipping container home in Asheville. It drew national attention via builder Ryan Naylor’s website . Filmmaker Christopher Zaluski even created a 30-minute documentary about it.
Talk about big deck energy. I Photo courtesy of Deltec Homes
Deltec House, Montreat
This 3,200 sq ft home — the first in Montreat to receive the GreenBuilt North Carolina certification — is built on a site located in a National Wildlife Federation Certified Habitat. Designers included a huge wrap-around porch + ample windows to showcase the natural setting. The living space is wide open and used as a ballroom dance space.
Thomas Wolfe’s childhood home is a national landmark. I Photo via @sentinel540
Thomas Wolfe’s “Old Kentucky Home,” 52 N. Market St
Built in 1883, this home — featured in the author’s iconic Look Homeward, Angel — changed ownership + function throughout the years, ultimately becoming a boarding house. Purchased by Thomas’ mother Julia in 1906, the home underwent a large expansion in 1916 to accommodate Asheville’s growing tourism industry. Since it’s also a museum , you can stop in to see the historic space yourself.
Love them or hate them, these homes don’t seem to be going away. I Photo via Spencer Cooper
“Urban Infill” Houses, Waynesville Ave.
Designed to maximize space on small West Asheville lots, these tall, skinny homes feature a variety of colors and building materials. Known to spark polarizing conversations on social media, these homes are predicted to stay around + ultimately represent architecture associated with specific eras in Asheville’s history, like Montford’s Victorian homes or Kenilworth’s Spanish style stucco homes.
Middle Earth, right in the middle of the 828. I Photo via Hobbit Knoll
Hobbit Knoll, Woodfin
Who needs a tin roof when you can have a soil-covered one? Inspired by best-selling author JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings fantasy series, this 800-sqft hobbit hole in Woodfin brings Middle Earth to the 828. It includes one bedroom, one bathroom, a kitchen, and a handmade round mahogany + wrought iron door created by a local woodworker. Bonus: The home is 90% underground, just like Bilbo’s.