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8 Modern Houseboats and Floating Homes That Will Make You Say Goodbye to Dry Land

Maybe you’re looking for something different than your average house or apartment, or perhaps you just want to be close to the water but not too far away from land. To get the best of both worlds, a houseboat might be the way to go. Houseboats and floating houses give you life by the water but with the feeling of an actual house and not just a cramped boat. On top of the excellent views, they’re usually more affordable than traditional houses making them particularly attractive to home buyers. Never thought about life on the water? You might just change your mind after seeing these 8 modern houseboats and floating houses.

07.31.18 | By
8 Modern Houseboats and Floating Homes That Will Make You Say Goodbye to Dry Land

Floatwing is a prefab, self-sustainable floating house designed by Friday, a Portugal-based design house that began at the University of Coimbra. The modular design lets you choose from a studio all the way up to a furnished 3-bedroom house that floats to your desired locale.

Photo courtesy of Nautilus

Nautilus Houseboats designed the Nautino Maxi, a houseboat large enough to sleep six people comfortably. A smaller deck resides on the lower level with a full rooftop deck above to enjoy the water views all around.

Photo by Eva Bloem

Located in The Netherlands on the Spaarne river near Haarlem’s city center, the vanOmmeren-architecten designed Houseboat Haarlem Shuffle opens up towards the water with floor-to-ceiling windows, while the street side of the rectangular structure is closed off for privacy. Thanks to its solar paneled roof and two heat pumps, the houseboat is energy neutral.

Photo by Ben Benschneider

Vandeventer + Carlander Architects are behind the Lake Union Floating Home that resides on Lake Union in Seattle, Washington. The two-story home takes what could have been a boring box and instead created a contemporary structure with endless visual interest.

Photos by Norbert Wunderling

The Tatami House was designed by Julius Taminiau Architects as part of a floating village in Amsterdam. They worked with a low budget and based the design on tatami mat principles concerning their layout. Since the tatami mat is roughly the same size of a plywood panel, the layout is based on the tatami grid which utilized full pieces of wood which helped reduce waste and keep costs down.

Photo by Richard Navara

Designed and owned by Marek Ridky of Flowhouse in the Czech Republic, the Thesayboat houseboat was made for a couple looking to escape the weekend. The upper bedroom is surrounded by louver-covered windows to views the stars.

Photo courtesy of Welcome Beyond

Welcome Beyond’s Modern Houseboat is situated on Lake Rummelsburg, a small bay in the river Spree in Berlin, Germany, and it’s available for rent. It offers two adults and two children a comfortable place to relax on the water without being too far away from civilization.

Photo courtesy of X Architects

The Dubai-based “O” De Squisito House Boat was designed by X-Architects with clean, contemporary lines and a white and glass exterior. The upper level houses the public living spaces, including a concealed kitchen, a living room, and entertainment room, while the lower level consists of the bedrooms, bathrooms, and steering cabin.

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.