The Magnolia House, Mexico

The architects behind this beautiful construction in Mexico City also design yachts – which should be a clue as to the kind of budget you might need before approaching them with big ideas about your suburban semi. The Magnolia House is actually a reworking of an existing property as opposed to a new build; a riot of travertine, wood and marble that has been thoughtfully enhanced by some well-placed art. No IKEA prints here. Architects: Ezequiel Farca Photographs by Jaime Navarro

The Villa In The Palms, India

Nestled in the Goan jungle, The Villa In The Palms is a multi-award-winning project that combines pools, bridges and covered decks with a main structure built between the trees. It’s a big spread – 1,300sqm – and took two years to complete, the architects behind it saying that their aim was to create something that was reminiscent of an old-time Goan village, while at the same time being entirely modern. Hey – is that an ancient tree, glassed off and left as a focal point of the living room? Yes it is. Architects: Abraham John Photographs by Alan Abraham

The King Bill House, Australia

When you’ve got a small footprint for a property in somewhere seriously crowded and expensive like Melbourne, the temptation is to go big: maximise your space and build a monolith. Or, if you’re the owners of the city’s King Bill House, which can be found in Melbourne’s Fitzroy district, you can do something completely different: such as let the plot breathe and create a new “pocket park”. The design is based around a curvy refurb of a 170-year-old terraced house, and could well be the only home we’ve ever seen with an inbuilt giant hammock. Architects: Austin Maynard Photos by Derek Swalwell

House At The Great Wall Of China, China

Tourists only see small parts of the Great Wall: bits that have usually been trowelled up to perfection. But plenty of people get to see the ‘real’ wall, such as the new owners of this amazing home. Fashioned out of an old storage shelter near the wall and an existing property that was opposite, the new house fuses the two and has been designed to celebrate the rough stone brickwork that forms part of the structure – and, may we say, cleverly echoes the historic majesty of the nearby wall. Architects: MDDM STUDIO