A love for signature homes, and a love for whiskey: these two interests, which don’t seem to have much in common, have nonetheless come together here, with people choosing to live in giant whiskey barrels that have been recycled and transformed into houses! 

This story started in 1962, with three idealistic friends, but it came to life in 1986, when Roger Douda created the first home of this particular type in Findhorn in Northern Scotland. From when he first saw the tanks in the neighbouring Haig and Haig distillery, Roger had enough to motivate him to start making a prototype that he considered “an exercise in recycling innovation”. In fact, the wood that makes the tanks is easy to adapt and re-use.

In the beginning, the locals watched this “hippie” community with a critical eye. Nowadays, recycling and saving the environment has become one of the preoccupations and passions for the Findhorn Foundation, and the village has quickly transformed into an award-winning eco-village, thanks to well developed organic farming, magnificent vegetable gardens, a community focused on holistic living and holistic education, as well as a minimal carbon footprint.

A few photos of these surprising dwellings:

The barrels may appear small, but the inhabitants are quick to add extensions to live more comfortably. We also note the presence of a garden plot for growing organic vegetables for each inhabitant.

Contrary to what you may think, the interiors are not uncomfortable, and are often very pretty!

Sources : CNN & TinyHouseBlog