This Musician Built His Own Heavenly Retreat in Thailand

Steve Areen is a musician and photographer known for his beautiful shots of Cambodia, Mongolia, Nepal, and other locations around the world. When a friend who was skilled at building offered him space on his mango farm in Thailand to construct his own dome home, he took right to the project.

The entire home went up in just six weeks and cost less than $6,000 to make. Originally, compressed earth blocks were going to be used, but as they were unavailable, clay and cement were selected instead. The furnishings, décor, landscaping, and so on cost another $3,000. Let’s see what Steve managed to build for $9,000 …

Wow … just wow. This certainly doesn’t look like a $9,000 a home, it looks more like a luxury retreat! It also looks a bit like a cross between living in a Hobbit hole and a pumpkin, with maybe a dash of something futuristic thrown in.

I am in awe of those huge windows. The staircase is also quite beautiful, leading up to a relaxing deck with a hammock.

What a wonderful spot to relax or even sleep outside on balmy nights.

This is the view looking down from the hammock deck toward the skylight in one of the other domes.

The house has a totally awesome little backyard pond. This entire wall of the living room is glass so that Steve can look out at his beautiful landscaping from inside anytime.

In fact, here’s that view …

An interesting perspective looking down from above on the living room …

Now onto a really cool part of the house, the kitchen! Under the counter is a grass mat. There is a swing-out stove and a fridge in here.

This is the door leading into the bathroom. Steve even constructed his doors himself, using plywood, woven bamboo, glass and fabric.

It’s hard to believe, but yes, this is the bathroom …

I know! I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a cooler bathroom, whether in a tiny house or anywhere else.

Bamboo is used for the spout of the bathroom sink!

By itself, this is a work of art:

Heading back to the kitchen, here is a closer look at that swing-out stove I mentioned earlier.

Stepping into the bedroom …

Here you can see the shelving in the bedroom, and also what it looks like glancing back through the door to the other room.

If that door looks small to you, it is because it is.

… But that makes it all the more fun, right?

Cool shadows cast by a patterned lamp:

There is plenty of room for friends …

Here are a few more beautiful views of the property:

It looks like heaven on earth. No wonder Steve looks so happy here.

It really is a remarkable house for just $9,000 and a few weeks of work! This is an awe-inspiring example of what you can do with the right training, resources, support and creativity.

Be sure to visit Steve’s website. There you can read more about the dome home, view photos of its construction, and also check out Steve’s music and photography!