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Imagine an experience so immersive that you disappear into the surroundings. Through the design of mirror homes, blending into nature can be a reality. This, alongside their eco-friendliness and aesthetic design, has led mirror homes to become the latest trend in luxury glamping accommodations.
What Is A Mirror Home?
A mirror home or mirror cabin is a type of glamping accommodation that blends into its surroundings through one-way mirrors placed along the walls. Their mirrored glass facade gives the illusion that the structure isn’t even there, allowing it to disappear into the surroundings and give way to Earth’s natural beauty. In this sense, mirror homes can be called invisible homes, as their primary purpose is to be invisible to the onlooker.
Why Are Mirror Homes Popular?
Mirror homes are perfect for those looking to reconnect with nature, as their large one-way mirrors allow individuals to feel connected with their natural surroundings, while keeping the comforts of a traditional home. From the inside, guests enjoy unobstructed views of the surrounding natural beauty.
Mirror homes take it further by not only visually blending into their surroundings, but also limiting their physical emissions through eco-friendly design. For instance, many mirror homes come pre-fabricated, reducing the disturbance the construction has on the local environment. Other energy-efficient features can include LED lighting, thermal insulation, triple glazed windows, and solar power, to reduce the ecological footprint of the inhabitants as much as possible.
Mirror homes are unique accommodations that are hard to come across; however, as they have been gaining in popularity from the growing glamping movement, more mirror homes have been entering the market. Their striking visuals make mirror homes a hit online, with many Instagram posts featuring mirror accommodations going viral due to their luxurious, futuristic designs, garnering tens of thousands of likes. Mirror homes can be found across the world in places such as Sweden, Italy, and Austria, but there are a growing number of options locally within the United States.
One of the most famous mirror homes in the United States is the Invisible House in Joshua Tree, California. It was one of the top trending unique accommodations on Airbnb, worth over $18 million, designed by film producer Chris Hanley and Tomas Osinki. The property spans 5,500 square feet with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors and features a 100 foot long heated indoor pool with high end appliances such as Miele, Sub Zero, and Wolf. Rates can range from $2,000 to $7,000 a night depending on time of year and availability.
While the Invisible House falls outside of many traveller’s budgets due to its ultra-luxury price point, mirror homes offer some variety in terms of cost, features, and location. There are plenty of other options closer to home on the East Coast and for a more reasonable price. Below, we’ve outlined some of the most popular mirror homes in the Southeastern, U.S.
1. Honey Hills – Banks County, GA
113 Honey Hills Lane, Alto, GA 30510
Georgia’s first mirrored glass luxury treehouse, Honey Hills, is located just over an hour northeast of Atlanta in Banks County. This architectural marvel offers panoramic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, blending modern luxury with rustic charm.
This home features a king-sized bed, fully stocked kitchen, bathroom with bathtub and shower with dual deads, and modern aesthetics and design with forest green backdrops and earthy browns. Rates hover around $625 a night, regardless of season or time of year.
2. Stellara Resort – Sevierville, TN
1708 Minty Way, Sevierville, TN 37876
Located out in the Smoky Mountains, Stellara Resort is the world’s first astrology and astronomy retreat. It offers several mirror homes, which in alignment with their branding, has named their mirror homes after different stars, including:
- Canopus Mirror Home ($250 – $560 / night): Elevated treehouse mirror home 8 feet in the air with a spiral staircase entrance. Wooden finish on the interior with large floor to ceiling windows in the bedroom.
- Polaris Mirror Home ($335 – $560 / night): Mirror home with private outdoor deck space featuring a barrel-style sauna, hot tub, grill, and stargazing bed. Wooden finish on the interior with large floor to ceiling windows in the bedroom.
- Regulus Mirror Home ($305 – $560 / night): Mirror home with private deck space featuring a keg-style sauna, hot tub, grill, and stargazing bed. Wooden finish on the interior with large floor to ceiling windows in the bedroom.
- Altair Mirror Home ($350 – $560 / night): Mirror home with private outdoor deck space featuring a barrel-style sauna, hot tub, grill, and stargazing bed. Wooden finish on the interior with large floor to ceiling windows in the bedroom.
Each unit is designed for two guests and features private hot tubs, saunas, telescopes, and astrology-inspired décor. In addition to mirror homes, Stellara offers luxury treehouse accommodations for those looking for something a little different, which you can explore in more detail in our review.
3. Mirror Hotel – Asheville, NC
108 Howell Road, Marshall, NC 28753
Located on a 55-acre lot in Marshall, just 20 miles north of Asheville, the Mirror Hotel features 18 cabins with reflective mirror-paneled walls that blend into the surrounding environment. The hotel offers two cabin models:
- Elevated Cabins: 1,500 sq ft units accommodating up to six guests. Built on stilts, these units have three bedrooms, a full bath with a shower and soaking tub, and a kitchen.
- Grounded Cabins: 600 sq ft spaces accommodating up to four guests. These units have a loft-style layout with a bedroom upstairs, a pull-out sofa on the main level, and a shower.
Both cabins have large terraces for rest and relaxation, 15-foot tall windows for a fully immersive outdoor experience, and expansive views of the rolling Blue Ridge mountains in the distance. Other amenities include hot tubs, patio with a fire pit, pergola, and an outdoor dining area. Rates range from $799 to $1,200 per night, based on season and availability.
4. Bolt Farm Treehouse – Chattanooga, TN
600 English Cove Rd, Whitwell, TN 37397
Set atop Whitwell Mountain near Chattanooga, Bolt Farm Treehouse offers an adults-only mirror cabin village of 5 total units with both cliffside units that offer an expansive view of the valleys and forest units that offer total immersion in the forest. Their on-site amenities include bathrooms with a drip shower, private hot tubs, fire pits, kitchenette, pizza oven, and an outdoor hammock.
The resort has an impressive social media presence with over half a million followers on Instagram. Bolt Farm Treehouse has hosted high-profile celebrities and influencers, including Brian Chesky, the CEO of Airbnb, Kristin Cavallari, reality TV s, Rudy Pankow, actor from the Outer Banks, Brian Kelly, a member of the band Florida Georgia Line, among many others.
In addition to mirror homes, Bolt Farm Treehouse offers other glamping accommodation types, including as their name suggests, luxury treehouses, geodesic domes, and of course, mirror homes.
How Do Mirror Homes Connect to Glamping?
Mirror homes are architectural marvels, allowing glampers the opportunity to immerse themselves so much into nature that they become a part of it. These unique homes are perfect for those looking to reconnect with nature and their loved ones, without having to give up the comforts of their home, plus maybe a little extra.
