21 House Designs with a Turret

Home Exteriors • Matt • 0 Comments

I simply love houses with turrets.

This might be a left-over from my childhood and the ubiquitous fairytale stories, or the result of an adulthood spent admiring castles and reading fantasy novels.

Either way, are -for me- one of the most charming features a house can have.

They look great viewed from the outside, and they create unique spaces that can be turned into anything from unusual office and charming play-room for kids to truly epic, sometimes cunningly hidden refugees used for libraries, hobby rooms, observatories, meditation rooms, and whatever else you like to do in your “me-time”.

And if you think that turrets only appear on gothic or Victorian houses and castles, think again! To disabuse you of this notion, I have collected a wide variety of turreted houses ranging from the classic Tudor mansion to contemporary sleek villas.

And now, without any further ado, have fun exploring!

Modern Castle

Let’s start this with the quintessential modern interpretation of a classic castle.

The rough hewn-stone outer walls and balcony evoke vivid images of a truely “old” house, when in fact, this is a very contemporary design.

The turret itself is located as the focal point of the design in the uppermost middle corner and is topped with large glass fronts to create a seemingly wide open space on top of the tower.

Brookwood Home

This ultra modern house is located in Brookwood in Upwey, Dorset and has been designed by architect Hakim Khennouchi in 2000.

The eyecatcher of this otherwise sleek home with clear, reduced lines undoubtedly is the bulking white turret right in the centre of the house.

Hampton Hill Villa

This lovely house is a rather unusual Victorian “gentleman’s villa” and has been built in 1876 and has admirably stood up to the test of time.

The square turret boasts balconies on the middle level and offers a great view out of the windows on the topmost floor.

Minnesota Castle

This modern castle is located just around the corner of the twin cities area of Minneapolis-St.Pauls and is special in that it looks like a fully renovated castle, but in reality has been built just over 30 years ago.

Again, the eyecatcher, the round turret with dormer window on the roof, is located in the middle of the building.

London Mansion

This beautiful mansion is located in Hampstead Village in London and not only comes with a titillating history, but also combines the classic and the modern in the stunning way we are used to in all things London.

The small-ish corner turret located on one corner of the house is part of the 10 bedroom, gym, pool, cocktail bar, and staff quarters luxury of the house that has once, notably belonged to the pioneering plastic surgeon Harold Gillies, who worked wonders with burn victims in WW1 and is known as the godfather of gender re-assignment surgery, and dates from the early 1800s. Even if you wouldn’t expect such a long history if you just looked at the pictures.

Cat Mountain Residence

I’m guessing this Texas home would not instantaneously register as having a turret with you, am I right? But it does!

This modern home with an unobstrusive turret placed in the upper left corner of the house is a great example for the fact that a turret does not always have to stand out.

In this case, the slightly offset tower with its large glass fronts seamlessly fits into the overall house design while still retaining the original charm of a turret as a somewhat separate architectural feature.

Fairytale Villa

It is quite obviously that this house design has been heavily influenced by the look of classic fairytale castles.

It is a stunning, showy piece of architecture that boasts large windowfronts, balconies, turrets, and two bombastic arching stairways leading down to the patio and pool area.

I’m sure this home design is not for everyone, but it is something special and definitely deserves a nod of acknowledgment from me.

Modern Australia

Everything is slightly different in Down Under, and so it should not surprise you that they, too, do turrets with a twist.

This multi-textured modern home located in Perth is a great example for understated looks and the subtle use of turrets. The stone block above the front door does not spring out at the viewer as a turret, but it is one nevertheless.

This turret design is a cunning combination of materials, shapes, and the unique roof nearly, but not really covering it, and is a perfect example of the modern turret.

Mediterranean in Florida

At first glance you wouldn’t believe that this Mediterranean villa is located in Florida, but it is!

True to the prevailing style of the Mediterranean this house is striking with its light stone walls, the dark roof and shutters, and the large windows. What makes it even more striking is the circular turret in the middle of the building that houses not only the inviting, enourmous front door, but also what appears to be a large living or dining room on the first floor.

Lighthouse

For those of you living near the seafront, seeing a lighthouse might be a common occurrence. But I’d bet that seeing a lighthouse raising out of the middle of a house isn’t that common for you, either.

This lovely, cheerful house design would be striking all on its own, but with the lighthouse shaped turret, complete with a Captain’s walk, it really is something else.

Just imagine the joy of having your bedroom in this glass-fronted, airy space!

Stone Lodge

The design of this stone lodge conjures up images of charmed buildings appearing out of nowhere in the middle of enchanted forests.

Even with its noticeably modern features, like the large garage door, this house appears old in the best sense of the word.

The circular turret reminds of medieval castles with its tall, narrow windows that could have been arrowslits in an earlier life.

White House

No, not that White House, though one could argue, that the one in Washington, too, boasts a kind of turret.

This white house is a great example for how a turret can be used to create a truly stunning entrance to your home. The front door is set back into an alcove that has been seemingly cut out of the turret itself, creating the look of an arched doorway framing it.

Montana Ski Chalet

This ski chalet from Montana really is something else design-wise.

Not only is the wood construction simply perfect for a “mountain and snow” setting, it also serves to enhance the “treehouse” look this chalet invites with its location and placement off the ground.

The charming, wood-shingled turret on the left side of the house is quite unique as well in that it “breaks through” the slanted roof, thus creating the image of a naturally grown building that has come into existence around the tower that appears to have been there first.

Canadian Cabin

This Canadian cabin boasts a great design that allows the house to seamlessly blend in with the nature surrounding it. The wooden walls and balconies fit perfectly with the woods in the back of the property, and the green roof makes it “disappear” in the lush meadow when viewed from a distance.

The turret, in this case, appears a bit set apart from the main house in style of a bird’s nest perched atop the property, which makes it perfect for use as secluded haven or for undisturbed working in the home office.

Photo Magic

I might just betray my age now by saying that I still vividly remember taking photos with my analogue camera.

If you can too, you may be struck by this house design just as much as I was when I first saw it: the house, including the turret, vividly reminds me of a roll of film, an image that is enhanced by the square holes in the upper end of the outer wall.

If you’re a photography or movie buff, this creative house design might just be right up your street!

Round And Round

This modern house is special in that there are few homes that have a round (or oval) floor space. And since this kind of uniqueness obviously is not enough of a unique characteristic in itself for the owners, they added another circular turret.

Sometimes, going big really does add up, as it does in this case. The combination of rounded house front without any corners, and the tubular add-on of the turret makes for a truly unique shapes that somehow works without appearing as “too much”.

Victorian Gold

This Victorian mansion could be located anywhere from the British to the Russian countryside, and everywhere inbetween.

With its gold and red fassade, matching roof and terrace walls, and an incredible level of detail in the various embellishments, this house just oozes grandeur.

This notion is further underscored by the various round and angular turrets that rise both out of the corners and the roof.

It’s a stunning design that is just wonderful to look at.

Annapolis Royal

Located in Nova Scotia, Canada, the Annapolis Royal neighbourhood appears as if visitors had stepped out of a time machine. The historic town has been established in 1605 and the Mills house (see picture) is the perfect example for the architecture of the time.

The blue-painted house is a Registered Heritage Property and has been lovingly restored and maintained in its original look.

The turret, located at the right corner, sits proudly over the entrance part of the front porch and adds a two-storeyed living-space to the rest of the house that just boasts one upper floor (not counting the attic).

Open Air

This turreted house from Australia shows that a turret does not need to be an enclosed space, if the weather allows for it.

In this case, the wooden, rectangular turret is located smack in the middle of the house, or rather, the roof of the front part of the home, and looks like an open gazebo has been put up there.

This kind of turret offers a unique open outdoor space, and comes with the best of views to be had.

Scottish Mansion

This classic Baronial style country house located less than 30 miles away from Edinburgh is one of the best examples what a true turreted house used to look like.

The comparatively small turret perfectly fits in with the glorious red brick facade, and completes the overall style without drawing the eye away from the overall grandeur of the mansion.

Blind Turret

This Mediterranean-style mansion shows that a turret does not necessarily always have to be a “real” room.

In this case, the turret placed on top of the garage is purely decorative, and doesn’t serve as a bedroom, office, observatory, or whatever else you can find in a typical turret.

But a turret without obvious use is still a turret – and it still looks great in the overall house design!