6 charming homes for the whimsical

Wake Forest, North Carolina

One of the cupolas on this eclectic five-bedroom farmhouse resembles a silver-topped silo. Inside, the home has corrugated-metal feature walls, log posts, carved and painted cabinetry, a multipaned window corner, an irregular stacked-stone fireplace, and pebble-tile accents; art chandeliers and furniture are negotiable.

The 5.5-acre lot, amid woodlands and near an estuary, has a pool with a slide, outdoor fireplace, gardens, and fields; Durham is 25 minutes' drive. $2,950,000. Frank Gombatz, Fonville Morisey Realty, a Long & Foster Co./Luxury Portfolio International, (919) 696-4249.

San Francisco, California

Lighthouse Lofts was converted from a 1924 SoMa factory. This creators' compound spanning three live-work units has 13-foot-high ceilings and steel-framed windows, a two-bedroom double loft featuring a chef's kitchen and a great room with epoxy floors and a basketball hoop, a one-bedroom single loft with a chef's kitchen and bamboo floors, and a music loft with a cushioned porthole to a fourth bedroom.

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Amenities include roof deck access and parking. $3,200,000. Chris Lim and Michelle Balog, Christie's International Real Estate, (415) 577-3770.

Greensboro, North Carolina

Ayrshire, a Tudor Revival with storybook details, was crafted by architect Sanford Ayers in 1935. The four-bedroom house features a round tower, arched doors, butterfly-pegged floors, paneled walls, coffered ceilings, diamond-paned and stained-glass windows, carved fireplaces, decorative ironwork, a wall fountain, a spiral staircase, and formal rooms.

The 5.5-acre lot, set on the first hole of the Sedgefield golf course, has a stone terrace, yards, and mature trees. $3,000,000. Smedes Lindner, Allen Tate Realtors–High Point/Luxury Portfolio International, (336) 210-8001.

Friendship, Maine

Seaside Farm, built in 1990, is splashed throughout with color and natural imagery. The updated six-bedroom main house features a living room with persimmon-hued fireplace and honeycomb art, dining room with botanical wallpaper and undulating chandelier, and cherry-red kitchen opening to a deck.

The 19.8-acre waterfront property, 30 minutes from Rockport, includes two cottages (one with oars as loft railings), plus a yurt, studio, barn, lawns, gardens, pool, tennis court, and beach. $7,975,000. Joseph Sortwell, LandVest, (207) 706-6294.

Bradenton, Florida

The two fully renovated, furnished 1925 houses on this lot are marked by European style and eye-catching details. The three-bedroom main house has a curved wall with a raised geometric pattern and striking accent colors; the two-bedroom guesthouse has a bronze-tiled kitchen and double-height living room with a playful chandelier.

Outside are a xeriscaped garden, outdoor kitchen, firepit, volleyball net, and room for a pool; shopping, dining, a school, and the beach are nearby. $669,000. Jennifer Garrabrant, Premier Sotheby's International Realty, (941) 228-3554.

Yucca Valley, California

This updated 1980 two-bedroom is decorated throughout with custom murals. The concrete-floored living room showcases a desert sunrise, the kitchen has a painted rug, Joshua trees at dusk adorn the dining room, and the game room depicts the cosmos.

A muralled fence surrounds the half-acre lot's bocce court, firepit, hot tub, cowboy tub, and desert plantings; the Seussical scenes of Joshua Tree National Park are 10 minutes' drive. $379,000. Cody Hancock, Desert Sotheby's International Realty, (760) 574-2390.

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