This story is part of Pretty Ugly, a package celebrating design that’s so bad, it’s good.

Is it really that hard to build a head-turning project out of marble slabs or sleek glass panels? Where’s the challenge in turning velvety-smooth white oak boards or hand-chiseled stone into an architectural masterpiece? While we obviously love beautiful homes built from beautiful materials (see: every page of this website), there’s something extra special about designs that lean on more, uh, unconventional resources.

Corrugated metal, concrete pipes, and cardboard may not be the most inspiring of materials, but when industrial supplies wind up in the right hands, the results can be downright magical. You know what they say: one person’s trash is another’s statement-making feature wall.

Whether these designers chose their unexpected materials to save money, create a one-of-a-kind space, or simply remind us that beauty can be found in the most unlikely of places (for example, the dumpster), each of these projects uses “ugly” materials in beautiful new ways.

A Wire-and-Steel Office, Built in a Former Italian Villa

A Metallic Workspace in Munich Pops Thanks to Bubble Wrap

This Unique Boutique Hotel in Namibia Makes Strand Board Look Luxe

This Mexico City Hotel is a Showcase of New Mexican Design

A Midcentury-Inspired Home Proves That Corrugated Metal Can Be Cool

The homeowners tapped architect Malcolm Davis of San Francisco–based Malcolm Davis Architecture to redesign and expand the dwelling without damaging the many established oak trees. " layout="wide" credit="Photo by Joe Fletcher" photoUserId="6133430985087148032"/>

This Dreamy Tiny House in Bali Is Made of Recycled Tetra Pak Cartons

Architectural designer Alexis Dornier of Stilt Studios devised Tetra Pod, a 688-square-foot prefabricated home made from recycled Tetra Pak cartons in Uluwatu, Bali. “The reflective characteristics of the material help the architecture blend into the surroundings,” he says." layout="" credit="Photo by Alexis Dornier and Ananta Pradipta" photoUserId=""/>

Metal Decking Creates a Dramatic Ceiling in This Stunning Renovation

Colorful, Cutting-Board Plastic Cabinets Feel Surprisingly Rich in This Remodeled Kitchen

These Tiny, Modular Homes Are Made of Concrete Water Pipes

Concrete Is the Star of the Show for This Brutalist Duplex in Belgium

Rubber Shingles Are the Perfect Finishing Touch for This South African Studio

This Awe-Inspiring Cathedral Is Crafted With Cardboard

A Shipping Container Home in Sweden Rises Up From a Rocky Site

This Award-Winning English Tiny Home Is Made From Scrap Cork

Fiber-Cement Panels Are the Perfect Finishing Touch for This Australian Home

This UK Farmhouse Is Made of Hemp Grown in the Surrounding Fields

You’d Never Guess This Home in the Netherlands Was Clad in Repurposed Cable Reels

The facade is clad with 600 recycled cable reels. According to architect Jan Jongert, “It took about seven minutes to dismantle each one, yielding quite a lot of wood each time.”" layout="wide" credit="Photo by Mark Seelen" photoUserId="6133443338457395200"/>

Related Reading:

13 Boldly Textured Homes That Bet Big on Oriented Strand Board

The Essential Guide to Shipping Container Home Design

In Praise of “Bad Taste”

Also Appears In

An Award-Winning Prefab Cork House Pops Up on the Banks of the River Thames