In the tiny Scandinavian island of Skrova north of the Arctic Circle, Martin Otterbeck and Agnete Brun bought an old, rusty oil tank that once held 200,000 liters (53,000 gallons) of diesel and transformed it into a modern home with panoramic 360-degree views of the surrounding Norwegian fjord.

When Martin asked about the abandoned tank’s cost, the owner told him it was 15,000 Norwegian Krone, or 1,389 USD. So Martin bought it and set out to build his dream remote home, thanks to his building experience and willingness to improvise.

As a trained carpenter, Martin did all the work himself, drawing on his nautical experience to craft custom built-ins that maximize space within the tank’s curved walls.

Walking through Skrova with Martin, we visited a neighbor building an annex to his home, which, like Martin’s own home, was inspired by boats; in this case, he created an” upside-down boat” design for a monolithic roof.

Read more about Skrova and the “island effect” on our way to see the world.