A World War II bomb shelter has been converted into a home

KELLY Charlett is the owner of some serious shelter from the elements — bomb shelter that is.

Home inside a bomb shelter

KELLY Charlett is the owner of some serious shelter from the elements.

The 2ha block she bought as a starter home in Bullsbrook in West Australia, came with lofty gum trees, a sprinkling of wildflowers — and its own bomb shelter.

The shelter dates from 1942 and was part of a World War II RAAF communications complex.

A WWII bomb shelter was turned into a one-of-a-kind home by Kelly Charlett.

She bought the property in 2000 when aged 21 and was able to think outside the box — or cylinder — knowing she could turn the bomb shelter into a one-of-a-kind home.

“I just saw what I could do — cut out windows here, put in some plumbing there,” she said. “I liked it ... it’s like a giant submarine or pizza oven.”

Inside the house formerly known as a bomb shelter

The concrete shell is effective for insulating the home from heat and cold

The 30cm-thick concrete shell makes the home particularly cool in summer and warm in winter, and the curving shapes give the rooms real interest.

Ms Charlett, who has leased the home since she moved out in 2006, has decided to sell the unusual property.

“I’ve still got such good visions of what could happen to the property if someone wanted to renovate further — you could have a real mansion,” she said.

— The property is on the market for $499,000.

Originally published as A World War II bomb shelter has been converted into a home