Building A Hobbit House: Bring The Shire To Your Backyard

NAVIGATION

You don’t have to venture all the way to Middle Earth to live in a hobbit home! In addition to many other alternative dwellings that have gained popularity alongside the tiny house movement, hobbit homes have become a favorite for those seeking whimsy and adventure in everyday life.

What Is A Hobbit House?

A hobbit home is a house that is built entirely (or mostly) into the side of the earth, is typically covered in grass and soil, and has architecture that is highly reminiscent of Bilbo and Frodo’s infamous Shire home in “The Lord of the Rings” books and films.

While the whimsy and wonder of hobbit house design does originate from J.R.R. Tolkien, today they’ve gained immense popularity for highly eco-conscious minds. Surprisingly enough, the U.S. Department of Energy has even recommended hobbit houses as an example of an energy-conscious way to live.

Whether you’re a Tolkien fanatic or just trying to save mother Earth, a hobbit home may bring you more joy than you’d expect.

The exquisite charm and fantastical aesthetic of these houses have caused a hobbit house craze around the world.

Pros And Cons Of Hobbit Homes

While the humble yet charming aesthetic of hobbit houses could captivate anyone, it’s worth asking if they’re actually practical to live in. The earth bermed structure and avant-garde nature of hobbit houses certainly come with their own pros and cons.

Pros and Cons of Hobbit House lIfe

Enchanting Hobbit House Airbnb Rentals In The U.S.

Not only have hobbit houses gained popularity in the building world, they’re also a popular type of rental on websites like Vrbo or Airbnb. Whether you’re looking for inspiration to build your own hobbit home or just looking for an eclectic getaway, there is a hobbit house Airbnb for you to try. There are surprisingly many hobbit homes available for rent in popular U.S. cities.

Hobbit House Airbnb Rentals Around The World

This hobbit home craze isn’t unique to the United States! From Germany to New Zealand, hobbit house rentals are nestled in charming towns all across the world. Consider staying in one of these quaint hobbit homes during your next vacation.

Design Inspiration For Hobbit Houses

There is an endless number of ways you can design your hobbit house. Some hobbit homes are completely built into the side of the earth, while some houses protrude a little bit outside of the ground.

Homeowners build their hobbit homes with intricate balconies, fenced off yards, rooftop decks, secret entrances and passageways, lush landscaping, hidden stairs, stacked libraries, and more! You are free to design your hobbit home in any manner that your imagination could possibly dream up.

Interior Hobbit House Examples

There are many ways to decorate the interior of your enchanting hobbit home. Lots of homeowners purposefully integrate rustic, archaic, earthy décor to correlate with the woodsy aesthetic of a hobbit house.

It’s important to include interior décor that correlates naturally with the curvature of your hobbit home. This might look like including a curved sofa, fireplace, or bed. In general, rounded furniture and fixtures will fit well into the nooks and crannies of your home, but also suit the unique design. Some people like to integrate quaint or fanciful elements in the house like a book nook, stained glass windows, or ornately carved furniture.

My favorite hobbit house interiors are the ones that go the extra mile and put the Shire to shame. Don’t just settle for the ordinary with a hobbit home, make your hobbit house as magical and Middle-Earth-esque as you want.

I’ve seen people hang a family crest over their circular hobbit home doorways to make the décor more meaningful. Others have painted custom designs on the interior of their front door to give their house extra character and flair. The ideas go on and on.

People tend to pay special attention to their hobbit home kitchens. To compliment the earthy look, you could add an open spice rack, indoor herb garden, wood-brick oven, and lots of manual kitchen tools. To keep your hobbit hole as humble and minimalistic as possible, consider having multiple purposes for each of your rooms. For example, you could merge your living room with your kitchen, or your bedroom with your library.

If I ever build my own hobbit house, I’d love to include lots of big, round windows that let in tons of natural light. I’d also hope to build an in-home library that wraps around the entire inside wall so I can escape to a fictional land whenever I want.

Earthy Elements To Include In A Hobbit House Interior

Hobbit House Exterior Examples

While most hobbit house exteriors are similar in essence, you have a lot of creative freedom in designing the outside of the house. Hobbit homes are defined by their curved roof, circular door that’s often painted a bright emerald green or maroon, and earth bermed roof.

My favorite hobbit house exteriors are the ones that make you forget the house is plopped in the middle of a suburban backyard entirely. Going above and beyond with lush landscaping, intricate stonework, and delicate detailing can truly transport you into what feels like a woodland fairytale.

I really love when hobbit houses have beautiful gardens outside the front of the home. Fill out your garden with a variety of colorful wildflowers and forest greens. You can even add little garden gnomes or woodland creatures throughout your yard to accentuate the whimsy, if you’re into that kind of thing.

One of my favorite hobbit homes has a sign at the entrance saying, “Welcome to Middle Earth” in a fancy, ancient-looking font, and underneath, the words are translated in Elvish. I love this idea, and it’s so easy to include in any hobbit home. Just think of the phrase you want your guests to see upon entering your kingdom and copy it over into Elvish.

There’s no limit to the features you can incorporate in your hobbit house exterior. Add a colorful hobbit doorway, a humble wooden drawbridge, or cozy lanterns to punch up your everyday escape.

Humble Elements To Include In A Hobbit House Exterior

Your building materials won’t be the only elements on display outside of your hobbit house. Your landscaping, gardens, and other pieces that bring your hobbit house exterior together should also be thoughtfully sourced, simple, and functional wherever possible.

When it comes to the plants and foliage you pair with your hobbit house exterior, consider including wildflowers, native vegetation, and fruit trees. This will help maintain the natural, eco-friendly element that make hobbit homes such a win. Herbs in clay pots also add a simple, earthy element that also serves a hobbit’s love for everything edible.

Stone walkways are a perfect addition to a hobbit home, especially when they’re accompanied by a wooden mailbox or simple patio furniture. A wooden or stone fence around the exterior would complement a simple walkway perfectly.

Once you’ve finished landscaping, speckle your hobbit house exterior with hanging lanterns, bird houses and feeders, well-loved tools, or fairy garden décor for a little extra whimsy. Old wooden wheelbarrows are the perfect addition for a hobbit house exterior. You can choose to simply lean it up against the side of your hobbit home, ready for your next gardening session, or repurpose it as a planter.

Hobbit House Floor Plans

The design of your hobbit house is a crucial piece in making your dream into a reality. I’ve included a couple of floorplans to help you get started in your brainstorming. What I admire most about these floorplans is that they include everything you need for a cozy little life while still maximizing the limited space. They fit as much function into a narrow area while still capturing the Tolkien-like fantasy element.

36’ x 16’ Hobbit House Floorplan

In this large hobbit house floorplan, there is an open concept kitchen and living room with one bedroom and one bathroom. The sofa could easily be used as a guest bed when friends and family inevitably want to come stay in your eccentric home. This floorplan makes the most sense for a couple or small family.

28’ x 15’ Hobbit House Floorplan

This simple 28-by-15-foot hobbit house plan also includes only one bedroom and one bathroom, however, the living room and kitchen are more separated from each other. In my opinion, this floorplan would be ideal for a couple without kids.

How To Build A Hobbit House In Five Steps

A hobbit house can be anything from a simple stick-built accessory dwelling unit in your backyard to a multi-room, luxury house. Before building your own hobbit house, first make sure the design, floorplan, and size you selected are the best match for the end result you want.

It’s important to make sure you have all of your tools and materials gathered before you break ground. Through trial and error over the past couple of decades, I’ve nailed down a list of tools that I think work best to build a hobbit home.

Tools And Materials To Build Your Hobbit House

1 Find Land To Build Your Hobbit House

When it comes to the process of buying land, I always tell my friends to make a bulleted list of their building needs before beginning their search so they have an idea of what to search for in a plot.

With a hobbit house or any other kind of earth-bermed dwelling, it’s vital that you find land with hills so that you’re able to surround your hobbit house in grassy earth. If this isn’t a possibility, you can also build your own siding on top of your house with soil, grass, and stone.

2 Dig The Plot For Your Hobbit Home

After you’ve sought out land, take some time to clear away leaves, branches, and brush so the plot is clear for your hobbit home.

Then, start digging space for your house foundation. Dig your post holes first with the clamshell digger. Next, use stakes and a hammer to mark the center of each post hole and string to line the edges. After this, dig the rest of your hobbit house pit.

3 Build Your Hobbit House Framework

As a simple stick-built structure, it shouldn’t be too challenging to build the frame for your hobbit home. Even if you’re new to the building world, this is doable, I promise!

The two most common methods to build a hobbit house framework is either to fill in the frame with corrugated iron sheets or with individual pieces of lumber, or sticks. Corrugated iron sheets are the more popular method, but you’ll have to weld the metal to the framework as opposed to simply using a hammer and nails.

When it comes to choosing the wood for your hobbit house frame, I’d personally go with cedar. It’s lightweight, resists decay, and the best all-around wood choice, in my opinion. However, pine and oak follow closely. Pine is one of the strongest and most flexible softwoods, and oak is extremely sturdy and one of the most popular wood choices for construction.

4 Add Insulation To The Hobbit Home

To make your hobbit house as energy efficient as possible, add a thermal barrier between the soil and the roof and walls. Since we know that hot air rises, the ceiling should get extra insulation. Without this step, the ground will sap all of the heat out of your hobbit home and keep the house way too cold. Check the R-value (heat resistance) of the material you use to insulate to be sure.

5 Add The Roof To Your Hobbit House

While it’s true that the roof of your hobbit home will technically be the earth itself, most hobbit houses have a layer of roofing built underneath. Here you have a couple options.

Many builders go the classic route and build their roof out of wood. But there are other options like stone, concrete, clay, or even mesh. Whatever material you use, just make sure it’s durable enough to support the grass and soil that will rest on top of it.

FAQ: Common Questions About Building A Hobbit Home

It’s important to me to answer pressing questions I have before getting too deep into a new building project. Building and living in a hobbit home brings about many curious questions worth thinking through.

Hobbit House FAQs

Your Turn!

• How will you design your hobbit home?
• What materials will you use to build your hobbit house?

By Ryan Mitchell on July 14, 2023   /   Tiny House   /   3 Comments

Tags: Alternative Housing, Construction