Have you ever wanted your own hobbit-hole? Of course you have, for that, as Tolkien says, means comfort. And now you can - or at least a reasonable facsimile thereof. There’s a company in Maine (
Wooden Wonders) that makes sheds with rounded roofs and round windows and doors. They can be used as playhouses, tool sheds, chicken coops… These are already pretty cute, but what makes the possibility of really enticing a hobbit is that there is an option for a sod roof, so that you can landscape the whole thing to look like a tunnel into a hill. And
that’s Something Cool.
There’s really nothing more to say. How much analysis do you need? But I include another picture that’s perhaps what you get when you cross hobbits with elves: no longer a hobbit hole, but equally magical. How I would have loved either of these options as a playhouse when I was little! And I would be more than happy to have either of them now as a shed or… No, who am I kidding? I still want it as a playhouse.
Our house is a passive solar, built with a berm along the north wall. There are only windows on the south side of the house, which is pretty much all windows. Still, the interior of the the house is pretty dark unless you turn on lights or add a tube light, which we've only done in two places so far. There is no interior cozy fireplace, which is too bad. I think that little hobbit house would be pretty dark with not much window!
ReplyDeleteYou could well be right, Kristin. Judging from some of the other pictures on the web site, these huts could have a window in the back wall, too, and of course Tolkien describes Bilbo's house as having windows. But there's no doubt that lack of windows is a risk in living underground, and I sure do appreciate my windows! So maybe I'd better stick with tree houses after all. =)
ReplyDeleteKristin, your house sounds lovely. Congratulations on being so environmentally responsible. As for a little underground Hobbit house, I think with a warm fire and a lamp to read by on long winter nights -- with a cup of hot chocolate -- it would be deliciously cozy. But in the summer I, too, would like some light wells or tube lights.
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