A ‘Lord of the Rings’ Fan Builds a Dream Hobbit Home in New York
A New York construction supervisor and his family spent more than six years building this cosy, movie-inspired cottage
When Jim Costigan saw the movie The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring years ago, he was blown away by Bag End, the tucked-away hobbit home. “I thought that was the coolest house I’d ever seen,” says Costigan. “Architecturally, I thought that the house in the movie was just really well done, that it was really original. The curvatures, everything about it, was unique.”
Costigan’s first project: a backyard ‘hobbit’ shed. Image by Jim Costigan
His first attempt involved a backyard shed behind his home in New York State, USA, a weekends-only project he started about 12 years ago and blogged about throughout the process. Once he completed that structure, shown here, he set his sights on something grander: an entire hobbit house. (The shed is now home to Costigan’s ride-on lawn mower.)
His first attempt involved a backyard shed behind his home in New York State, USA, a weekends-only project he started about 12 years ago and blogged about throughout the process. Once he completed that structure, shown here, he set his sights on something grander: an entire hobbit house. (The shed is now home to Costigan’s ride-on lawn mower.)
Images by Gillian Stewart
The larger house, which Costigan calls Hobbit Hollow, was supposed to take two or three years to build. More than six years later, Costigan is putting the finishing touches on Hobbit Hollow as he prepares to sell it to a fellow Lord of the Rings enthusiast – or just someone who appreciates an unusual barrel-vaulted ceiling and other imaginative details.
The larger house, which Costigan calls Hobbit Hollow, was supposed to take two or three years to build. More than six years later, Costigan is putting the finishing touches on Hobbit Hollow as he prepares to sell it to a fellow Lord of the Rings enthusiast – or just someone who appreciates an unusual barrel-vaulted ceiling and other imaginative details.
A decision to build the house to passive house standards stretched out the project’s timeline, but Costigan says he was committed to an energy-efficient approach.
The two-bedroom, two-bathroom 139-square-metre home sits on 1.7 acres next to a stream with a very Shire-like waterfall and pond in Pawling, USA. Costigan again spent weekends working on the concrete house, with help from his wife, Jodi, their daughter, Georgia, and their three sons, Ethan, Jude and Terence.
Instead of being completely nestled into a hillside like the house in the movie, Costigan’s house features windows in the front and back, and natural light from windows or skylights in every room except the guest bathroom.
Instead of being completely nestled into a hillside like the house in the movie, Costigan’s house features windows in the front and back, and natural light from windows or skylights in every room except the guest bathroom.
Energy-efficient details include thermal bridge-free construction that keeps heat from being lost or gained through weaknesses in the building’s insulation, triple-pane thermal windows, a heat recovery ventilator and a green roof with a bluestone patio.
The Beauty of Thermal Mass: Temperature Control Without the Dial
The Beauty of Thermal Mass: Temperature Control Without the Dial
Bag End’s signature circular front door wasn’t possible to do according to passive house standards, Costigan says, so for Hobbit Hollow he created a circular red frame to mask the rectangular door. He and his children “all read the books and we watched the movies a whole bunch of times,” says Costigan. “We’re pretty much up on all things Lord of the Rings.”
Inside, Costigan and his kids channelled Middle-earth whimsy by imprinting different geometric shapes and patterns into the concrete ceilings and skylight borders.
Browse more sunny skylights
Browse more sunny skylights
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What house from a movie or book would you love to live in? Tell us in the Comments, like this story, share it with fans of the movie, and join the conversation.
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Dreaming of a unique home design? Find an architect near you to discuss your ideas
What house from a movie or book would you love to live in? Tell us in the Comments, like this story, share it with fans of the movie, and join the conversation.
More
Dreaming of a unique home design? Find an architect near you to discuss your ideas
Houzz at a Glance
Who uses this dwelling: Jim Costigan, who works in construction, his wife Jodi and their four children, Georgia, Ethan, Jude and Terence
Location: Pawling, USA
Size: Approximately 139 square metres on a 1.7-acre site
As Costigan works in office tower construction in Manhattan, New York, and studied engineering, he wanted to see if he could recreate the charming little cottage himself.