A real-life Hobbit house has gone on the market for a hefty £1.95 million.
Located in Los Angeles, the storybook property was designed and built in a nine-unit complex in the 1940s by Disney artist Lawrence Joseph.
The design was reportedly inspired by his time as a sailor, the architecture of the 1920s and 1930s, and the animated Disney film Snow White (1937).
The informal name “Hobbit Houses” is due to their supposed resemblance to the architecture of J R R Tolkien’s Shire, the home of the hobbits in The Lord of the Rings.
Some of the “Fantasy Revival” architectural details include “odd-shaped windows with leaded glass, rustic stone hewn walls, a rough cut cupola, and sloping, uneven roof tiles.”
Joseph worked on the property in his spare time from 1946 to 1970 and rented out the other homes until his death in 1991 to Hollywood stars like Nick Nolte and Paula Prentiss.
An expert sailor, Joseph included nautical elements in many aspects of the interior design, including galley-style kitchens and “vertical-grain boat planking … in eccentric circles on the floors”.
According to one source, “The property boasts of having no door knobs and no 90-degree angles anywhere inside the homes.”
Rather than door knobs, “doors open with boat latches and levers, all fashioned by Joseph. Jauntily knotted ropes serve as pulls on many of the drawers”.
One architectural historian working with the Los Angeles Conservancy told the Los Angeles Times, “It’s almost like a folk art environment along the lines of the Watts Towers.”
In 2014, The Washington Post reported on a rental listing for a place in the original building: “The main house features two bedrooms and one bath, plus a huge bonus room that could be an office or den.
“The living room that is situated around an original stone fireplace features stained glass windows, nautical details and a bar that is perfect for entertaining.
“The quaint kitchen comes with a mini-fridge that is built in. Two bedrooms sit behind a wooden plank door and offer great sunlight, and a view of the fountain and pond at the front of the house.
“The sparkling green tiled bathroom features a tub/shower combo with a large vanity and great custom built ins. The house also features a third bonus room off of the kitchen that could easily be used as an extra bedroom or entertaining space.”
The property was listed in 1996, so it cannot be altered. It has been passed down among Joseph’s family, who have now put the home on the market.
