Hobbit House at Dragonfly Knoll

Clients in Mosier, Oregon—just over an hour due east of Portland along the beautiful Columbia River Gorge—contacted Archer & Buchanan Architecture about designing a getaway cottage in the spirit of a J.R.R. Tolkien Hobbit House.

Upon visiting the 27-acre rural property, it was easy to decide to site the building on the edge of steep hill overlooking a pond with a beautiful, wooded backdrop and distant view of dramatic Mt. Hood.

The simple 1,200 SF cottage plan has a diminutive Entry through a round “Hobbit” door opening into a cathedral-like timber framed Living, Dining and Cooking space. There is a single bedroom and bath off to one side; opposite is a “person” door that leads to space for a garden.

The Hobbit House at Dragonfly Knoll tells a story of true craftsmanship, inspired by the Arts & Crafts movement along with imagery described in the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien. The home has structural timber framing, a playfully detailed stone exterior, clay tile roof, and mahogany windows incorporating unique patterns.

As the architects, we made numerous suggestions for the interior finishes and materials, however most of the interior selections and coordination was done lovingly by the clients, who were committed to every aspect of bringing their vision to fruition. They searched high and low for finishes and fixtures, working with artisans and even personally designing and fabricating the curved tile mosaic ceiling in the Bathroom.

The Hobbit House at Dragonfly Knoll is a real tribute to and an example of a project in which the talent, skill, craftsmanship and dedication of all involved converged to translate a dream into a lovely reality.

Stonemason: Michael Byrne Stonemasonry
Builder: Butterfield Designs (Anna and her father, Mike)
Timber Framing: Canadian Timberframes
Photographer: Jeff Amram
Videographer: Caleb Vandermeer