All of the stunning custom woodwork seen inside Bilbo Baggins’ earth-sheltered home in the 2012 film ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’ has piqued public interest in intricate craftsmanship. The filmmakers and set designers interpreted author J.R.R. Tolkein’s description of Bilbo’s residence, Bag End, in rich wood tones with lots of arches.
“We used round doors to be true to Tolkein’s descriptions in the book and also we used his sketches,” production designer Dan Hennah told The Los Angeles Times. “The ceiling in the kitchen is stone and inspired by cellar design, and the arches throughout were used as a structural element to maintain the premise that Bilbo’s house is underground.”
The magazine Woodworking Network also took a look at impact the film (and of course, the books) has had on the custom woodworking industry. The round doors, scrolled details and other elements of the hobbit house have inspired similar treatments in private homes, hotels and shed designs.
Woodworking Network notes that “In the film, perfectly circular doors are indeed set in matching jig-sawn door frames, components pegged into place. Middle-earth is a pre-industrial society, so everything had to appear handmade and unique.”
Take a look at one particularly notable example, by architect Peter Archer. Beautiful hobbit-inspired details include a ‘butterfly’ window with center-hinged panels, a round 3-inch-thick door and rounded rafters (pictured above, and in the video). Fine Homebuilding has more pictures.
