He Built His Own Hobbit-Inspired Backyard Hideaway

"The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien was the first book I ever read cover-to-cover entirely on my own. I was 8-years-old and can still remember being captured by the wonder of Middle Earth, inspired by Bilbo and Gandalf, and wanting to make Bag End my permanent home. As such, whenever I see people like Ali Hughson of Scotland create their own hobbit-inspired backyard hideaways, I get excited to see how they've managed to translate the spirit of The Shire into the real world.

In 2021, Southwest News Service (SWNS) interviewed and filmed a short tour of Hughson's hobbit-inspired shed in the garden of his South Queensferry home. After the old shed on the property collapsed, Hughson says in the video that "building a hobbit house seemed like a logical thing to do." A Tolkien fan from a young age, Hughson spent about 6 months and around $2,700 to build the fantastical shed, which he uses as a workshop for his handmade homegoods business.

The overall shape of the shed is that of a small lean-to with a single-slope roof. It's constructed primarily out of wood with plenty of awnings to hang plants for a dash of extra hobbit-ish whimsy. And, of course, there's the giant, round green door. While this isn't a hobbit hole you could actually purchase and live in, it serves as a great template on which to base your own Tolkien-inspired yard.

I've wanted to build my own backyard shed/studio for a very long time, and Hughson's build has definitely sparked some ideas in my head. One thing I've always been curious about is how to actually build a perfectly round door. According to Hughson: "We started with an octagon shape[d] framework. Then I bent the wood round to make the circular frame. It was a relief when I realized it would fit" (via Fox News).

While it is super cool, you don't need a round door to bring hobbit elements to your backyard. You can look to design tips from English cottage gardens, as they were partly what inspired Tolkien while creating The Shire. Decorative cottage features like pathways, low fences, climbing plants, and stone walls can all be employed to create a hobbit-like space. You can also employ hobbit-inspired colors like greens, golds, amber browns, and muted golds. Natural wood works too, and wrought iron can mimic the hardware used to hang the round door.

If the $2,700 price has you quaking in your boots, know that you can build a small cabin using materials like free wood pallets. And, if you already have a shed or outbuilding you think could be a good candidate for the hobbit treatment, let Hughson's shed inspire you to turn it into your own Bag End. I know I certainly will.