How to Decorate Like a Hobbit

Use rustic furniture and accessories to transform your home into a hideout worthy of Hobbits.

You may not be able to recreate the curb appeal of a Shire Hobbit hole in your own neighborhood, but you can imitate their interior design style. Decorate in earthy colors, natural woods and wrought iron. Use curves and arches rather than square edges, and fill your home with warm, old-fashioned accessories.

1. Paint your walls in a rich, buttery yellow to give your Hobbit hole a peaceful glow. Paint trim in greens or browns, or leave dark wooden trim bare, preferably with imperfections, such as knotholes, visible.

2. Create arched doorways and windows by cutting pieces of 3/4-inch plywood into curves and affixing them above door frames and at the tops of windows. Paint them to look like oak or another dark wood. Dress windows with wooden shutters instead of curtains.

3. Furnish rooms with mismatched wooden items and the occasional wrought iron piece. Find an iron headboard with old-fashioned scrollwork, or hang a tapestry depicting a woodland scene behind the bed.

4. Use rounded accessories whenever possible: round pillows, picture frames, mirrors, clocks and so forth. Fix iron sconces to the walls and light the room at night with candles. Conceal any electric lights behind natural-looking shades.

5. Add decorative touches such as antique maps on the walls, stacks of yellowing books, a pot rack with rusted iron pans in the kitchen, a walking stick leaning in a corner, a whistling tea pot and any other rustic items you can think of. Hobbit holes are cluttered and cozy, so don't be afraid to fill up space.

Tip

Cover the carpeting with an earth-toned area rug, if your home does not have hardwood floors.

Warning

Go heavy on the accessories and light on the architecture to create your hobbit hole. While this decorating scheme might seem cozy and eclectic for awhile, you might tire of it sooner than you think.