Young architect's Fairy-Tale home inspired by Nature's spirals: awe inside 🐚

The Bloomhouse seems to erupt or grow from the ground, leaving no straight lines. It was actually hand-sculpted over the course of a decade into a piece of residential art. It resembles a fantastic animal (a dog, rabbit, deer, duck, dragon) or even a mushroom but looks very little like a conventional house.

Architect Charles Harker began work in the early ‘70s using nature as inspiration and no blueprints or formal plans (the only permit required in unincorporated Travis County, Texas was for septic). His first step was to create the basic shape of the home in steel rebar which was coated in layers of polyurethane foam. Harker spent 9 months on site hand-sculpting the foam into intricate designs. The home was finished with layers of concrete stucco.

The interior has been described as “falling down the rabbit hole in “Alice in Wonderland—mesmerizing and psychedelic” and having the snug quality of a Hobbit tea party. Each room flows into the next and it’s hard to stay oriented with the multiple levels and endless shapes. The bedroom is an oversized conch shell that Harker hoped with replicate the acoustics of the ocean. The only door in the home is on the bathroom though even this room drifts outside with an exterior shower.

There are cubby holes and nooks everywhere, some are closets, And there is no elaborate system of tubes and orifices that make up a natural airflow for heating and cooling. Even the spiral staircase leading to the upstairs nook bedroom is part of the Venturi effect for natural air-conditioning.

Dalton Bloom, the original owner, never actually lived in the home, but when Dave Klaunch bought it in 2017 it was inhabited, but the pipes had calcified and there were problems with mold. Klaus immediately began restoring the home giving careful attention to all the minutiae, like the Cherry wood “ribs” that accentuate the curves and gave us the impression of being inside a whale's belly.

[bradleylovej]

The guy who bought and currently maintains the house is a gem. It's uncommon pieces of art like this are so lovingly maintained

[snowstrobe]

I love it when people follow through on their crazy dream, and commit to it. Huge respect to Dave as well for so lovingly bringing it back to life.

[dddilworth]

The new owner is a delight! I loved how he interacted with the kids. The house…just glorious. The intelligence of the architect is astounding.

[pollenhead]

Dave's renovation was not only considerate but added improvements that kept to the spirit of the original design. In a sense this creation is a living work of art.

[WildWest]

I don't think Charles Harker could ask for a better steward of his visionary property than Dave Klaunch who did an amazing job describing this piece of living art.

[jeremyellis]

I had Charles Harker as an architecture professor at Kent State. He was a mystic and beautifully sentimental about architecture. Great professor and super humble. He never mentioned this house in his studio ever. We only found out as an urban legend through other students.

[Lelabear]

You knocked it outta the park with this one, Kirsten! Great work filming this unique structure and capturing the genius elements that make this quirky design work so well. Kinda pisses me off, though, I was in Austin while this was being constructed, running with the alternative building crowd but never heard about this gem. I, too, was a huge Roger Dean fan (still have the coffee table book of his designs) and always wanted to see a real house incorporating all those elements...and here it is! Thanks again, Kirsten, really appreciate you sharing these creative homes, gives me hope for the human race, somehow.

[KMF]

I absolutely love 💕 this house. I can't think of another house I would want to live in more. Love it so much ❤❤

[suemcknight]

Big admiration for Dave who clearly has the same love for this “house” as the man who designed & built it. Was very sad to glimpse the photos of what the former occupants had let happen to this beautiful & exceptional place. What it looks like now is testimony to Dave’s own talent & caring for this structure.👌😊

[CCLXII]

It’s so heartwarming that you are able to record this for history and to get first hand information on how Charles built this beautiful house. Absolutely stunning. Thanks 🙏🏾

[julieisthatart]

I love this house/sculpture so much! My first reaction to the inside was of being swallowed by a giant creature. For sure, living in all that type of art space would have saved me many years of emotional suffering. It was a craving so deep as to make me choose living outdoors. I am so glad this beautiful place was saved from decay. Thank you.

[moolder]

That truly is an enchanted place. I also loved how personal it becomes when you visit with your kids. A very different perspective from the usual, neutral home tours. I love your work!

[gumikebbap]

I love everything about this video:
the footage, you guys spending the night there, all the little details from the house, the accent of the guy, all the knowdlege that he has absorbed...
amazing!

[SazachaNancySktghaxeeahw-rpgd]

Fascinating video and a new hero Mr. Harper. Thankyou for saving this fantastic home and tributing it’s creator.

[c.h.]

This has to be one of my favorite homes ever. At 75, I've seen, owned, and built many homes and structures... This one is most definitely in my top Three. Wow! Thank you for showing this masterpiece to us all. Cathleen

[thinkplanetearth]

The man who built this home wasn't an architect/builder, he was an artist/visionary. Just incredible. And I really loved how looked in the evening.

[phyllisbrostrom]

What a fantastic and fantastical home! The architect was truly a visionary!

[mariehall]

So organic! Looks like it’s alive. Love it!

[carinevanhoutvinck]

I love this! ❤❤❤ Not possible in Belgium because of all the restrictions. Thank you, Kirsten for showing it to the whole world.

[thornbird]

Stunning, what an imagination . It strikes me that its very retro . What a wonderful home .