"Two University of Texas architecture students, Dalton Bloom and Charles Harker, set out to build a fairytale-like structure that would serve as a place of peace and isolation, living harmoniously alongside the environment. Per a Good Morning America segment from 1979, the home took eight years to develop and was made with then uncommon materials like polyeurathane foam. "The forms in the house are designed much like music, so that they form flowing lyric patterns,""
"Back then, Bloom and Harker couldn't have known the explosion of growth the city would see a few decades later, but given the home's large lot and lack of immediate neighbors, it's made the spot all the more enticing to visitors seeking some peace and quiet, and a chance to check out this one-of-a-kind abode for themselves. Fast forward to 2017 and The Bloomhouse was purchased by Dave Claunch and his wife Susan, who spent 18 months renovating it before listing it on Airbnb."
"The photos are one thing, but walking up to this home is entirely another. It's the kind of place you blink at to make sure your eyes aren't deceiving you, and that looks a little bit different from every angle. Is it shaped like a dog? A dragon? A seashell? Was the inspiration more Flintstones, or Cat in the Hat, or Alice in Wonderland?"
The Bloomhouse in Westlake Highlands, Austin, was conceived in the 1970s by two University of Texas architecture students, Dalton Bloom and Charles Harker, as a fairytale-like, habitable sculpture intended to provide psychological and physical shelter. The handcrafted home used uncommon materials such as polyurethane foam and took eight years to develop. Its flowing, musical forms aim to soothe and harmonize with the environment. Decades later the property remains set on a large lot with few immediate neighbors. A 2017 renovation preserved original character while adding West Elm furnishings, a grill, and modern amenities, creating a unique, whimsical stay.
Read at Conde Nast Traveler
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