We have been living in the cob house for almost two months already! I don’t quite have the words to describe what it has been like for me to be back in this cozy space, with my family. I love this house, and all its beauty and gentleness. Being here brings me so much joy, and a centered feeling that comes partly from reconnecting with a place I poured so much of my energy into, and partly from the qualities of the house. The curves of the cob walls, the texture of the plaster, the warmth of the wood. These natural materials are just so comforting!
So far we have been comfortable in this little space. The wood stove works well and heats up the house, although our winters here are fairly mild. The earthen floor and cob are a lot of cold, cold thermal mass, though, and if we are gone for a couple of days then the house takes longer to warm up once we get a fire going. I think the properties of cob are most appreciated here during the intensity of our endless summers, when the temperatures can become quite miserable. Then the cool floors and walls are refreshing, but for now we wear slippers!
Some pictures of my cozy little hobbit house:
How wonderful. It certainly does look cozy. Thanks for sharing.
Gorgeous 🙂 after reading through your journey so far, it’s so nice to see this lovely little home finished and lived in. My own design for the Cob house I want to build is also on a split-level; so yours is something of an inspiration for me. S.x
I feel the nurturing energy even here where I live. Thank you for the update and great pictures! DM
Love your house. From France 🙂
I just spent all night reading your entire blog! Thanks for documenting everything. What do you do for the bathroom? I’m desperate to get my family in a self-sustaining abode ASAP! I couldn’t ever figure out where exactly you live. We live in a colder climate, so I definitely need to make sure we get some insulation. How much did you end up spending? Right now I am looking for land. Would it be harder or easier to build 1 story? Like let’s say you have a 500sq ft house. Is it harder to do 500sq ft as one story or two? Is a second story necessary to stay warm in winter?
I’m at the beginning of all my research and am awaiting the arrival of all the different cob building bibles.
My other question about your specific experience – It appeared you didn’t work on your house every day all day long because you mentioned you worked and traveled. How long do you think it would have taken to complete the house if you had worked on it 5 days a week, 8 hours by yourself? With 1 other person? I know you had friends and groups help, but I’m trying to get an idea of how long it will take our family. Cheers! And congrats on your little guy. I have a 2.5 year old and a 1 year old 🙂
Hi Rachel! I wish I had kept better track of my time and expenses, I have no idea how many hours I put into the house, aside from that it was A LOT of time for a teeny building:) Cob is labor intensive, and if I were building in a colder climate, I would probably just do interior cob walls, and stick to something like straw bale for the exterior walls. I think if it was any colder here we wouldn’t be able to keep this house warm enough in winter. The addition Greg built probably only took him a few months total, as the framed walls with straw bale and straw-clay go up so much faster than cob, especially when working alone. As far as costs… my best estimate is the cob house cost around $3,000, and the addition maybe cost $4,000?
I’m not sure about 1 versus 2 stories… A one story house means more work/cost on the foundation, but building a second story can be slow and awkward, with lots of lifting heavy materials up ladders and scaffolding.
My advice would be to start as small as possible, and to take a workshop beforehand if possible, to get a feel for the materials and the work pace.
Best wishes!!!