At first glance, this cob home tucked away in a forest near Seattle looks like your standard eco-friendly dwelling, but the interior reveals unique handcrafted details.
Dwell featured the property in 2020, when it was listed for around $500,000, but it's since been sold, according to Keller Williams Eastside. The quaint cottage is something out of a fairy tale, constructed of natural, ancient building materials such as cob and wood.
The property actually comes with two cottages — a main house and a studio (made with straw bales) in the back. It is located within a 38-acre land trust and surrounded by a tranquil forest. The cohousing community also offers access to nearby hiking trails and a neighborhood garden.
While the home's exterior is impressive, the inside really catches your eye. In the living room, hand-sculpted cob figures line some of the walls, and colored, carved-out areas add to the charm.
A built-in cob bench that wraps around the living area provides the perfect place to relax and soak in the views through three large windows.
The home also features beautiful wood finishes, such as open cabinets, exposed beams, moldings, a long desk, and a ladder leading up to the bedroom. Skylights and numerous windows throughout the home provide ample natural light.
Cob homes offer several advantages for both humans and the environment. According to Dwell, "cob is a structural material usually made by combining sand, clay, and straw together to form a mixture that is both insulating and durable once cured."
Global Green says cob homes are energy-efficient in winter and summer because of their thick, sturdy walls. Since they don't require heating or cooling, they help reduce planet-warming pollution immensely. They're also one of the most affordable homes since all the building materials are found in nature.
In addition, cob is fire-resistant and can withstand earthquakes, helping people feel safer as extreme weather events become more common as a result of the human-induced overheating of our planet.
Many people are embracing cob homes to save money and help Earth — one man even built one for just $200, allowing him to live debt-free. A Montana couple built their dream cob house for $20,000, proving climate-friendly homes don't have to break the bank.
"I believe in a future where natural building and self-made homes are accessible. And not only accessible but guaranteed to all humans," Sage Stoneman, who built the $200 cob house, said in a YouTube video by Natural Buildings.
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