I Want to Live in a Mushroom House!

 

Last year was the first I had heard of Earl Young’s Mushroom houses in Charlevoix Michigan. Ever since then I’ve been wanting to go see them. I finally got up there last weekend.

 

 

Isn’t this house the most amazing thing?

 

 

Look at the starburst he has over the window. Amazing!

 

 

 

Such a unique chimney.

 

 

The Half House.

 

 

 

 

The above three pictures (I got carried away on this one) are of the half house. In the first picture you can see it looks like it was cut in half!

When I first saw these houses on the web, I was so inspired by them that I wrote this poem. I hadn’t even seen them in person yet.

 

MY HAPPY HOBBIT HOME

I want to live in a mushroom house,

one designed by Earl Young;

made of stone, with gothic doors.

Wouldn’t that be fun?

 

I could dream I lived in a fairy tale;

just down the street from the Baggins.

With kings, knights and hobbits,

possibly fighting dragons.

 

I’d live on a street in Charlevoix,

in a home nestled by trees.

The roof looks like a mushroom top

and there’s a hidden door nobody sees.

 

How did Earl build these houses?

I’ve heard the stones talked to him.

He intuitively knew where they should go

and how they would fit in.

 

I like the chimney that looks snow-capped

and windows that look like Owl eyes.

There are so many choices.

I‘ll never be able to decide!

 

I want to live in a mushroom house.

That is my most wonderful dream.

I don’t even care which one I get.

Any would be supreme!

 

By Mary K. Eastman (Michigan Mary)

 

 

Here is a Hobbit home hidden in the forest.

 

 

This one reminds me of Christmas and candy canes for some reason.

 

 

So elegant.

 

 

Wow. I don’t know what to say. Love this one! Well, okay, I love all of them, but this one is so cute!

 

 

Geesh! Look at all those layers. That had to take forever to do. (This is the back of a house.)

 

 

 

I thought you might like to see a close-up of these snow-capped chimneys in the previous picture.

 

 

Yes, that’s Lake Michigan in the background. Some of his houses have a view of the lake. Can you ask for anything more?

 

 

 

Most of Earl’s houses are in the same subdivision. Some are on Park Lane. When you find them, walk around the block. Most (or all) of those houses are his. If you go further back in that subdivision, there are more by the hospital. The road that is by the hospital and goes along Lake Michigan has some too.

We wanted to do the tour, but we were sight-seeing all weekend and didn’t know when we’d get to Charlevoix so we couldn’t make a reservation. I suggest you take the tour if you want to see these houses. Linda and I are pretty sure all these houses on my post were designed by Earl Young, but we don’t know for sure. The tour guide would definitely know. Earl has a unique style, so I’m pretty sure we guessed right on his, but I can’t say definitely.

Most of these houses are owned and lived-in by families, so respect their privacy. From my understanding a few are rental houses. What a way to spend a vacation!

http://www.visitcharlevoix.com/Earl-Young_

http://www.mushroomhouses.com

 

 

 

Look at the lighting. It looks magical.

 

 

 

Classy.

 

 

This one is so charming. Love it.

 

 

Beautiful.

 

 

This is one of my favorites. It looks like owl eyes. How neat is that?

 

 

On some of the houses, Earl didn’t want a door on the front. He hid the doors on the side.

 

 

Love the pointy window with the spiky look around it at the top.

 

 

This is the back of one of the houses.

 

 

Earl’s touch is on a couple of businesses in town.

 

 

 

 

I’ve seen on the internet a picture of the fireplace he did inside the restaurant. Awesome!

 

 

Since these houses are in Charlevoix, I wanted to share with you this experience Linda and I had there. We went to Momentum, a clothing store on Bridge street in Charlevoix, and the clerk there was so friendly. I was shocked when I saw a bird fly and land on her shoulder. She told us how there was a nest way above the door and the bird fell out of it. She nursed it back to health and now the bird won’t leave her.

 

 

 

This little fella is saying, “Come to Charlevoix, Michigan. You’ll be glad you did!”