Good to Know HELPFUL NEWS, IDEAS, AND TIPS FOR COLORADO PARENTS
Photo: Anna Sutterer.
Custom Hobbit Houses for Your Home Rudi Monterroso grew up using natural materials to build shelters where he and other kids could escape threats from Guatemala’s armed conflict. He became a full-time artist in the U.S. and despite being completely colorblind and suffering from pain in his hands, has shown paintings at various locations in the Denver area, including the Denver Art Museum. A father of three now living in Littleton, Monterroso built a life teaching and selling art. Then the COVID-19 pandemic stalled his work. Reaching back to his roots, Monterroso found a positive outlet in this time of need. He started building Hobbit houses and imaginative play structures full-time. Using reclaimed and natural materials, Monterroso sculpts full playhouses in a Lord of the
Rings-inspired style. He also constructs (lower cost) enchanting doors and props like branch archways and metal flowers for the corners of backyards or basement reading nooks. All a child needs is a portal for their imagination to take over, says Monterroso. “In my romantic way of seeing these projects, [it’s] creating these spaces for families to come together and not depend on iPads or computers to entertain the kids,” he says. A child-size 4-by-4-foot Hobbit house starts at around $3,000. An adult-size outdoor office space, about 8-by-10-feet, costs $7,000 and up. It’s a long-term investment, says Monterroso, whose girls have grown up with their own custom playhouse and redecorated the space for different uses.
Commissions from Monterroso are customizable; he works with each client’s needs, desires, and budget in mind. That said, customers should understand that reclaimed materials are not free to work with. “It is not just picking up trash and putting it together,” he says, adding that recycled materials are increasingly in demand by the construction and art industries. “It’s being able to carefully select the right materials to create a magical place.” Find Monterroso’s artwork and contact information at rudimonterroso.wordpress.com. —Anna Sutterer
July 2021 | ColoradoParent.com
11
