Did you know that there’s a tiny piece of Middle-earth hidden away right here in Emu Plains? Local husband and wife Gianluca and Paola Alimeni have designed and built their very own Hobbit inspired door at their home, leaving you to think that you have entered a fantasy world in the Middle Ages.

The couple, who are both from Italy, share a common interest in ancient history. It is this interest that helped to inspire this amazing project come to life.

“I started building this door about three months ago. We are still making small changes and adding refinements though, but the planning process (a husband and wife team effort) started a long time ago. There was no ready material I could get off the shelves and, as you can imagine, it was not easy to explain what I needed when going to the local hardware store” Gianluca said.

“Even the lock needed to be altered. I made all the construction myself, with some help from my wife. We tried to utilise traditional methods such as bending the wood into shape. It was also important we retained the natural wooden look despite adding a splash of colour” he added.

They both met at Macquarie University. Gianluca, a lecturer in Italian Studies, met Paola whilst she was undertaking a project at the university Museum of Ancient Cultures. It was love at first sight. Two weeks later, they were together.

Three weeks later, Paola proposed to Gianluca. They have been married for just over three years.

Gianluca plans to include more architectural features throughout the house, that will provide a sense of belonging to the Middle Ages. Their verandah already has a coffered ceiling and they hope to extend that to other rooms in the house. The furniture will also be in theme.

“The fantasy element just adds more entertainment, especially as these days movies and tv series have strong historical bases and starting points. The Hobbit inspired door offers the opportunity to add creative warmth and individual features, while moving away from cold modern mass-produced styles” he ended.