An Airbnb Blooms with Spray Foam

Spray Foam Magazine – Show Issue 2022 – In the early 1970s, two friends in Austin, Texas, decided to try something risky. Dalton Bloom wished to create an extraordinary place that would last forever, and Charles Harker wanted to create something one-of-a-kind. They collaborated to design the Bloomhouse, which could quite easily be the world’s most unusual home.

The Bloomhouse, built in the hills of West Austin, represents the symbiotic interaction of man and nature. Its organic shape as it rises from the earth mimics the flow of air, the curve of the wind, and the gentle rise and fall of nature’s melody. Harker’s curvilinear designs are both recognizable and fantastic.

Beginning with basic shapes formed with steel rebar, the Bloomhouse was coated in layers of polyurethane foam, sculpted with a hand-held pruning saw over a seven-month period, and finished with layers of concrete stucco both inside and out. As a result, the structure is extremely well-insulated and environmentally friendly.

The interior has cherry wood accents, shelves, and cabinetry that were carved in place to complement and enhance the natural shapes. The ceilings are made of recycled sound-absorbing natural fibers, and inside and out, the floors are covered in handcrafted concrete and ceramic tiles that resemble end-cut cedar disks.

The Bloomhouse is meant to represent the symbiotic interaction of man and nature.

For the original construction in the 1970s, spray foam was used over the shaped steel rebar. More recently in 2017, a layer of foam was sprayed over the aged ceiling.

The 11-year-long construction of the award-winning structure was hailed as a masterpiece of contemporary architecture upon its debut but after nearly 40 years the house needed some work. Dave Claunch purchased Bloomhouse in 2017 and went about restoring the house on his own.

According to Claunch, there were several leaks in the stucco shell which resulted in water coming through the insulation and mold growth that covered the interior ceilings. “It was in pretty bad shape because it had 40 years of cigarette smoke, dust, and other funkiness that turned it gray and nasty. In some cases, I had to scrape off and carve out the old foam to trace the leak and repair it,” confirms Claunch. He then ran new water lines in the bathroom. He cut through the concrete to run the new pipes and filled those cavities with Great Stuff canned foam, stating, “There wasn’t enough of it to justify bringing in a two-part foam spraying rig. I did however have a contractor apply a whole new layer of SPF over the patched foam in the ceilings and I stuccoed over the holes in the concrete.” Claunch then worked on the interior style, updating the look with contemporary décor.

Restoring Bloomhouse was a labor of love which has resulted in bringing it back to its former glory. The house is now exclusively available for short- and long-term rental by Lodgewell of Austin. What a great way to honor a timeless piece of unusual architecture.