Dragon's Knoll in North Carolina.
Dragon's Knoll is located near Asheville, North Carolina.Maxwell Wyndorf
  • A 150-year-old door from Belgium is one of the things that can be found in an undergroundAirbnb.

  • The majority of the property is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

  • They have a company called Treehouses of Serenity.

The Parrish's founded a vacation community.

Caroline and Mike Parrish of Treehouses of Serenity
Caroline (left) and Mike (right) Parrish of North Carolina.Courtesy of Mike and Caroline Parrish

Along the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina, there is a community of unique homes built by Mike andCaroline. Two underground homes are among the seven rental properties the couple has.

According to Insider, Mike's love of fantasy inspired Dragon's Knoll.

He wanted to have an underground house. She asked if he had lost his mind. He talked me into it and I'm happy he did.

Guests can experience the area's natural beauty from the comfort of a fully-furnished home because the majority of Dragon's Knoll is built into the ground.

The dragon's knoll was opened for business in April 2020.

Photo of Dragon Knoll's exterior in North Carolina.
Dragon's Knoll is built into the earth.Maxwell Wyndorf

Dragon's Knoll was shut down for six weeks as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic. The business thrived after they reopened in May 2020.

"Our situation isn't the same as that of a hotel," she said. You are separated from our properties because they are on the same land. Families could get out of the four walls of their house, but they would still have to stay indoors.

The dragon's knoll cost between $275,000 and $300,000.

The property can be rented for $364 a night on the website.

Building an underground home is similar to building a basement.

This picture shows the beginning building process of Dragon's Knoll.Courtesy of Caroline and Mike Parrish

They dug a big hole in the mountainside.

She said that they dug out a hole from the side of the mountain, poured a concrete slab, and built blocks like a basement. They put a metal layer on top of the roof and poured concrete to seal it.

After all of that was dried, cured, and waterproofed, we took the dirt and covered it up.

Dragon's knoll was built around the mountain's rocky terrain which caused some problems along the way.

Pictures of Dragon's Knoll as the walls and ceiling were added.Courtesy of Caroline and Mike Parrish

The home's design plan was changed several times because of the landscape.

We ran into a huge piece of granite when we started digging where we wanted the house to be. We didn't want to blast it out because it was the only way to move it.

The couple decided to work with the land rather than against it. The bathroom was moved to the old foyer space and the living room was enlarged.

She said that the house design had to be changed because they weren't going any further.

The front door at the antique shop was $1,200.

The main entrance features a 150-year-old Belgium door.Maxwell Wyndorf

A group of bears knocked over the sliding glass door for the main entrance, changing the plans for the entrance.

"I found the current door at the Tobacco Barn, a huge antique store here in town," she said. He said that he got the door from Belgium.

Three people spent three weeks removing paint from a door and replacing it with glass. They kept the iron bar and woodwork on the door.

The living room has a front door that leads to it.

Dragon's Knoll is about 800 square feet.Maxwell Wyndorf

The living room is painted to look like nature.

The 800-sq-ft home has been designed to feel like you are underground, but not claustrophobic. She and her family used a feather brush to create their wall designs.

The rock was brought into the house to keep it cohesive.

The living room has seating, a TV, and a bed. The bathroom can be found on the left side of the room. A hot plate is provided for guests at the house, but there is no oven.

The living room and kitchen are the same size.

Dragon's Knoll sleeps four people and has a kitchen and a bathroom.Maxwell Wyndorf

The kitchen was designed with lots of wood and stone. The wood features extend from the ceiling all the way down to the cabinets. A full-sized refrigerator, microwave, electric grill, pots, utensils, glassware, and other helpful items are included in the kitchen.

The pocket door leads to the master bedroom.

Dragon's Knoll features circular doors throughout the home.Maxwell Wyndorf

The master bedroom is on the right side of the house and guests can enter through it.

There are side tables and wood themed features in the master bedroom.

The master bedroom has hanging side tables and lights.Maxwell Wyndorf

The master bedroom has wood floors and natural elements. The bed frame is made of walnuts.

"We try to make every detail special for you so that you don't have to go somewhere to see it," she said. There are side tables in the master bedroom.

The master bedroom can be seen from the side door.

A wooden side was handmade for the home by a local North Carolina woodworker.Maxwell Wyndorf

Mike met John at a woodworking group and he built the wooden door. John made the door from scratch and gave it to them for free.

The house would not have been perfect without him. His work is done well.

There is a fire pit on top of the roof.

There's additional space for guests on the roof.Maxwell Wyndorf

A fire pit on the roof of the home invites guests to enjoy the Blue Ridge mountains.

Guests stop and take photos when they see a dragon's head on the roof.

The guests left a lot of positive reviews for Dragon's Knoll.

Dragon's Knoll has a 4.99 rating on Airbnb.Maxwell Wyndorf

A guest who visited in August said it was gorgeous.

It was everything we wanted it to be, and then some. There are lots of thoughtful touches throughout the house. They wrote that they hoped to return soon.

The book was six months in advance and the wait was worth it. They have created a place where you can feel secure and remote at the same time.

The positive reviews are a relief for the couple, who wondered if guests would really feel like they were underground. Many guests who stay in other Treehouses of Serenity properties are interested in Dragon's Knoll and often don't realize it.

At the end of their stay, guests will say, "we really would like to see Dragon's Knoll, but is it somewhere else?", according to Carolina.

You can learn more about it on the internet.

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