This millennial home designer spent 9 months building a replica of ‘The Holiday’ cottage — and now it’s quickly renting for $499 per night

Home designer Lucy Little Holiday cottage for short-term rentals in October of this year after a nine-month build – and fan frenzy quickly ensued. The 37-year-old has spent the past six years designing homes in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I have worked on three dozen homes, from bathroom and kitchen remodeling to robust construction projects. But nothing could prepare her for the rush of attention that came with her latest project: replicating the cozy Rosehill Cottage design that featured her vacation, From A to Z. After all, nearly two decades after the film’s release, that’s still the case Most viewed Festive film – in 2023, Vacation It was broadcast 2.3 million times, according to analysis from Samba TV.

As it turns out, the house featured in the 2006 film — owned by Kate Winslet’s character Iris, who traded her home for Amanda’s mansion in Los Angeles for the Christmas season — never actually existed in real life. It was a big task, but Small saw a potential hit on her hands.

“The vacation home was really fun. I was like, ‘Hey, why don’t I do this?’ “I have everything at my disposal to be able to do this, I know how to build, and I can find land.” luckShe added that she is a fan of the famous movie. “Honestly, this was one of those situations where I had this weird idea, and everyone was excited about it, and no one stopped me.”

Photography by David Cannon/Courtesy of Lucy Small

Before establishing the two-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom home, Smalls attracted the attention of thousands of clients. She first announced her plan to build the hut in 2022, and fan enthusiasm began to flow. The entrepreneur says she only had digital showings for the house at the time, but people were already sending her handwritten letters about how they couldn’t wait to stay there. About 4,000 people left their emails on a website Small put together to update the public on its availability. Now, after just one month on the market, the short-term stay is fully booked until March 2026.

“People have really loved it, and every time I get one of those messages that says, ‘This means so much to me, thank you so much for making this possible,’ that’s more valuable to me than anything else,” Small continues. “Anyone can build a house, make it a good investment, and then sell it to an investor. But it seems to have real meaning to people, and that’s what makes it important.”

Nine month process to bring Vacation Cottage in life

It’s not easy to bring a piece of cinema into the real world, especially when you’re up against a house that’s impossible to replicate. In fact, Rosehill Cottage appeared Vacation It was just a little bit of movie magic. The weathered facade of the house was built in an open field, while the interior was filmed on sets. Homeowners may balk at the idea of ​​building an unbuildable home, but Small was actually excited about the idea.

“I discovered that the house didn’t actually exist in real life, which was important to me. Because if you could actually visit the Brady Bunch house, or a house on my own, building another house would be less interesting,” she explained. “But if it didn’t exist at all, if it was a set that was torn down 20 years ago, that’s even more interesting, because there’s literally nothing else like it in the world.”

Small’s project was underway several years ago, but quickly ran into some time-consuming obstacles. Georgia, a popular tourist destination and filming location, has been slow to issue more short-term rental licenses as temporary stays flood the market. High taxes and fees also had to be factored into the price, as the provinces wanted the growing success of the industry. Finding the right land to build on was difficult, but once they settled on a plot of land in north Georgia, it was off to the races.

Photography by David Cannon/Courtesy of Lucy Small

In total, The Holiday Cottage took nine months to build, from laying the groundwork to putting on the finishing touches. Small worked with an architectural designer, and they watched the comedy together “1,000 times” to try to get it right. First hurdle: They realized the house would never meet code. When they attempted to build on a large scale, they discovered that the ceilings would be very low, only seven feet high, based on where the windows were placed in the film. The film version of the hut has only two chimneys but three fireplaces. The bathroom floor was slanted. In fact, a single window can take up half of a kitchen cabinet. Small and her team did everything they could to achieve the same aesthetic, even installing fake walls and ramps.

Replicating the home’s furniture has proven to be a bit expensive as well. Despite the quaint cinema shack, which appears to be decorated with modest, second-hand furniture, the kitschy decor was beyond Small’s budget. Use Google In a reverse image search, she tracked down antiques that matched those in the collection, each valued at more than $30,000. For example, the bamboo umbrella tree displayed in the entryway of the cottage was priced at more than $15,000. Ultimately, Small was able to balance the same warm and charming atmosphere with similar decor. She refuses to share how much she’s set back by the entire construction, or even when she’ll recover the costs. Small says she rents the house for a modest price — $399 a night during the low season, $499 during the high season — and insists The Holiday Cottage has been a worthwhile investment.

“It wasn’t like we were completely surprised and completely blew the budget. We knew what it was going to be — we’re not charging a stupid amount,” Small says. “So this is still a good investment, since we didn’t want to build cheap at all.”

Having 4,000 passionate fans in a row – and why Small is so good as a ‘one-hit wonder’

With 4,000 excited tenants already waiting to drop the pin, The Holiday Cottage’s immediate success was no great surprise. However, Small was not accustomed to her projects receiving this much attention.

“As someone who, frankly, doesn’t know how to use social media at all, doesn’t own it, and is very private, I’m usually unable to attract attention to any of my projects,” she continues. “For this design,[the attention]was all flowing, even though I didn’t go out and look for it, which was a very new position for me as a designer.”

Once The Holiday Cottage booking site launched on October 4, Small says dates started filling up “immediately”. The media attention only served to generate more interest; The millennial home designer says she “can’t think of a magazine” that didn’t cover her new build. And just in time for the holidays, it proves to be the perfect place to get into the festive spirit. Currently, there is only one open day in March, a few slots available in April, and only one day in May. Holiday Cottage is not available for multi-day booking until June 2026, as the house is almost fully booked for six months running.

Photography by David Cannon/Courtesy of Lucy Small

Small’s latest project has been a huge success, and she says the tenants have loved it so far. Travelers Leave their stories in the house guest registry; Three sisters brought their mother, a huge fan vacation, Along to create the ultimate dream. Another visitor watched the movie with her mother every Christmas, and after her death she rented the place with her father. For the people who stay there, a short-term rental is more than just a place to crash. It’s the chance to indulge in romantic comedy nostalgia and reconnect with your loved ones.

When asked if she plans to build another one related to the film, Small said she’s perfectly happy to be the homeowner of the viral sensation. Right now, she doesn’t have any other ideas, all she knows is that she will only do projects like this, where people are excited about the outcome. Additionally, Small believes no other home built can replicate the same magic of The Holiday Cottage.

“Honestly, I’m okay with being a one-hit wonder,” Small says. “I don’t want to make a huge profit or a huge success, because a lot of the things that make this house – The Holiday Cottage – so special, I don’t think they can be replicated.”