- Would you pay more than $400,000 for a playhouse straight out of a fairy tale?
- Charmed Playhouses specializes in crafting stunning, over-the-top playhouses inspired by your child's favorite Disney princesses, "Harry Potter," "Star Wars," and more.
- These magical playhouses come equipped with everything from electric lights, running water, and furniture to custom windows and doors, princess-worthy towers, and fireplaces.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
These aren't the run-of-the-mill plastic playscapes you might have had as a child.
Charmed Playhouses is bringing childhood dreams to life with intricately designed playhouses that have electricity, running water, turrets, multiple stories, and more.
Founder and CEO Tyson Leavitt, interior designer Audrey Leavitt, craftsman Derral Zaugg, and a full-time workshop crew create each clients' dream playhouse, often inspired by fairy tales or pop culture phenomenons like "Star Wars" and "Harry Potter."
Insider spoke to Tyson Leavitt about how the idea for Charmed Playhouses came about, what goes into the designing process, the celebrities who've commissioned their own playhouses, and how much one of these over-the-top playhouses will actually cost you.
After working in landscaping for nine years, Tyson Leavitt built a playhouse for his three children in a home and garden show in Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada. That was the start of his journey working on luxe playhouses.
A new client asked Leavitt if he could make a Rapunzel-inspired playhouse.
"I had never built something like that before, but I decided to try," Leavitt told Insider.
Leavitt entered the Rapunzel playhouse in the home and garden show the following year. From there, national and international attention exploded.
In 2015, Leavitt founded Charmed Playhouses which specialize in creative, awe-inspiring playhouses.
Every intricate playhouse design starts with a $500 Skype session between the sketch artist and the client.
"The first draft of the playhouse takes about an hour to design, and from there, we can run with it," Leavitt said.
The initial sketch is then converted into a buildable 3D model and computer-generated image that lets both the client and designers see it from all angles.
"The design gets better and better along the way," says Leavitt.
When it comes to creating a client's dream playhouse, nothing is off-limits.
Playhouses can come with electricity, running water, and more extravagant features.
The attention to detail is truly astounding, from the carved wood features to the kid-sized furnishings.
Some of the playhouses are almost the size of a tiny home.
Leavitt tells Insider his team works on multiple playhouses at a time and can complete around five or six large-scale playhouses per year. Playhouses can take as little as a few weeks to a couple of months to complete.
Families can choose whether they want their playhouse to come furnished.
This princess-inspired playhouse is seriously luxurious. It looks like a kid-sized mansion.
Wood beams, a fireplace, wall moldings, and hardwood floors set this tiny home apart from your average plastic playscape.
With a background in landscaping, carpentry, and a knack for miniature interior design, Leavitt's team can create anything from large-scale pirate ships to houses with multiple floors.
This playhouse was inspired by Peter Pan. The set includes a doghouse, "Wendy's house," and a small cabin inspired by the Lost Boys.
When it comes to creating your child's dream playhouse, however, be prepared for a hefty price tag.
Since the sky is the limit when it comes to designing, so is the amount of money a playhouse can cost — and they can sometimes be more expensive than real homes.
"We're currently working on one playhouse that will cost upwards of $400,000," Leavitt said. "Many of them range from $100,000 to $300,000."
"The final price comes down to all the intricate details. We don't skimp on the exterior, furniture, and final details," Leavitt says.
"Today's homes are built to be as cheap and efficient as possible, but these playhouses have all the extra things you don't see with everyday houses, like turrets, custom window furnishings, and other elements."
All doors and windows are custom-made to fit with each playhouse's theme, says Leavitt, which can up the final cost.
Leavitt's playhouses have attracted a number of celebrity clients, from Ryan Zimmerman of the Washington Nationals to Stephen Curry, NBA All-Star.
Playhouses are constructed in Leavitt's workshop before being taken apart and shipped across North America to their rightful homes.
Practically every element of Leavitt's magical playhouses can be customized. From the doors to the window furnishings and landscaping, everything is approached with expert craftsmanship.
"We're constantly trying to incorporate our own artistic sensibilities into our playhouses," Leavitt told Insider.
"We try to do things that others wouldn't do because it's too challenging. We love to incorporate anything cool we come across into our playhouses."
Though many of Charmed Playhouses' creations are inspired by fairy tales, the company can also create more fantastical or modern playhouses.
This Harry Potter-inspired playhouse looks straight out of Hogwarts.
From the bridge to the lighting and exterior details, this magical wizard's playhouse could certainly bring out the inner child of any Harry Potter superfan.
Multiple rooms and play areas make this large-scale playhouse truly magical.
Leavitt doesn't make all the magic on his own, however. His wife, Audrey Leavitt, oversees all the interior design for Charmed Playhouses.
Leavitt's three children also play a role in testing out the playhouses to make sure they're kid-approved.
With incredible details like flags, chandeliers, and more, how could they not be?
This area for hanging up witches' and wizards' brooms is just one example of the Charmed Playhouses team's incredible creativity.
Though these pictures and staircases don't move, the attention to detail is still highly impressive.
Tyson Leavitt tells Insider that the most rewarding part of working on Charmed Playhouses is being able to give back through foundations like Make-A-Wish.
"It's always such a special moment for us anytime we get to work with families who are going through so much," Leavitt said.
"We recently did a Star Wars Millennium Falcon playhouse, and we got permission from Lucas Film to build it for this family."
Whether they're building a dream playhouse for a celebrity client or working with charities, Charmed Playhouses is committed to making kids' lives a little more magical.
- Read more:
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- Inside the incredibly narrow London 'Wee House' that costs £3,000 a month to rent
- We toured a $7 million NYC apartment that has a slide and zip line, and it's a kid's paradise
- You can rent a 300-square-foot 'Harry Potter'-themed tiny home on Airbnb
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