Everybody has must-watch vacation motion pictures that they binge in the course of the festive season, from Love Really to Dwelling Alone. However few really get the prospect to step contained in the world of their favourite consolation flicks—that’s, till now. Superfans of The Vacation can now hire out a duplicate of the quaint English cottage the place fictional Hollywood bigwig Amanda Woods (performed by Cameron Diaz) was charmed by heartthrob British e book editor Graham (performed by Jude Legislation). They’ll have to attend 4 months, and make the trek to Georgia as an alternative of the Cotswolds.
Dwelling designer Lucy Small put The Vacation Cottage up for short-term leases this October after a nine-month construct—and a fan frenzy shortly ensued. The 37-year-old has spent the previous six years designing properties within the Blue Ridge Mountains; she’s labored on three dozen homes, from toilet and kitchen rebuilds to hardcore building tasks. However nothing may have ready her for the push of consideration that got here together with her newest mission: replicating the comfy Rosehill Cottage featured in The Vacation, from the bottom up. In spite of everything, almost twenty years after the film’s launch, it continues to be a top-watched festive flick—in 2023, The Vacation was streamed 2.3 million occasions, in response to an evaluation from Samba TV.
Because it turned out, the home featured within the 2006 movie—owned by Kate Winslet’s character Iris, who home-swapped with Amanda’s L.A. mansion for the Christmas season—by no means really existed in actual life. It was a giant endeavor, however Small noticed a possible hit on her arms.
“The Holiday Cottage was really a fun thing. I was like, ‘Hey, why don’t I do this? I have everything at my disposal to be able to do it, I know how to build, and I can find land,’” Small tells Fortune, including she’s a fan of the long-lasting film. “Honestly, it was just one of those situations where I had this wacky idea, and everyone got excited about it, and no one stopped me.”
David Cannon Images/Courtesy of Lucy Small
“People have really loved it, and every time I get one of those letters of, ‘This means so much to me, thank you so much for making it possible,’ that’s just way more worthwhile to me than anything else,” Small continues. “Anyone can build a house, have it be a good investment, and sell it to an investor. But this seems to really have meaning to people, and that makes it important.”
The nine-month course of to carry The Vacation cottage to life
It’s no simple feat bringing a chunk of cinema into the true world—particularly if you’re up in opposition to a house that’s inconceivable to duplicate. In reality, the Rosehill Cottage featured in The Vacation was only a little bit of film magic; the house’s weathered facade was in-built an open subject, whereas the inside was filmed on units. Dwelling-makers may hesitate on the concept of constructing an unbuildable dwelling—however Small was really excited by the premise.
“I found out that the house never actually existed in real life, which, for me, is a big deal. Because if you can actually go visit the Brady Bunch house, or the Home Alone house, me building another one is less interesting,” she explains. “But if it never existed, if it’s a set that was torn down 20 years ago, that’s a lot more interesting, because there is literally nothing else in the world like it.”
Small put the mission into movement a number of years in the past, however shortly bumped into some time-consuming roadblocks. Georgia, a well-liked vacationer getaway and filming location, was gradual to concern extra short-term rental licenses as momentary stays flooded the market. Heavy taxes and costs additionally needed to be factored into the worth, as counties needed in on the business’s rising success. Discovering the precise land to construct on was a wrestle—however as soon as they settled on a plot in North Georgia, it was off to the races.
David Cannon Images/Courtesy of Lucy Small
In whole, it took 9 months to construct The Vacation Cottage, from breaking floor to placing within the remaining thrives. Small labored with an architectural designer, watching the romcom collectively “1,000 times” to attempt to get it proper. The primary hurdle: They realized the home would by no means meet code. When attempting to construct at scale, they found the ceilings can be too low, standing at solely seven ft tall, based mostly on the place the home windows had been positioned within the film. The movie model of the cottage had solely two chimneys however featured three fireplaces; the lavatory flooring was sloped; and, in actuality, one window would reduce midway by means of the kitchen cupboard. Small and her staff did all the pieces to match the identical aesthetic, even establishing pretend partitions and slopes.
Replicating the house’s furnishings proved to be a bit expensive, too. Regardless of the quaint film cottage, seemingly adorned with humble, second-hand furnishings, the kitsch decor was past Small’s funds. Utilizing Google picture reverse search, she tracked down antiques an identical to those within the set, which ran upwards of $30,000 every. The bamboo umbrella tree proven within the cottage entryway, for instance, was priced at over $15,000. Ultimately, Small was in a position to parallel the identical heat, charming environment with related decor. She declines to share how a lot all the construct set her again, and even when she’ll recoup on prices. Small says she rents out the house at a modest worth—$399 per evening in the course of the off-season, and $499 throughout excessive season—and is adamant The Vacation Cottage has been a worthwhile funding.
“It’s not like we were totally surprised and totally blew the budget. We knew what it would be—we don’t charge a stupid amount,” Small says. “And so it’s still been a good investment, given that we did not like cheap out on the build at all.”
Having 4,000 keen followers lined up—and why Small is ok being a ‘one-hit-wonder’
With 4,000 keen renters already ready for the pin to drop, The Vacation Cottage’s on the spot success wasn’t an enormous shock. Nonetheless, Small wasn’t used to her tasks getting a lot consideration.
“As someone who, frankly, does not know how to use social media at all, who doesn’t have it, who’s pretty private, I’m usually unable to get eyeballs on any of my projects,” she continues. “For this one, [attention has] just been pouring in completely, even though I haven’t gone out to seek it, which has been a very new position for me as a designer.”
As soon as The Vacation Cottage reserving website went reside on Oct. 4, Small says dates began filling up “immediately.” And media consideration solely riled up extra curiosity; the millennial dwelling designer says she “can’t think of a magazine” that hasn’t coated her new construct. And simply in time for the vacations, it’s proved to be the proper place to get into the festive spirit. Presently, there is just one open day in March, a couple of out there slots in April, and only one in Might. The Vacation Cottage isn’t out there for a multi-day reserving till June 2026—the home is almost booked out for six straight months.
David Cannon Images/Courtesy of Lucy Small
Small’s newest mission has proved an enormous success, and she or he says renters have to this point been loving it. Vacationers go away their tales within the dwelling’s visitor e book; a trio of sisters introduced their mom, a giant fan of The Vacation, alongside for the final word dream keep; one other customer used to look at the film together with her mother each Christmas, and after her passing, rented the place together with her dad. For the individuals who keep there, the short-term rental is greater than a spot to crash. It’s the prospect to be immersed in romcom nostalgia and reconnect with family members.
When requested if she is planning one other movie-related construct, Small says she’s completely glad being the house owner of this one viral sensation. Proper now, she has no different concepts—all she is aware of is she’s going to solely take tasks like this, the place persons are excited in regards to the outcome. Plus, Small believes there’s no different dwelling constructed that may replicate the identical magic as The Vacation Cottage.
“Honestly, I’m fine being a one-hit-wonder,” Small says. “I don’t need it to be a big money-maker or big success, because a lot of the things that make this house—The Holiday Cottage—so special, I don’t think can be replicated.”
A model of this story initially printed on Fortune.com on November 28, 2025.
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