Harry Potter fans on Vancouver Island now have the chance to live out their Hogwarts fantasies.
In an unassuming condo above Victoria sits a portal into the world of Potter.
For nearly a year, Steven Milroy worked on converting a small downtown living space into a miniature version of the Gryffindor common room at Hogwarts, described in the books and seen in the movies.
“The rest of the condo was just white modernized, boring,” says Milroy. “As you look around here everything, pretty much everything is handmade.”
The craftsman set to work creating wooden beams by hand and replicating unique features from the films, all at the discretion of the property’s owner. While it was a lot of work, the finished product was well worth the effort.
“It was a lot of fun, a really fun job and I think it really exudes the whole movie,” says Milroy.
Through word of mouth, a night’s stay is becoming a hot commodity. The condo is listed on Airbnb, and bookings are going fast.
“It’s not that available because it’s getting sucked up pretty quick,” says Milroy. “So if people want to book it they’re going to have to think ahead a little bit.”
His work is drawing rave reviews from guests looking for a very unique experience.
“It’s very popular and he [the owner] has shown me some of the write-ups and people are just out of their minds,” laughs Milroy.
There’s room for a family of four and enough hidden features to keep every guest on their toes.
“After you think you’ve checked it all out you find out that there’s sort of a mini treasure to find all the Horcruxes that are in here,” says Milroy.
As for why the Harry Potter makeover?
“People have really gotten immersed in the whole Harry Potter world and to be a part of that, it’s an extra draw,” says Milroy.
The Airbnb listing can be seen here.
Cole Sorenson
