Harry Potter-themed Air BnB opened in York after designer spends £40,000 transforming terraced house

Harry Potter fans can go on a magical city break of their dreams after a homeowner turned her terraced house into a wizard-themed Airbnb.

Hannah Chapman, 29, spent three months renovating the £232,000 two-bed property in York with an interior featuring levitating candles, a potion cabinet, and a cauldron.

From £198 a night, visitors can sleep in a set of bunk beds, just like those in Hogwarts boarding houses, which are large enough to fit adults.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

And Harry Potter fans may find the bathroom has a distinctly “Slytherin” feel, with green tiling and a metallic snake weaving its way up the sink.

Hannah, who spent months converting the house, said it offers guests an “escape from reality”.Hannah, who spent months converting the house, said it offers guests an “escape from reality”.
Hannah, who spent months converting the house, said it offers guests an “escape from reality”.

For the warm summer evenings, guests can also retire to the courtyard, where there is a chiminea fire pit to sit around and tell spooky stories.

Hannah, who spent £40,000 converting the house, said it offers guests an “escape from reality”.

She said: "Some people might find it a little spooky if they come to stay, but the house generally gives a warm and comfortable feel. There’s no dark magic. We’ve only got friendly love potions in there – so nothing bad.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“And if you’re a Harry Potter fan in particular, or if you like that sort of thing, then you’ll just find it very cosy.”

Read More
Take a look inside this Harry Potter-style Air BnB created inside a Yorkshire te...

The designer had ambitions to embark on the project several years ago after spending her childhood consumed by magical stories - from Hocus Pocus to Harry Potter.

And when she finally got her hands on the keys to the late 1800s property in York, she stripped it back to reveal its “beautiful” original features.

Hannah said some guests might find the property a little “spooky” but added there was no “dark magic” to be found in the gothic styled terrace.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Hannah moved to York in her 20s to study at Northern College of Costume, and had later hatched a plan to one day create a magic-themed home.

She said: “I’ve always grown up with Harry Potter, Hocus Pocus, The Adams Family, and I’ve always been interested in the magical side of things. And I just wanted to create something unique that reflected York quite well, because the city has quite a lot of history, and lots to do with Witchcraft as well."

When Hannah moved into the property - called 101 House At The End – in January this year, she stripped back years of decorations and restored the home to its former glory.

She said: “It was covered from top to bottom in a grey carpet, and it had this textured wallpaper in every single room. So we just took everything out and stripped it back to the bare bones to see what the property had to offer.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“In the hallway and all the way up the staircase was this beautiful, original wallpaper, dating back to the Victorian or Edwardian times, so we wanted to keep that feature. Nearly everything – 85 per cent of the contents of the property – was sourced from charity shops, recycling centres, eBay, and Facebook marketing groups.”

Among the home’s most unique features there is a levitating candle display that can rise and fall with the touch of a “wand” remote.

But Hannah said she was most proud of the “Emerald Bed Chamber”, located upstairs, which has a hanging chandelier – and a four-poster bed.

She said: “My favourite room is the Emerald Bed Chamber because we actually made that bed. It was too big to bring it upstairs in one piece, so we had to make it ourselves – custom built to size – and we attached the curtains and canopy around it.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Harry Potter fans will also delight at the snug, located just below the staircase, which is equipped with its own potion cabinet and a cauldron.

Hannah added: “There is a lovely originally bookcase in the corner, which is called the “book nook”, where there's a little potions cabinet and some homemade potion bottles. And we found a beautiful iron cauldron, which we placed in there, too.”

Related topics:

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.