Outrageously Expensive Luxury Playhouses

Shannon Quinn - January 20, 2020
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Outrageously Expensive Luxury Playhouses
Photo: Credit: The Daily Mail

Part of the American Dream is owning a home with a big back yard for your kids to play in. Most middle-class parents might make the effort to install a swing set, or even trying to build a treehouse. But the rich and famous take this one step further to build epic tree houses and playhouses that cost a small fortune. Here are 30 examples of some outrageously expensive playhouses.

20. JK Rowling’s Playground Castle

JK Rowlings kids gets to enjoy this castle playhouse that has distinct Hogwarts vibes. Credit: Business Insider

Many people have grown up reading the Harry Potter books, and it has therefore become a huge part of their childhood. After bringing so much joy to children around the world, it would only make sense that J.K. Rowling would want her own kids to have a magical experience as well. The billionaire author moved to Edinburgh, Scotland, and she had to petition for permission from The City of Edinburgh Council  to build a playground castle on her property. At the time, Rowling’s two children were 9 and 7 years old, which was the perfect age to appreciate such a wonderful gift.

Each of the two towers was 40 feet tall, and walkways connected them both. Credit: The Daily Mail

Each of the towers of this castle were 40 feet tall, and the playhouse was complete with trap doors, a swing set, trampoline, and more. We can only show the architect’s 3D renderings of the castle playground, because J.K. Rowling never allowed cameras into her home for a tour. The total cost to build this playground was $387,000, and it was built by Blue Forest Limited. This wasn’t her first time requesting permission from the local council, either. Rowling’s own mansion cost $3.1 million, and she also purchased the property next door. She tore down the neighboring $1.5 million to have a large garden. So, technically, if she had not purchased the additional land, she may not have been able to fit the playhouse in the first place. All together, the cost of the project would be closer to $1.9 million.

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19. Kylie Jenner’s Playhouse for Stormi

This playhouse has a balcony porch for Stormi to get a view of the yard. Credit: Kylie Jenner on YouTube

In case you didn’t know, Kylie Jenner is the younger sister of Kim Kardashian, and she has paved the way for her own career by founding Kylie Cosmetics. Recently, Kylie became the youngest female billionaire in the world. Aside from her career in cosmetics, she also has her own YouTube channel. In her Christmas vlogs, she said that she wants Stormi to have many of the same childhood memories that she had. Her mother, Kris, was crying tears of joy when she surprised her daughter and granddaughter with a black and white playhouse in the backyard. They don’t mention how much the house cost to build, or what Kris paid to get it back, but we can only imagine that it wasn’t cheap.

Stormi was given all of Kylie’s hand-me-down doll furniture. Credit: Kylie Jenner YouTube

The front door comes with a working doorbell. Inside of the playhouse, there is a ladder that leads to an upstairs loft. The main living area is very spacious, complete with a fake fireplace and picnic table. Little Stormi can stand on an upstairs balcony to see her mother’s house and backyard. In order to complete the childhood nostalgia, Kris went as far as to go back to the new owner of her former home to buy the old doll furniture from Kylie’s childhood playhouse. All of Kylie’s childhood furniture was restored so that Stormi could use her mom’s hand-me-downs.

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18. Dave and Ruby Dunlop’s Harry Potter Playhouse

This playhouse looks like something straight out of Harry Potter. Credit: Fox News

Sometimes, grandparents tend to spoil their grandchildren far more than parents. After all, they have spent their entire life saving money for retirement, and now it’s time to have fun with their favorite little people. This is exactly what Dave and Ruby Dunlop decided to do when they built a Harry Potter themed playhouse in their backyard. The Dunlop’s granddaughter, Logan, was the oldest child so far, so she is the first to enjoy the playhouse that includes Platform 9 ¾, a Hogwarts tower, and so much more. Inside the playhouse, they have created a massive fake fireplace, and there are witch’s brooms ready for riding.

The inside of the playhouse has an epic fireplace. Credit: Fox

This was built by Charmed Playhouses, which is based in Alberta, Canada. The total cost of the project was $250,000, which is obviously a huge, considering that you can buy a real house for that much money! According to the Dunlops, they feel that it was worth every penny. Their granddaughter, Logan, immediately wants to see “her house” whenever she comes over to visit. Friends and neighbors are so impressed, they often ask permission to take pictures and see inside.

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17. The Shipwreck Treehouse

This playhouse was designed to look like a pirate shipwreck.Credit: Etsy

If your kids love Peter Pan, they might dream of playing outside like the Lost Boys and battling Captain Hook. This shipwreck treehouse is amazing for little aspiring pirates who want to play pretend with their friends. The full design is a house built on top of a concrete sculpted tree, as well as a shipwreck Shack. Seperate from the treehouse is a large pirate ship section which has water cannons and water balloon launchers for kids to have a blast in the summertime. Then, there are your typical playground equipment like a slide, swings, and rock wall.

There are two structures- the ship, and the treehouse. Credit: Etsy

This playhouse was designed by Tiny Town Studios. According to the details of their listing, Etsy puts a cap on items being a maximum of $50,000. So if you actually wanted everything you see pictured in the photographs, it would actually cost much more to have it all. Since these playhouses are customized, it’s possible to skip out on some of the features. However, it’s still tens of thousands of dollars to get a playhouse of this caliber.

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16. Kourtney Kardashian’s Kids’ Playhouse

Kourtney Kardashian’s children have a very modern-looking playhouse. Credit: Architectural Digest on YouTube

When her son Mason was born, Kourtney Kardashian spent years going through blogs online searching for the perfect playhouse. Nine years later, Kourtney had two more children named Reign and Penelope, and she still couldn’t decide on what style she wanted for their backyard. The children’s father, Scott Disick, finally decided to step in and help design a luxuriously modern playhouse. The result is a modern wooden tiny house with a loft. Kourtney has a strict “no technology” rule for the playhouse, and she has included several books and comfortable reading spots. She also uses it as a quick getaway space as a mom, saying, “This is a great place to come and relax when you need a break from everyone inside.”

The inside of the playhouse has a loft and designer toys. Credit: Architectural Digest on YouTube

Instead of going over-the-top with a childish design, they wanted to make sure the structure suited the architecture of the main house. Even the stain of the wood matches their outdoor pergolas and the wood flooring in their home. This sort of attention to detail is great for potentially reselling the home later, since the kids’ playhouse could easily be repurposed as an outdoor office or guest cottage. If you want to see the full playhouse tour, check out the video on Architectural Digest’s YouTube Channel.

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15. The Discovery Pod Playhouse

The Discovery Pod looks like a modern painting. Credit: Architect Magazine

The Discovery Pod Playhouse is an 880 square foot structure designed by Barnes Vanze Architects as an item that went up for a charity auction. Fans of modern art will recognize the Mondrian color block pattern on the side of the house, which makes this elegant and appealing for parents while also being bright and fun for kids. Inside of the house, their is a chalkboard wall, a loft, and a window in the floor, because they planned to install a fish tank in the ground. The house was also fully insulated and decorated like a real home.

The inside of the Discovery Pod. Credit: Architect Magazine

Since this was created for charity, the article about it on Architect Magazine did not include the final price. And since this was designed by an architecture firm that typically builds full-size houses, it’s not likely that they would create another one any time soon. However, this still provides a great example of how playhouses don’t always have to be something out of a storybook. Since this looks like a work of art, parents can enjoy it in their backyard as an office building long after their children have outgrow it.

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14. The Hobbit Hole Playhouse

It’s possible to buy a real-life hobbit hole. Credit: Wooden Wonders

Fans of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings may have grown up dreaming of having their own little hobbit hole to snuggle up in. A company called Wooden Wonders creates circular hobbit hole structures. Some people have even gone as far as to have these little hobbit holes covered with dirt, to make it seem as though it was hidden inside of a hillside.

This tiny playhouse is just big enough for a toddler to fit inside. Credit: Wooden Wonders

As far as luxury playhouses go, this one is actually more affordable at $2,840 to $3,770 each, depending on the size and design. This is actually cheaper than what you would spend if you wanted to purchase a tiny playhouse kit online, or convert a wooden shed from Home Depot into a playhouse. However, this hobbit hole is so small, there are only a few years where your kids will be small enough to enjoy it to the fullest extent.

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13. Tamara Ecclestone’s Daughter Sophia’s Doll House

Sophia Ecclestone gets everything she wants. Credit: The Daily Mail

Tamara Ecclestone is a model and socialite whose father, Bernie Ecclestone, is the CEO of Formula One racing. Growing up, Tamara was given everything she could ever ask for. So when she had her own daughter, Sophia, she wanted to shower her baby in toys and expensive gifts.

Sophia also got a castle made out of balloons for one of her birthday parties. Credit: Daily Mail

According to the Daily Mail, Sophia’s outdoor doll house cost £10,000, which is $13,000. The media likes to call Sophia “the most pampered child in the world”, but to be fair, the cost of this playhouse is actually cheap compared to some of the other ones on this list. If you are curious to know more about Tamara Ecclestone’s life of luxury, she starred in a reality TV show called Tamara’s World, and regularly makes appearances on talk shows.

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12. The Adventure House

The Wendy House is a whimsical little place to play. Credit: DailyMail

The Adventure House by Rainbow Play Systems in Surrey, United Kingdom created an amazing little place for kids to play that includes a house, as well as an airplane and jeep. Inside the house, there is fully working electricity and plumbing so that kids can use the bathroom. There is even a bedroom if any of your kids wanted to have a sleepover with their friends, they could stay in this tiny house.

This playhouse comes with bot an airplane and jeep. Credit: Daily Mail

According to the Daily Mail, this house costs £55,000, which is $71,596. In the article, the make the point that the cost of this playhouse is equal to an actual house in Liverpool. Here in the states, you’d be hard-pressed to find a house for $55,000 that was actually liveable, but you could easily find a nice mobile home for the same amount of money.

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11. The Modern Farmhouse

This farmhouse style playhouse was built in a basement. Credit: Her Tool Belt

This next playhouse is a DIY project of epic proportions. A woman named Amy writes a blog called Her Tool Belt, where she explains how she made this farmhouse toy room every step of the way. Instead of building the playhouse outside, she chose to create this in her basement. This is an amazing idea, because her daughter can enjoy the playhouse with the benefit of heating and cooling while being inside. There is also no chance that you will open the door one day to find a wasp’s nest or a spider web.

The second floor of this playhouse has a fully stocked craft room. Credit: Her Tool Belt

Sine she was doing this on her own, the project took a total of 6 weeks. On her blog, there is a full step-by-step tutorial where she breaks down exactly how much lumber she used, as well as the cost of materials. It’s possible for you to do the same using her blueprints and instructions. She also has a YouTube video showing a tour of the house.

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10. The Boyd House in Michigan

This two-story playhouse is big enough to be a real home. Credit: People

For an entire calendar year, a father named Adam Boyd from Highland, Michigan spent every day after work creating a playhouse for his two daughters with his own hands. His girls Avery and Violet even helped him with the project whenever they could. At first, Boyd planned a modest playhouse, but as time goes on, he continued to have more and more ideas as to what he wanted for his girls. Since Boyd has a remodeling business called ATB Building, he had the knowledge and skillset to get everything done.

The little girls are enjoying their tiny house kitchen. Credit: People

The playhouse has electricity, hardwood floors, a kitchen, heating and cooling. Essentially, this is very much a tiny house with an attached rock climbing wall, porch, and so much more. During an interview, Boyd said, “I wanted to do something special, something they would be proud of and one day tell their friends that their dad built this for them.” If you are interested in seeing footage of the playhouse, watching this video on YouTube.

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9. The Chateau in Wexford, PA

This playhouse is made to look like a castle. Credit: Lilliput Houses

This castle playhouse design is one of the many amazing creations from Lilliput Houses. While it’s not confirmed, we have a strong inkling that they were behind the creation of Kylie Jenner’s house for Stormi, because their house seems to be a variation of what you can find on the company website. While we don’t know very much information about the owner of this castle, we do know that it is from Wexford, Pennsylvania, and that the daughter looks positively tiny sitting in front of her huge playhouse.

This little girl is enjoying her balcony inside of her castle playhouse. Credit: Lilliput Houses

Since Lilliput Houses makes custom playhouses to suit the needs of the customer, every order will be a different price. They also offer entire villages full of little store fronts, which most people use in their businesses. They are willing to build-to-order and ship anywhere in the world. If you want to inquire about pricing, you would have to contact the company directly.

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8. The Tinkerbell Treehouse

The Tinkerbell treehouse looks like something out a fairytale. Credit: Etsy

In the story of Peter Pan, it describes Tinkerbell’s house to be made out of branches and other natural foliage found in the forest. This was the inspiration behind the design of the Tinkerbell Treehouse by Tiny Town Studios. The center of the house is supported by a concrete tree, and the little shack has its own porch and walkway surrounding the cottage. There is even a working water wheel and pond design to add to the magical ambiance of the Tinkerbell house.

The inside of the Tinkerbell house is complete with a mushroom table and stools. Credit: Etsy

On their Etsy listing, it says that this treehouse costs $40,000, and that doesn’t include the additional expense of installation and shipping. In a lot of states, you can buy an entire trailer home for that amount of money. But for a wealthy parent who wants to give their child a magical experience, it is worth every penny.

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7. The Hudson River Playhouse

Credit: Architectural Digest on YouTube

This impressive playhouse is in the backyard of a mansion sitting along the Hudson River in New York. The property has the main mansion, a guest house, as well as a playhouse that has been constructed to look like a Greek Temple. Inside of the playhouse, you can see that it has been changed to suit the needs of the kids who have grown up. Instead of toys, there is a ping pong table, as well as a piano standing in the opposite corner of the room. Above the library shelves of books, there is a second story loft space.

The playhouse has a large open space for parties and playing ping pong. Credit: Architectural Digest on YouTube

Since the property was so large, the playhouse has its own bathroom, in case anyone has to go. There is also a small kitchen, which is perfect for having drinks and snacks with your friends. The great thing about this playhouse design is the fact that the owners had longevity in mind. Instead of creating a playhouse that was only useful when their kids were young, this Greek Temple transitioned extremely well to being a perfect party spot for teenagers and young adults. Architectural Digest has an amazing walkthrough video on YouTube if you are curious to see the entire property. They never mention how expensive it was to build this playhouse, but it is part of why the property is worth a whopping $9.5 million. 

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6. The Castle Fortress

This castle fortress is a kid’s dream come true. Credit: Etsy

If your kid dreams of becoming a knight of the round table, or if they snuck in some not-so-age-appropriate episodes of Game of Thrones, this next Castle Fortress playhouse is the perfect fit for their epic fantasies. One of the towers actually has 3 stories, which is a show-stopper whenever your kid’s friends come to visit. This design includes cannon fire towers, a bridge to talk to the second tower, as well as a slide, and rock wall.

This castle could be a source of endless fun for kids. Credit: Etsy

Designed by Tiny Town Studios, and their Etsy shop has this listed for $37,500. The price could go up or down, depending on the features you wanted to have on the castle fortress. Since this is so expensive, they suggest that it might be good as a playground for business owners and parks. However, if you can afford it, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t have one for your kids.

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5. The Victorian Mansion

The Victorian mansion playhouse kit. Credit: Amazon

Many of the playhouses we have mentioned on this list were designed and built by a team that comes to your home to create a custom structure. But what about people who enjoy a bit of DIY? This next playhouse is actually designed by the Little Cottage Company, and it’s available to purchase online as a kit for $8,086.

The inside has a ladder leading to the second story. Credit: Amazon

The front of the house looks like a Victorian mansion with plenty of windows for natural light, as well as adorable window boxes where you can plant flowers. The back has a large barn door to help bring furniture and large toys in and out of the house. Inside of the house, everything will be bare wood, so if you decide to add drywall, carpeting, or furniture, those are all things that need to be purchased separately. Since you can purchase it through Amazon, they have a built-in feature that allows you to apply for financing. 

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4. The Pirate Rapunzel Tree House

Kids will have an amazing experience playing with this play house. Credit: Etsy

The “Pirate Rapunzel” tree house by Tiny Town Studios combines the whimsical touches of a castle with the adventure of the deep blue seas. The designers make sure they they customize these playhouses to suit what their clients want, so it is possible to get a custom-built playhouse made to order. This playhouse has a slide, a rope ladder, rock wall, swing set, as well as Rapunzel’s golden hair falling out of the tower.

This treehouse tower play set was built to fit into the hilly terrain of this property. Credit: Etsy

On Etsy, this Pirate Rapunzel tree house is listed on Etsy at $44,000. While this might sound outrageously expensive, you need to keep in mind that this company is willing to travel to any part of the United States to make this tree house. They will have to hire professionals to use forklifts and cranes, as well as potentially leveling the terrain of your land in order to make this tree house a reality.

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3. The Lady Unicorn Bed

The Lady Unicorn Bed is a playhouse and bunk bed in one. Credit: Etsy

Earlier on this list, we mentioned how some parents prefer to have an indoor playhouse, because it’s easier to insulate and keep clean. A good option that you might consider is transforming a child’s bedroom into a playhouse and a bunk bed in one. This Lady Unicorn Bed is shaped like a fairytale castle. On one end, there is a winding staircase that leads to the top bunk, but it also allows kids to wake up in the morning and go down a slide. And, of course, kids could have a blast inviting their friends over to use the slide as often as they wanted.

Credit: Etsy

This bed is listed on Etsy for $6,524. The beds are made-to-order, so you could choose the colors that you prefer, as well as the additional trimmings like the Unicorn head or crown molding. They are also able to make custom name plates that will say anything you like, so it could have the name of your daughter attached to the castle, so that she knows it’s a home of her own. This company called The Luxury Interiors Store is located in The United Kingdom, so shipping costs could drastically increase the cost, depending on where you live.

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2. The Hillbilly Hampton House

This hillbilly mansion is purposely crooked, to give it a whimsical mountain vibe. Credit: Etsy

The Hillybilly Hampton House is a 2-story playhouse with a garage attachment designed by Tiny Town Studios. This house has a rustic look that is purposely crooked, to give it a whimsical Hillbilly vibe. Not only do you get an entire house, but there is also a 12×12 foot front deck. The interior has a second-story loft with a ladder, as well as a balcony. On the side of the house, you can choose between installing a slide or a zip line. Swings are made of sturdy timber beams, which would last a long time. Tiny Town Studios has thought of everything, because they made sure the garage and front double doors are large enough to fit toy furniture that you need to move in.

The side of the cabin has access for either swings or a zipline. Credit: Etsy

This Hillbilly mansion is listed on Etsy for $14,000, which is significantly cheaper than some of the other homes they sell. However, this does not cover the cost of shipping. They charge $2.40 per mile for most American destinations locations, and you would have to call to get an exact estimate. Since they are located in Houston, Texas, it could easily mean tacking on an additional few thousand dollars just to get this delivered to your backyard.

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1. The Interior Castle Playhouse

This bunk bed is shaped like a medieval castle. Credit: Etsy

Earlier on this list, we already showed the unicorn princess castle bed. This medieval style castle fortress bed is a bit more masculine, meant to fit into a boy’s bedroom. In one tower, there is a staircase that leads up to the top bunk, and the second tower serves a closet. The designers, Luxury Interior Store, is willing to paint the castle any color that you like, as well as add extra features and custom nameplates.

This 3D rendering gives customers an idea of how their son’s bedroom could look. Credit: Etsy

The photos that were provided are 3D renderings, so this is a design that has yet to be built. On the Etsy listing, it costs $6,524. While this design is amazingly cute, the one and only issue is that boys are likely to outgrow this pretty quickly once they enter middle school. Even the designers suggest using this for a themed hotel room or AirBnB listing, rather than a bedroom.

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