The Lethbridge-based company Charmed Playhouses is working on a play space designed to tap into the inner witch and wizard in all of us.
“This one is all Harry Potter-inspired,” said Tyson Leavitt, founder and owner of Charmed Playhouses.
“You have a little bit of every kind of story in it, whether it’s the Hogwarts castle or The Burrow, which is right behind me, or Sirius’ house or Ollivanders or (Platform) 9 3/4, the Shrieking Shack — it’s got a little bit of everything.”
The two-storey, 400-square-foot, custom-built playhouse will be going to grandparents in Ontario but is being built in Lethbridge.
“We build it in a way that we can put it on trucks and then quickly reassemble it on site,” Leavitt said.
“When we’re at somebody’s property, we’re really only there for a couple of days.”
Charmed Playhouses is a well-oiled machine now, but the origins of the company were stumbled upon thanks to Leavitt’s previous job.
“I had a landscape company before and I wanted to build something to get some attention for our landscape company so I built a playhouse,” Leavitt said.
“And that playhouse turned into many playhouses that got bigger and bigger and ended up going further and further away from our home.”
- Canadian man dies during Texas Ironman event. His widow wants answers as to why
- On the ‘frontline’: Toronto-area residents hiring security firms to fight auto theft
- Honda’s $15B Ontario EV plant marks ‘historic day,’ Trudeau says
- Canadians more likely to eat food past best-before date. What are the risks?
The southern Alberta company grew quickly, thanks to social media exposure.
“A lot of it started right here in Lethbridge with the people in our community sharing our stories, and they shared it with their friends,” Leavitt said. “Our product has gone viral quite a few times.”
The company’s merchandise has also gone international.
“We actually shipped a large product to China,” said shop manager Derral Zaugg. “That was probably the farthest (place we’ve delivered to).”
“We’ve built houses for people in the NBA, the NFL, the PGA, actors and actresses,” Leavitt said. “We’ve had so many great clients along the way, both famous and not famous.”
The Harry Potter-inspired playhouse will be built within the next few weeks, and the item is set to be shipped out to its owners in the spring.
Comments