7 Superfans With Pop Culture Inspired Homes

Alt News

April 27, 2013

There are a lot of 'Batman' fans out there - but not many have their own batcave.

38-year-old Chris Weir is one who does. The 'Batman' superfan spent two years and more than $100,000 turning his large basement into a tribute to the caped crusader.

His basement features a custom home theatre, a secret entrance (complete with a copy of the William Shakespeare statue that was used to access the 'cave in the '60s TV series), and a full-size replica of the batsuit used in Christopher Nolan's 'Dark Knight' trilogy.

It's a pretty impressive undertaking, and apparently his wife Joanna is okay with it, as long as they can keep paying their mortgage.

Chris isn't the only pop culture fanatic who's decided to do this kind of thing. In fact, he's not even the first person to build a personal batcave. The Daily Mail reported on this $2 million variation last year.

There are lots of other superfans who've transformed their homes to match their pop culture obsession. Here are a few more:

Star Wars House

In the sport of hardcore pop culture fandom, 'Star Wars' fans have set the bar high. But this Star Wars house really takes things to another level.

Pictures went online back in 2009, without many details. But what more do you need to know? Whoever owns this place has clearly amassed a huge collection, and dedicated a lot of living space to it.

It does beg the question: how many R2-D2s does one room need?

There are other examples of 'Star Wars' fans who've taken a love of the Force into the realm of interior decorating.

Like Barry, who built a 140-square-foot replica of the battle of Hoth in his living room. No room for a couch, but who can sit down in the heat of battle?

The Hobbit House

If anyone can challenge the 'Star Wars' fanbase, it's got to be J.R.R. Tolkien fans.

This 'Hobbit' house, built in Wales by Simon Dale, is an incredible piece of pop culture-inspired architecture which you can actually live in.

Plus, it only cost about $5,000 to build, and it's environmentally friendly. Dale built it mostly out of found materials, and he and his wife Jasmine are all about working "in harmony with the natural landscape."

Check out their website, Being Somewhere - Low Impact Living, for more info.

Harry Potter Cat House

For the most part, pop culture-inspired houses are built for people. But sometimes, a lucky cat gets to inhabit something like this.

'Harry Potter' fan Laura Marshall, of Texas, hired a local woodworker to build a nine-foot-tall replica of the Burrow, the house where the Weasley family lives in the 'Harry Potter' books and films.

(Photo: My Fox Houston)

The project took all summer to finish. No word on whether the cat is actually living in there.

Stargate Atlantis Home Theatre

'Stargate Atlantis' went off the air in 2009, but before it did, Jacob Yarmuth spent $70,000 putting together this 'Stargate'-themed home theatre.

The room features fiber-optic lights that create a starscape in the ceiling (comets fly by every minute or so), an 800-disc changer, a ten foot screen, and custom air pocket doors that are opened by a motion sensor.

The attention to detail is impressive, and Yarmuth must be the envy of all the other 'Stargate Atlantis' superfans. Let's hope he's still a fan of the show.

The UP House

Usually, when a fan decides to create a tribute to a favourite piece of pop culture, it doesn't get the official seal of approval from the owners of the brand. But this replica of the house from Disney/Pixar's animated movie 'UP' was actually endorsed by Disney.

It was built by a construction company in Utah, that made sure it got every detail exactly right based on how the house appears in the movie.

The project got the attention of Disney, who decided that the home was worthy of the film. They signed off on the project - and the house went on the market in 2011.

The Star Trek Apartment

Tony Alleyne is obviously a pretty big fan of 'Star Trek: The Next Generation'. He calls himself a "24-century interior designer", and his work is based on the set design from that show.

Back in the late '90s, he converted his apartment into this epic 'Star Trek'-style space. To get an idea of how much work it took, check out this before and after shot: