This millennial home designer spent 9 months building a replica of ‘The Holiday’ cottage—now it’s renting fast at $499 a night

Everyone has must-watch holiday movies that they binge during the festive season, from Love Actually to Home Alone. But few actually get the chance to step inside the world of their favorite comfort flicks—that is, until now. Superfans of The Holiday can now rent out a replica of the quaint English cottage where fictional Hollywood bigwig Amanda Woods (played by Cameron Diaz) was charmed by heartthrob British book editor Graham (played by Jude Law). They’ll have to wait four months, though, and make the trek to Georgia instead of the Cotswolds. 

Home designer Lucy Small put the Holiday Cottage up for short-term rentals this October after a nine-month build—and a fan frenzy quickly ensued. The 37-year-old has spent the past six years designing homes in the Blue Ridge Mountains; she’s worked on three dozen houses, from bathroom and kitchen rebuilds to hardcore construction projects. But nothing could have prepared her for the rush of attention that came with her latest project: replicating the cozy Rosehill Cottage featured in The Holiday, from the ground up. After all, nearly two decades after the movie’s release, it continues to be a top-watched festive flick: In 2023, The Holiday was streamed 2.3 million times, according to an analysis from Samba TV...