GeekDup Got an Inside Look at 12 Parsecs the Star Wars Themed Home You Can Stay in!
GeekDup: We just love your “12 Parsecs” AirBnB. What inspired you to create a
Star Wars themed house?
Loma Homes: Our goal of Loma Homes is to create memories of a lifetime for people when they go on vacation. We had pinpointed Florida as our next location and ultimately was inspired by the opening of the Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge theme park at Disney World as an opportunity to create an over the top experience for fans who would love to not only have a great day at the park but come back to their vacation rental and continue their adventure.
GeekDup: Has the opening of Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge had anything to do with your
decision to make a Star Wars themed home, or was this something you did
out of passion for the franchise?
Loma Homes: Yes, Galaxy’s Edge provides the right location and brings Star Wars fans together to make it logistically the perfect location for Twelve Parsecs. But if it weren’t for how dedicated and awesome the fans are, and it being a great franchise to build off of it would never have worked either so they go hand in hand.
GeekDup: What is the one thing that makes the guests that come to your home jaws
drop?
Loma Homes: The interactive features–the home has fog machines, light features, talking Yoda, you can even pretend to pilot the Millenium Falcon!
GeekDup: What is your personal favorite feature?
Loma Homes: I love Dagobah’s bed–it is a beautifully carved vine bed with a fog machine underneath and back lighting on the headboard that provides such an awesome experience of being in Yoda’s swamp.
GeekDup: Who is your favorite Star Wars character and why?
Loma Homes: Personally I love Princess Leia (in fact I was her for Halloween this year! Along with my husband being Luke, our 5 year old being Darth Vader, and 2 year old being Yoda).I love that she is a beautiful, strong, independent woman who can hold her own and stand up for what she believes in.
GeekDup: How has social media affected the amount of bookings you get for fans to
stay in your home?
Loma Homes: Our home is still new and only been live for about a month so we haven’t gotten a lot of bookings so far from social media, but anticipate that it will be one of our biggest lead sources because it is such a great platform to reach fans. The visual nature of Instagram and Facebook are an especially great tool for people to be able to share their excitement and love for the home when they stay at Twelve Parsecs, which we hope inspires friends and family to want to experience it as well. In fact we even do giveaways for guests who post in the home and tag us!
GeekDup: How much does it cost to have a home that looks like it was built in a
Galaxy far, far away?
Loma Homes: It all depends on the season, day of week, and how far our you are booking. It ranges from about $400-1100 a night–but it is 9 bedrooms so you can book it with friends or family and split the cost!
GeekDup: Do you have any more modifications you wish to add to your “12 Parsecs”
home? If so, what?
Loma Homes: The only thing we have planned to add right now is decking out the garage converted to game room. It currently has a pool table and table tennis table, but still looks like the inside of a garage. We are going to paint, add more decorations, add its own AC unit, and potentially more games in the future.
GeekDup: What project in this home gave you the best payoff when you finished it?
Loma Homes: The most important, and expensive thing, was finding the right contractor. We knew when we decided to do a Star Wars themed house that we needed more than Death Star bedspreads and posters of Darth Vader on the walls. We needed a fully immersive experience, with custom beds, art murals on every wall, and special effects. To find someone to build it–and do so as we envisioned–was an adventure. We looked all across the country, interviewed and accepted proposals for about 20 companies to narrow it down to one. They did a great job and although it took a large investment was 100% worth it to create the home.
GeekDup: Do you have any other “themed” houses or plans to build more “themed”
homes in the future?
Loma Homes: Right now we have a bohemian themed dome home complete with art muraled trailers, colorful hammocks, and a pool in Joshua Tree California. We plan to build more, and in fact the next one on the agenda for the beginning of 2020 is a Harry Potter themed home near Universal Studios.
GeekDup: Do you have any funny or surprising stories that happened while you were
working on this project?
Loma Homes:My family (Kyle, I, and our 2 and 5 year old sons) actually lived in the home for over a month during the time of the renovations, working side by side with the construction crew as it all came together. So it was a fun month full of adventures and stories. And after a long travel day home (back to Salt Lake City, Utah), we walk through the door of our home and our 2 year old asked where we are. We tell him at home and he cries and says “NOOO!!! I want to live in the Star Wars house” and has a full tantrum. They had a hard time going back to living in a home that doesn’t have fog machines and spaceships to climb on and pilot, haha.
GeekDup: It looks like you have a team that you work with. Are they friends, is
this a family endeavor, or just business? ? Who is the biggest Star Wars
fan among you?
Loma Homes:
GeekDup: What are your socials and websites so we can follow your awesome work?
