Utah Home Builder Recreates Disney “Up” House

Bangerter Homes has constructed an authentic replica of Carl Fredrickson’s flying house featured in the 2009 Disney/Pixar movie “UP”. While it’s anticipated this home won’t leave the ground anytime soon, there will be hundreds of balloons tied to the chimney of this one of a kind residence which will be featured in the 65th Consecutive Salt Lake Parade of Homes (the longest running in the nation). The Bangerters have gone to great lengths to make this digital dream home come to life by painstakingly re-creating the house using fresh and innovative building techniques totally unique to the industry.

As third generation builders with experience in constructing award winning homes, the Bangerters are no stranger to building homes with historical architecture. While watching the movie “UP” one night with his family, Blair Bangerter recognized the incredible lengths the masters at Disney/Pixar had gone to in creating such a wonderfully presented house and felt like a true to life version could be attempted. After working through the floor plan and structural details he concluded it was indeed feasible!

Recognizing that movies have become such a part of our society’s story telling culture, it was decided that if such a home was actually constructed it would have to be open for the public to enjoy. Disney / Pixar was contacted and gave Bangerter Homes unprecedented permission and a one-time license to construct the replica and feature it in the 2011 Salt Lake Parade of Homes.

Staying true to the time-line in the movie, this turn of the century period house with steep pitched roofs and unique detailing has been decorated to reflect the 1950’s era, which today is commonly referred to as “Retro”. From the interior finishes, kitchen design to the furniture and accessories, great care has been exercised to achieve a fun and fresh atmosphere that will take you back to a nostalgic era in our history. Many items were custom made to stay true to the movie and time period. “If you have seen it in the movie, you’ll see it in real life in the home,” said Adam Bangerter.

The small footprint of the home is appropriately proportioned, with the second story partial attic configured space and a full finished basement boosting the home to a respectable 2,800 total square feet of living space. In addition to the recognizable entry and living room from the film, there are 4 bedrooms (two of which are dedicated to Make-a-Wish kids), 3.5 baths and 2 family room areas one of which features a movie projector. High insulation qualities and energy efficient mechanical systems such as a 95% furnace and tankless water heater ensure the home is “UP” to date with a high Energy Star Rating.

And don’t forget the details! From the all important hose reel and hand printed mailbox to the mural of Paradise Falls, this house has it all. “Many dedicated sub-contractors and suppliers who worked on this one-of-a-kind home have enthusiastically added their expertize to get the details right,” said Blair Bangerter. “More than once you could catch them using portable DVD players on the site to review how some detail looked in the movie and how it could be replicated.”