A Construction Company Built The Simpsons House in 1997. It Didn’t Go as Planned

Building an identical house to that of the Simpsons family seemed like a masterful promotional move. Giving it to a fan to live in would be the icing on the cake. However, neither Fox nor the unsuspecting series viewers who passed the house seemed to realize one obvious fact: the Simpsons are cartoon characters and don’t exist in the real world.

Crazy ideas. The initial idea came from the construction company Kaufman & Broad. It was based on 3D designs created for the 1997 video game The Simpsons: Virtual Springfield. The intention was to create an identical replica of the original house, for which the developers analyzed a hundred episodes of the series. Problems arose from the outset: The house in the series lacks essential features such as load-bearing walls. Nevertheless, the builders developed a safe design that matched what was seen on television.

Mutant house. Setting aside the fact that the house has undergone multiple changes throughout the series (e.g., the shape, size and spacing of the windows), the designers focused on two familiar rooms: the TV room and Bart’s bedroom. They proceeded in a cartoon version of “building the house from the roof up.” The result was four bedrooms, two floors, an outside treehouse and a backyard. The total area was 2,150 square feet, and the house was painted a garish yellow with rooms in orange, phosphorescent green and pink. The designers wanted the house to be 90% normal and 10% cartoonish.

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The devil is in the details. Hollywood production designer Rick Floyd provided the finishing touches, including thousands of details for the most extreme fans. These include doors high enough for Marge’s hair to pass through, identical outfits in each character’s wardrobe, holes near the floor for mice, dozens of cans of Duff beer in the fridge, a saxophone in Lisa’s room and a painting of El Barto by Matt Groening himself. There was also a useless fireplace in the desert in Henderson, Nevada, where the house is located.

Pepsi gave it to you. The house was won in a 1997 Pepsi and Fox contest. Fifteen million people submitted proof of purchase of the brand’s products to enter, and the winner could choose to receive either the house or $75,000 in cash (although the house was valued at twice that amount). The winner also agreed to paint the façade according to neighborhood standards. However, the winner, a 63-year-old retiree from Kentucky, decided to accept the money because she had no intention of moving out of her home. The house became a tourist attraction.

Looting ensued. It needed round-the-clock security because of the looting of the unique items inside. However, security relaxed over time, and the house became an uninteresting curiosity. In 2001, a neighbor who had worked as a secretary for the construction company bought it and converted it into a reasonably normal house. The interior needed renovation because it was uninhabitable due to the garish cartoon colors. Today, its façade still attracts traveling fans, and the project remains further proof that people can’t have nice things.

It’s all just promotion. The real business of The Simpsons lies in merchandising. During its first year, it generated $2 billion, and to date, it has generated $4.7 billion. Including licensing and collaborations, it's a phenomenon worth $13 billion. However, no merchandise is as special as real-world Simpsons items: Lard Lad Donuts, Duff beer cans, Apu tents and Krusty Burger restaurants. None is as special as the family home.

Images | Fox | Jonathan Cooper (Unsplash)

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