Airbnb, Netflix
If you grew up choosing between Team Edward and Team Jacob, there’s a good chance you can picture Bella Swan’s house from memory.
The weatherboard home with its sage-green kitchen, mismatched timber furniture and cosy upstairs bedroom became one of the most recognisable movie homes of the 2000s after appearing in the first Twilight film in 2008. Nearly two decades later, it’s enjoying a second life, not as a film set, but as one of America’s most sought-after holiday rentals.
The Swan house has become a pilgrimage site for fans from around the world, many travelling thousands of kilometres simply to spend a night where Bella lived with Charlie Swan before falling in love with Edward Cullen. And that nostalgia has become serious business.
The owners reportedly generate around US$140,000 (around AU$215,000) in annual revenue renting the home to fellow Twilight fans after transforming it into an immersive experience that recreates the film almost room-for-room.
More than an Airbnb—it’s a Twilight museum you can sleep in
Unlike many famous movie homes that have been modernised beyond recognition, this property has been lovingly restored to look almost exactly as it did on screen.
Owners Amber and Dean Neufeld purchased the five-bedroom house in St. Helens, Oregon, in 2018 after recognising it from the film. Rather than renovate it into a contemporary holiday rental, they spent thousands sourcing original props, replica furniture and movie-accurate décor to preserve its place in pop culture. They even tracked down Charlie Swan’s actual dining table used during filming.
Dean has described running the property as “like curating a museum that people stay in”, rather than simply operating an Airbnb.
Today guests can sleep in Bella’s recreated bedroom, cook in the instantly recognisable green kitchen and watch the Twilight films from the very house where many of the original scenes were filmed.
The house that defined millennial interiors
Long before “cabincore” and cosy Americana became interior trends, Bella Swan’s home quietly embodied them. The interiors are surprisingly ordinary—which is exactly why they’ve become so iconic. Instead of sprawling mansions and glamorous Hollywood sets, Bella’s home featured:
- painted sage-green kitchen cabinetry
- warm timber furniture
- vintage floral bedding
- soft neutral walls
- practical family dining spaces
- lived-in styling full of books, lamps and collected treasures
It’s the kind of comfortable home many people actually grew up in. Now, as vintage kitchens, nostalgic decorating and layered interiors return to popularity, Bella’s house feels remarkably current.
Why wasn’t it filmed in Forks?
One of Twilight’s best-kept secrets is that Bella’s house isn’t actually in Forks, Washington.
Although Stephenie Meyer’s novels are set in the famously rainy logging town, much of director Catherine Hardwicke’s 2008 film was shot across Oregon.
Bella’s home sits in St. Helens, about 45 minutes outside Portland, while other famous filming locations, including the Cullen house, Forks High School and several woodland scenes, were filmed elsewhere throughout the Pacific Northwest.
That hasn’t stopped fans making the journey.
The home has become one of the centrepieces of “Twilight tourism”, with visitors often combining a stay there with trips to Forks, La Push Beach and other filming locations.
The Twilight phenomenon refuses to die
It’s easy to forget just how enormous Twilight became. Stephenie Meyer’s first novel was published in 2005 before exploding into a global publishing phenomenon. The four-book saga sold more than 100 million copies worldwide, while the five-film franchise starring Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson grossed more than US$3.3 billion at the global box office.
Twenty years later, a whole new generation has discovered the series through streaming services, TikTok edits and nostalgic rewatches.
The Neufelds say they’re increasingly welcoming younger fans who weren’t even born when the first film premiered, a trend that’s helped keep bookings consistently full since a viral TikTok in 2020 sent demand soaring.
“When you have somebody who loves something so much, when it’s over, it’s hard to almost come to terms with that. For a lot of people, this house is kind of a continuation of this story, or a piece of that that will live on forever.”
AMBER AND DEAN NEUFELD, SWAN HOUSE OWNERS
We love…
We love… the cosy Pacific Northwest aesthetic. Bella Swan’s home is a masterclass in timeless decorating. The muted green kitchen, vintage timber furniture, layered textiles and softly worn finishes create an inviting home that’s both practical and deeply personal. Nearly 20 years after Twilight first hit cinemas, the interiors feel surprisingly current, echoing today’s love of nostalgic colour palettes, collected furniture and homes that prioritise comfort over perfection. It’s proof that good design doesn’t have to chase trends, it simply has to feel like home.
The famous green kitchen still steals the show
For us, the real star isn’t Edward Cullen (it is). It’s the kitchen. Its painted green cabinetry, timber dining furniture and charmingly unfussy styling have become one of cinema’s most recognisable interiors. Unlike today’s sleek all-white kitchens, Bella’s feels authentic and deeply personal. A family home rather than just a showpiece.
It’s no surprise the room has become one of the most photographed spaces in the house, with guests recreating countless scenes from the film.
A labour of love, not just a business
While the Bella Swan’s house now generates six-figure annual revenue, Amber and Dean insist preserving the home’s legacy has always been more important than maximising profits.
They’ve kept nightly rates relatively affordable compared to demand, preferring to reinvest earnings into maintaining and improving the property rather than turning it into a luxury retreat. Their goal, they say, has always been to protect an important piece of film history for the fans who love it.
Recent updates shared on the property’s Instagram continue to show the owners adding new details and celebrating the incredible community that has grown around the house.
Why Bella’s home still captures our imagination
Perhaps the enduring appeal of Bella Swan’s house is that it never felt like fantasy.
The vampires may have glittered, but Bella lived somewhere wonderfully ordinary. Her home was warm, comfortable and imperfect. A place filled with homework, family dinners and rainy afternoons before the supernatural entered her life. That sense of familiarity is exactly what continues drawing visitors from around the world. Bella Swan’s house isn’t just somewhere to spend the night, it’s a chance to step inside one of the most beloved coming-of-age stories of the 21st century.
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