Hudson's Goth Castle is now a very pink Barbiecore Castle going for $1.1 million

Everything's coming up Barbie.

On the heels of the smash hit movie and an announcement that the Mall of America will be opening a Malibu Barbie Cafe pop-up in September, a Wisconsin homeowner has created a Barbie Dreamhouse of sorts.

Brooke Fleetwood, the person behind the Pink Flamingo, Pink Castle and Goth House short-term stays in Hudson, recently transformed her goth-themed property from dark and stormy to pink and glittery.

"Pink is my favorite color, and it's been on my mind for quite a while that the time was right to switch the goth theme," Fleetwood said. "Then the Barbie movie was coming out and that gave me the push to say let's just do it."

Thinking pink

The house, now dubbed the Barbiecore Castle, continues to run as a vacation stay while being listed for sale. Its pink reinvention is garnering plenty of social media attention, including a mention on the popular real estate listing site Zillow Gone Wild as well as niche favorite For the Love of Old Houses.

"Barbie would be so jealous," read one comment.

My dream home," read another.

"A true Barbie House," chimed another.

Fleetwood became smitten with the color pink a few years back when she decided on a bold hue when sprucing up her salon Beauty Resort, also in Hudson.

"It didn't have anything to do with Barbie back then. It was just an exciting, positive color," she said. "I just fell in love with it."

Her businesses have been mostly pink ever since. She relocated the salon to another site in Hudson after outgrowing the space. Then she transformed her old digs — combining it with a space next door — into Pink Flamingo, a short-term rental spot. Then came the Pink Castle, which Fleetwood turned into a vacation rental around the time the 2018 Super Bowl came to the Twin Cities.

With her latest project complete, "now they're all pink," said Fleetwood, who happens to drive a pink car.

Barbiecoring

Fleetwood tested a dozen paint colors, mixed and matched, before coming up with her own version of Barbie pink for the formerly green exterior as well as interior spaces (previously grays and warm greens) including the kitchen, dining room and living area. "I had to find a pastel color to make it really Barbie-esque," she said.

"I put some blue into the paint" to get the right hot pink and that powdered look, she said.

Fleetwood recently opened the doors to Barbiecore Castle, a seven-bathroom, four-bath flooded with pink and touches of gold and glitter.

For anyone wanting a bring a little Barbie to their home party, Fleetwood offered some key advice. "Just have fun with it," she said. "Use a lot of pink and a lot of sparkle. You can never have enough."

Among her favorite recasts are the foyer and stairwell, where the pink-painted walls are adorned with pictures of Barbie and Ken. Fleetwood also adores the mash-up of Louis Vuitton and Barbie in the tan and pink bedroom, accented with pictures and bedding covered with images of Barbie sporting designer duds that Fleetwood created herself.

"I had to DIY because I could hardly find Barbie decor for a house," she said.

Despite all the positive reviews, Fleetwood knows that some people have questioned her design choices. She takes it in stride, saying she's driven by her love for old houses, breathing new life into them and creating unique experiences for vacations.

In the case of Barbiecore Castle, a 1900 Queen Anne Victorian she purchased three years ago, she's tackled projects that have included updating the mechanical systems and updating many of the living spaces. For her, getting to decorate is just icing on the cake.

"Pink houses are not for everybody," she said. "You just have to love whatever you decide to do."

Listing agent Jenni Martin said the ideal buyer is someone who is interested in short-term rentals with a strong established theme. Or, someone could make changes such as turning it back into a single-family home, even changing up the paint colors once again.

"I did get a quote on the interior paint," Martin said. "For $5,000, it can go back to white."

Jenni Martin (JenniMartin@edinarealty.com; 651-600-0379) and Missy Germain (MissyGermain@edinarealty.com; 715-808-1799) have the $1.1 million listing.