“Harry Potter ”Superfan Transforms Office into Magical Space Where She Keeps More Than 600 Pieces of Memorabilia (Exclusive)
The first time Carla Giojammies was introduced to Harry Potter, she was 9 years old
The first time Carla Giojammies was introduced to Harry Potter, she was 9 years old
Over the years, Giojammies' love for the fantasy novels grew, and her Harry Potter collection expanded to include more than 600 rare books and pieces of memorabilia
In 2023, when she and her family purchased their first home, Giojammies was determined to make her office Harry Potter-themed
Throughout the renovation process, she documented everything. After it was finished, she posted a final video to her social media accounts where the videos went viral, amassing more than 27 million views on TikTok and 1.6 million likes on Instagram
The first time Carla Giojammies was introduced to Harry Potter, she was 9 years old. Her dad took her to see the first movie, and instantly, she was hooked. From then on, every time a new movie came out, she and her dad would go to the theater together. Before each release, the father-daughter duo would spend the entire day re-watching the previous films to prepare for the new one.
"It's a childhood memory that I hold very dear to my heart because my dad was in the military, so he spent many years away from home on deployments. This was something we shared together," Giojammies, now 32, tells PEOPLE exclusively.
Over the years, Giojammies' love for the fantasy novels grew, and her Harry Potter collection expanded to include more than 600 rare books and pieces of memorabilia. In 2010, for her high school graduation, she visited The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando for the first time. Not long after, she remembers skipping class in college to see Deathly Hallows – Part 2.
Eventually, she got married and became pregnant with her first child. In September 2015, when her son was almost 2 years old, she took him to Universal. A year later, in 2016, she created a Harry Potter-themed nursery for the couple's second son. But that wouldn't be the last themed room Giojammies would design.
In 2021, after moving from Maryland to San Antonio, Texas, Giojammies decided to transform her new office into a Harry Potter wonderland. She added a brick wall and gray shelves to store her vast collection of items.
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When the family decided to move again in 2023 and purchase their first home, Giojammies was determined to take her themed office to the next level.
"I said, 'Okay, I want an office, and this time I don’t want the shelves to be movable; I want them built-in,' " she recalls to PEOPLE. "I always wanted a ladder for that Beauty and the Beast moment, but we never did it in the previous house because we knew we were moving. So we said, 'Okay, in the next house, as soon as we move in, we’re going to build it with the ladder.' And that’s exactly what we did."
With the help of her husband, she purchased new Ikea shelves, and a contractor came in to build a wooden frame to make them look like built-ins. The couple also got the ladder from Amazon, and the contractor stained it and added a rail. With the help of a friend, Giojammies added wallpaper to the room, along with stars, floating candles and a new light fixture.
"I follow different Harry Potter creators and collectors, and we all inspire each other," the mom says.
Almost a year-and-a-half later, in December 2024, Giojammies told her husband she didn't want any Christmas gifts. Instead, she wanted to paint her bookshelves teal. However, her contractor ended up painting them a different color: navy. While the navy was beautiful, it wasn’t quite what she had imagined.
"I’m not a Ravenclaw, I’m a Gryffindor," she says with a laugh. "I wanted teal, but it ended up being a happy accident."
"I tell everyone it was two coats of navy and one coat of Moscow Midnight by Sherwin-Williams, and it worked out beautifully. I love the color now," she adds. "I also ended up putting the Gryffindor tapestry on the other side of the room because I was getting accused of being Ravenclaw all the time! It's a Gryffindor room, and that’s what matters."
After the room was painted, Giojammies placed her collection back on the shelves, going through the items one by one to make sure she still wanted to keep them. Often, if Giojammies feels she's outgrown an item, she'll either sell it or donate it. When her buyers are local to San Antonio, she'll invite them in, and they'll sit down to talk about Harry Potter and life in general.
"People always ask, 'How are you not attached to the things?' I'm like, I am very attached to the feeling of joy that my collection gives me, but it's not necessarily to certain pieces," she says. "It's more about wanting to walk in and feel happy in my space."
"I’m kind of attached to the books. I have over 30 book sets, all Harry Potter, but they’re in different languages, with different illustrations, and from different years," she adds. "So I’ll say my books, I do like to keep, but when it comes to pieces, it's ever-changing. It’s a way to keep my love for the story fresh and my love for my space fresh. Plus, it allows me to add new pieces to my collection. If I sell 10 pieces, maybe it will give me the funds to buy one that’s a bit more expensive than the other 10 combined."
Throughout the renovation process, Giojammies documented everything. After it was finished, she posted a final video to her social media accounts, and to her surprise, they went viral, amassing more than 27 million views on TikTok and 1.6 million likes on Instagram.
Reading through the comments, she’s grateful to see all the positivity and love for Harry Potter. She’s also noticed people responding and saying how she’s inspired them to create a Harry Potter or themed room in their homes.
"I always try to reinforce the fact that Harry Potter is about love, the power of love and friendship, and how Harry was saved three times by his mother’s love," she says. "It’s such an important theme. For me, it’s about love and friendship and how they carry you and can save your life — literally."
"I’m grateful that people have seen it as inspiration," she adds. "I read the comments when I can, and 99% of the comments say things like, 'I want to do something like this in my house,' or 'This is beautiful,' or 'This is goals,' or 'This is how adult money should be used.' Or, 'Oh, millennial core.' I'm like, yeah, I’m a millennial. I’m very proud of it."
Although Giojammies' office is done, she adds that she loves to change things around in the space, constantly reorganizing and adding new elements to her collection.
"My friends call it the Room of Requirement because it changes every time they come to visit," she says. "They're always like, 'Carla, there’s something different!' I love it though. I like change. It keeps things fresh. I was telling my friends yesterday that my office is such a personal place to me — it’s sacred."
She adds that along with her friends, her kids love to "chill" in the office too. Giojammies cherishes moments when her family gets to sit down and take it all in. She says her 6-year-old especially loves to go in and touch the pieces she lets him play with freely.
When asked about the most challenging part of upkeep in the office, she says some people think it’s dusting. But, she doesn't worry about the dust too much. The most challenging part for her is leaving the office in the morning.
"Every time I go to work, I look at my office and I’m like, 'Bye, I’ll see you when I come back,' " she says. "I wish I could work from home. People think I do, and I used to a little bit, but now I work full-time outside the house. Not being able to spend more time in my office might be the most challenging part, but creating it, I always try to make it a therapeutic process for me. Some people think rearranging is a hassle, but for me, it’s different."
Along with her office, she notes that she also has a Harry Potter-themed coffee bar in her house, along with a Harry Potter backpack collection in her room. She shares these on social media as well.
"The best part is when people decide they can share their passions too," she says. "After seeing it on my Instagram, they realize, 'Okay, I’m not the only person who wants to decorate this way.' It doesn’t even have to be Harry Potter. I get a lot of people who say, 'I want to decorate my house with a Star Wars theme.' "
"I always thought it would be silly, but then they tell me that it’s not only them," she adds. "A lot of people want to showcase their fandoms and passions in their homes, but they think, 'Oh no, people are going to think it’s silly.' I’m like, 'You live in that house! You should be able to do whatever you want in the house that you pay for.' "
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