Under Stairs Playhouse With Cedar Shake Shingles
Under Stairs Playhouse With Cedar Shake Shingles
Submitted By Joy 2 Journey
I was working on a project that is near and dear to my heart and I am so excited to show you some of the progress I have made. My goal is Christmas! Sounds easy? Normally it would be but we have a couple of weeks where I won’t be able to work on it, Thanksgiving, family in town, and all things Christmas. I am limited to just a day on the weekends which is why I am up late. I get on a roll and I almost can’t stop. I only did tonight because all 3 of my cordless batteries are charging. 🙂 Ugh!
So let’s get to the photos shall we?!
So, I was only using this space to read and I can read anywhere right? I had been toying with the idea of an under the stair playhouse for awhile and since I have an idea of what I envision but, I didn’t find any plans that I could use, I did what any sane woman would do. I started cutting holes in the wall…
Well, I guess with two holes in the wall I am committed to continuing. I have an amazing Mr. Man! I sent him this picture of what I just did and he didn’t panic at all!!! I think I am desensitizing him with all my DIY projects. *giggle* Since I am making this from scratch, and I am having to think it through as I go, I had to remake a couple of things when it was not what I had pictured in my head.
(I will make a blooper section when I get to the end. Everyone could use a little laughter!)
One of the first things I did was to put up this plywood (no chemicals thank you. Not with my grandbabies!) because I felt creepy having the stairs exposed. Yay, I have a roof 🙂 Well gee, that was easy.
I ran into a slight problem when I cut out the board to make the door way. Um, open brick, GREAT! No worries, I just need to make a threshold. (I looked down in it first, with my flashlight, and it was filled with cement. Just not to the top.) I cut wood, added “Power Grip” and then added my “carpet to wood strip”. It worked out great.
I wanted to feel as it it was going good so I cheated and put up this lower wall board. There will eventually be a molding and something special on the top. I don’t want to get ahead of myself on what is to come so let me get to the final picture.
Ok, so here is what it looks like so far … We have a roof line. One side slightly higher as I am toying with the idea of a loft and then there would be a window. *Stay tuned on that one. I finished the shutters for the window and they are closed for the moment so that you can see how I attached the hinges. I am making a small covered porch over the door way and the Dutch Door is to the left waiting to be painted and hung. I have a lot of painting of the trim before I can add the cedar shingles to the front. Oh, and I still am adding a flower box under the window. Still a work in progress! I hope you are enjoying this as much as I am!
I had a run in with some plywood in Home depot and had to have stitches. You can see the account of that story here. Needless to say, I had to heal a bit and then I had to finish the inside by Christmas Eve, which meant I spent quite a bit of time inside. And that meant limited time on the computer. I know, I know, you missed me! 🙂
I am thinking I will just show you the series of pictures and talk more about specifics later if you want them … Ready?
Up-cycling old hardware (tape and prime first)
Spray painted black along with washers that needed to be black. (Attached to the windows.)
Made a built-in bookshelf to hold toys, books, and puzzles.
Constructing the inside wall.
Nailing it into the cement
Making a window
Running electricity for a light … yup, I did that too 🙂
Finished off the inside.
This photo doesn’t do this little window justice. The picture I used for her outside view is actually the garden area that I got married in. It is just adorable and I will have to take another picture of this now that she has a light in her playhouse.
Are you ready to see the final pictures???? I am so excited …
And one of the things I like best? I can look down from upstairs and see it.
Here are a few more recent pictures of the play house! Interior:
Exterior:
I am the husband of the amazing Cassity of Remodelaholic. I love to problem solve and to design and build things inside and outside the house to make life better. I am a professional Landscape Architect by trade and love the outdoors.
I think this is one of the neatest things I have ever seen!! Can you imagine having this playhouse as a child?! After that, the grandkids can use it or one could make it a cute, reading nook. It is fabulous!!
Oh, my goodness gracious. This is the cutest thing EVER!!
I can’t believe how beautiful this is, any child would love this. Who am I kidding, I would love to have this. Thanks for sharing.
Whaaaaat!?!? No wayyyyy that is flipping amazing!!!!!!! How fabulous!!!!! I would love to have had that when I was a kid. I never would have come out… hahaha!! 🙂
That is the cutest house ever!!! We’re planning one under our stairs too and already have the door and window and light in. But now I have the perfect inspiration to finish it – some year!!! Pinning you!
Wow what a fantastic spot. From outside to in all the detail that was put into this.
Joy’s playhouse makes me wish I were a little girl again. I’d never come out of my little under the stairs world.
~Bliss~
Thank you Cassity for featuring my playhouse. It has brought nothing but “Joy”. Silly pun but so so true!
Hugs,
Bj
Holy smokes that is so freakin’ adorable I can hardly stand it! So creative and what a great way to make use of the unused space! LOVE!
Can i come over to play??? pleaseeeeeee!!!! i want soooo badly!! amazing job….
What a lucky granddaughter! You did an amazing job! Such a sweet playhouse! Thank you for posting all of the pictures!
I am almost in tears with excitement for this project!! When I was a little girl, we had a “hut” under the stairs at my Grandparent’s house and now my own children play in that same space. We are almost done building our home and this project is at the top of the to do list!! Thank you THANK YOU for sharing this idea!!
I don’t comment on blogs very often, but this is beyond words. Amazing creativity and craftsmanship. Bravo!
Thank you so much for your kind kind words … it means so much to me!
Thank you everyone for your words of support. It means more to me than you know!
Hugs.
This is the first blog Ive ever commented on. Brilliant idea!!! I hope you won a HUGE contest for this one 🙂 🙂
This is just totally amazing. I wish I had a space to do this in.
I’m so impressed with what you have done. This is absolutely adorable! I bet your granddaughter was thrilled when you showed it to her. Wow! What a dedicated grandma you are. My daughter is 14 and I often wish she was still young to play with but now I look forward to when she is a grownup and has kids (I’m not in too much of a hurry whew!). She tells me she never wants kids but I hope she is wrong. 🙂
We would love to do something like this for our daughters under the stairs in our basement. What are the dimensions of the interior? Any suggestions? You have the best and cutest example out there!
THIS IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! I lOVE IT!
I have three boys and am definitely going to be doing a similar project after being inspired here! You are truly amazing and have so much talent!! Thank you!!
Moe, I agree. Joy did an amazing job on this playhouse. It is just awesome to look at. Good luck with you project.
I love this idea and want to try and do it for my grandaughter. My question is what are some of the measurements? It it a standard stairwell? How big is the space inside? I want to make sure befor I cut a hole in the wall that there is going to even be enough space to even play in. Thanks you for such a creative idea and your help
Melanie, This is a guest post and the I know she would love to help answer your questions, if you click over at the link at the top of the post she can help you!.. However a standard set of stairs is usually 3 feet wide, as long as you don’t have a water heater or some other strange thing in there, the space should be plenty big!