It’s finished! Whew! Three weeks from the start of the project, when you might recall, it looked like this:
A concrete floor…
Concrete block walls which Glenn had just begun to cover with the pine bead board…
But we did have a door!
And here’s what it looks like now. Let’s take a peek inside, through the now red door which has been cut into a Dutch door, complete with shelf. (I can just imagine it being pressed into service as a puppet theatre or ice cream stand.)
Voila! Glenn put a couple of pot lights into the ceiling and wired them to the same switch that controls the lantern over the door. The bead board has been painted white – one coat of primer and one coat of paint, applied with small roller followed immediately by very vigorous brushing to get the paint into all the crevices. (My shoulders still ache…) The grey and white floor is foam tile and took a LOT longer than either of us anticipated to install, fiddling around with numerous cuts. It’s easy material to work with, though; it cuts easily and is quite forgiving when crammed into crevices.
The little three-in-one kitchen from Pottery Barn Kids fits beautifully into the alcove at the back of the space. It comprises a diminutive fridge, stove and sink unit in a fire engine red colour, complete with pot hooks.
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- Hooks for pot holders
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- A stainless steel utensil holder
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- A wreath from Michael’s
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- Dish Rack hung on the wall
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- The top of the Stove
I had a blast gathering together all the accoutrements, including a small rack of kitchen-themed hooks for the potholders. The utensils, pots & pans, wooden food, etc. are almost all from a brand called Melissa & Doug.
In the alcove to the left of the kitchen unit are some “canned goods” and food in wooden crates. The little kitty plates are from Home Goods and the wreath is from Michael’s, The dish rack on the wall came with plastic dishes, cups and a soap dispenser and sponge.
The area under the slope of the stairs is to the right of the kitchen set. A big felt “bag” from Bouclair holds a couple of red and white plush sleeping bags. I figured that space would be good for “sleeping”.
And Mr. Bear/Sheep? sits plumply, awaiting someone to cuddle up. Let’s go back outside and have a look.
The wainscoting was already installed, so we went with cedar shingles above it, which we stained with a gel stain (a mix of 50/50 Pickling White and Walnut). Glenn installed a shingled peaked roofline above the door and continued it above the small window he had cut out, then built its window box.
Close to the end of the project, we thought about adding “leaded glass” to the window opening, so I called the people who had made the inserts for our kitchen cabinets. They were amazingly quick and this little copper foil glass insert from Mystic Glass in Burlington appeared in two days.
Michael’s furnished the greenery for the window box and the star shaped wreath for the top of the Dutch door. I painted one of their unfinished small bird houses to hang from the eaves, and this little gift bag to serve as a mail box. The feather hook is from Bouclair.
Kirsten brought us these small battery-operated lights from Pier 1 to hang from the eaves. They were a lovely finishing touch.
What cottage would be compete without rocking chairs, and a small table to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate and some biscuits?
Wishbone is glad to be included.
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- Rocking chairs from Amazon
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- The “porch”
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- Wexford by 222 Fifth
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- Dog Cushion from Pier 1
I painted the area above the roofline and above the wainscoting all the way over to the wall on the left side of the big door which goes to the rest of the basement, a sky blue colour. I’ve ordered some dog park decals to make a mural above the wainscoting on the wall opposite the red door, but they haven’t arrived yet. I was late ordering them, as the idea only occurred to me when I started painting the “sky”. Oh well, I think we will redecorate this seasonally, so the dog park will be a good spring season endeavour.
For now, it’s unabashedly Christmas themed.
I’m thinking that Santa may leave some mail for the little girls, welcoming them to their new home.
We will make sure we leave some cookies for Santa (once the Golden Retrievers have been settled for the night!).
I suspect we are going to have quite a time getting the girls to the table for dinner on Christmas Eve, when the Great Reveal will take place. 🙂 Can’t wait. I think I’m more excited than the grandkids will be…
I’m sharing this post with Between Naps on the Porch.
What an amazing space. It has everything. What lucky granddaughters you have. I am hoping for an after Christmas post detailing their reactions which I am guessing will be very heartwarming. You and Glenn have done a fantastic job. Merry Christmas.
Thanks Lorri. We are hoping that our more tech-savvy offspring video it :). Merry Christmas to you and your family, also!
Esta hermosa me encanta quiero hacer una para mis hijos ojalá lo logre
Good luck with it, Laura! We did the whole project in the few weeks leading up to Christmas. Though our oldest granddaughter is now 9, they still enjoy playing in it. 🙂
Absolutely charming! What a wonderful idea and beautifully executed. I, too, look forward to seeing the reactions of your grandkids. How lucky they are! Merry Christmas!
Thank you, Yolie! My husband is a very patient man. He jokes that Advil sales have gone down appreciably since he finished construction. There was a lot of crawling on hands and knees and whacking of head on the doorway… Merry Christmas to you and yours, also!
Oh, so super cute! Not only will the girls love it, but all those young at heart! (Including me – lol!)
Thank you! And you are so right about it being for girls of all ages, Sandra! It was like being a kid again myself, planning it all out :). Have a wonderful holiday season.
Helen, this is amazing! What lucky little girls your granddaughters are! I understand why you had so much fun creating this. It makes us all feel like little children again. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Darlene. Isn’t it fabulous to be grown up AND get to play like a little kid? Hehe.
How absolutely delightful. What a wonderful place to play. You both have done a fabulous job-Congratulations. I really, really want to be little and play there.
So glad you like it, Ro! I’m breathing a sigh of relief that it was finished in time! Whew!
AMAZING! They’ll love it. I know I would have.
Thanks, Sandy. I would have loved it, too! Nothing like your own little space when you’re small, is there?
Ms. Kain,
Absolutely, gob-smacked! I wish I was 6 and somehow related to you. What a wonderful gift to your granddaughters.
Thank you so much, Elizabeth. I hope they will enjoy many hours in it, and it will be a great memory for them. I was exceptionally close to my grandfather. He built me a dollhouse for my eight birthday, using a set of drawings (not a kit). It was a Georgian house, whose front and back came off. He cut out the wood pieces, glued it together and painted it. Glenn refurbished it for Lauren, our youngest daughter, shingling the roof, wiring it for lights, and painting/wallpapering it. We still have it, and it awaits our granddaughters when they get a bit older :).
Ms. Kain,
A dollhouse built and improved on by two generations , played with by two generations! I can think of no better heirloom to pass to the future, Certainly your granddaughters’ granddaughters will play with it
As to this Wendy house under the stairs, you seem to have thought of everything necessary for good house keeping. Your husband is to be congratulated on his workmanship. An architect and master house builder could not have done better. I believe even Harry Potter and his wand could not have produced a better cupboard under the stairs.
This will be a Christmas your entire family will remember, memories that will be discussed at many a future Christmas meal.
Merry Christmas,
Elizabeth Speicher
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas, Elizabeth, and thank you for your very kind remarks about the workmanship. I showed my husband your comments and his head swelled visibly 🙂
We had a marvellous time, and the girls were rapturous about their playhouse. It was worth every minute of effort.
Best,
Helen
So thoughtfully planned and beautifully executed. Your babes will never want to go home. Merry Christmas! CherryKay
Merry Christmas to you, also, Cherry Kay! Thanks so much for your kind comments on the playhouse; it was a labour of love, for sure :).
Helen,
It is the stuff dreams are made of!
You are transitioning from tablescapes to DREAMSCAPES !
Glenn has done a wonderful job constructing your little “Kitchen
Comfort Hideaway”
Bunnies in the spring!!
Hey Kathi,
Glenn is happily resting after his labours, Scotch in hand, groaning faintly from time to time, about his aching back. My contributions came in a rush at the end, with the painting, assembling the kitchen and installing all the bits and pieces I’d acquired over the length of the project.
Funny you should mention bunnies in the spring. I’ve already got my eyes peeled for Spring stuff that coordinates with red. There is a surprising amount of it!
All the best of the season to you and Ron. Hope to see you in January.
Enjoy this day with your beautiful grandchildren. Beautiful job, well done. Memories are forever. Happy Christmas to you all.
And to you, Maura. The playhouse was received with squeals of delight, and as predicted, they paid scant attention to dinner 🙂 They were absolutely delighted with their private kingdom!
The playhouse turned out beautifully . The attention to detail is unbelievable. I’m sure your lucky little grandchildren never want to leave!
Thanks,Joanne! The girls have been having such a good time in it!
Not sure how I missed this post the other night, but thrilled to see it now. I’m sharing the link with a friend and neighbor with two little grand girls and a wonderful space under her stairs in her home. This is the cutest idea!
Thanks Sarah! We had such fun putting it together and the little girls love it. I hope your neighbour enjoys it!
Can you tell me where you found the floor tiles ? Thank you.
I got them on Amazon. They’re the Playspot Waterproof Foam Baby Play Mat. We got two and cut them to fit.
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00SHYJ0G6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This is the cutest thing I have ever seen!! Won’t you be my mother?
Thanks Allyson! We had so much fun putting it together. And the little girls just vanish downstairs to their own little world as soon as they can. “Hi, Nana!” and they’re gone!