My mother grew up in an Arts & Craft house, www.raoulhouse.com. It is slowly being put on the market. While I can't rebuild her that house, I would like to turn our 20 year dream of turning the old oil shed (at my fathers family home) into a wonderful Arts & Craft Playhouse.

The oil shed is made of wood siding and is a rectangular about 10'W x 12'L X 8'H.It has 2 windows one in back and one on the side. This is my starting point.

I want to add a back to it, turning it into a T-shape with potential loft space. Also to have a wrap around the oilshed front and two sides, with french doors leading from the porch into the new back.

I need HELP!!! I have inherited some Arts & craft fixtures but thats it. I am starting from scratch really with just a picture and a dream in my head.

I would like to use as much recycled pieces as possible. I am hoping to use pieces that have come out of Arts and Craft homes but are not large enough pieces to reuse in a home. Where do I find pieces of that nature? Indoor and outdoor?

What outdoor features should I focus on?

Has anyone seen an Arts and Craft playhouse?

If you were building this playhouse, what would you focus on?

Please any help, guidance and ideas are greatly welcomed. I am using my first paycheck from my first real job (after finishing my MBA)...which means I have a small budget. I will be doing most of the work myself. I hope to use loved items from doorways, tiles, furniture, you name it, that is not "good" enough, large enough or right for a real home. Hopefully, it can find a place in my mother's and her grandchildrens playhouse, that I built.

Again, any leads and advice I welcome. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Is that the A & C house that your mother grew up in? If so, it is a neat variation called Tudor.

Here are some ideas:

Normally with a Bungalow, I would say, gotta do the porch, but this isn't that style of home. Somehow you should focus on the wooden cross beam and stucco decoration. I am bit fuzzy on the correct term--but replicate it in the upper 2/3rd's of the play house. Do what you want with the bottom--shingles, etc. but it should be dark to contrast with the upper portion.

Find some old slate for the roof--it won't be much--small square footage--check salvage shops.
Or find something that looks a lot like old gray slate. Make sure that you match the pitch of that roof line.

Salvage some beat up oak floors from somebody. It will give the playhouse a sense of age. Figure out how to slap on some joint compound over your drywall walls inside. Imitate the look of hand plastering with a trowel--it doesn't have to be perfect--just give the feel of a Tudor house.

Have fun with the fireplace.

One word of caution--make sure the the ceiling height is high or your back will hate you when you work inside the house.

Good luck.

Bev.

Bev- Thank you so much for that info. Mom wants a porch. the tips will come in useful.

Hello,


I built a large victorian playhouse that was in Better Homes and Gardens a few years ago (A mission home can be designed as well).. It has lights, cooling (via an attic fan) A slide, loft, climbing rope..

Pretty much any home you see can be made into a playhouse..


the best way to start is to pick out a design you like.. Then do a lay out on graph paper (each square being 1"x1")


This page is way outdated.. Cassie is 12 now.. But it may give you some ideas..


Thanks..


Rob

Cassies Playhouse

Oh one thing..


They grow up quick, so don;t make the door too small. I made a full sized door on the back of the gazeebo.. So when she has grown out of it, I can use it as a garden shed until the grandkids come along...

I used the leftover scrap from my house to make a miniature inplayhouse form. The playhouse has a limestone slab entryway, cedar shingles and roof, redwood exterior trim with square head copper nails, Brazilian cherry floor, cedar siding, mahogany and cedar ceiling beams, and mahogany trim around the windows and doors. It sounds large but the total size is 6x6 inside plus a 2x6 front patio. You can see pictures in my Photo Gallery under Exterior Finish Pictures at {sorry no self promotion links}