It all started with Chickens–8 of them. They were so sweet (you haven’t lived until you’ve cuddled a chicken). Of course, the eggs were delicious too! About a year into owning them, my father-in-law became seriously ill and my husband decided that he just didn’t have the time required to care for the “girls” properly. We were sad to see them go, but it was the right thing to do. We gifted them to a friend who owns a farm and they are now happily laying eggs in a neighboring town. What do these sweet girls have to do with a playhouse??
Well, my husband had built a beautiful chicken coop for the “girls”. It was very roomy and had everything a chicken could want. He specifically built it so that it could be kept clean easily and it had a 10 x 6 foot run outside too. After the girls were relocated we considered selling the coop . Then someone gave us some elements of a swing set thinking we could make something with them. I kept looking at the coop and I could imagine some of the elements of the swing set combined with the coop and I knew (with proper cleaning and disinfecting of course) it would make a killer playhouse for our 5 year old granddaughter, Tatum, and her friends.
The Plan
Front of Coop Minus Chain Link Run
We had already removed the chain link enclosure and the ramp to the door of the coop before we took this photo. We had also placed three pieces of deck from the swing set out in front to get a feel for what we want to do. Nothing is actually fastened or in place yet, but I can tell it’s going to be adorable. Here is what we’re planning to do.
OUTSIDE OF THE PLAYHOUSE
- add a porch and small deck space beyond it.
- Cut the opening larger and install a door
- add a small window and window box.
- do a little planting around the outside
INSIDE THE PLAYHOUSE
- install plywood to cover walls
- paint the interior and decorate!
We were going to remove the nesting boxes and fill in the space, but Tatum has decided she wants them to store her toys. We’ve cleaned and sanitized the inside and will be putting up interior “walls” so these should work out to be nice little cubbies! The other side of the coop is the same-minus the nesting boxes. (FYI- the picket fence was a means to keep our dog from digging under the coop and will be removed). Not sure what we are doing about the window across the top yet!
This is the back of the coop with a large access door that we used to easily access the inside for cleaning and changing the bedding etc. We’re going to leave it as is. It’s a great way to provide ventilation on hot days as well as to load in Tatum’s kitchen set and other things she may want to bring in!
We’re so excited to do this for our youngest granddaughter! Some of my best childhood memories were made in my friend Donna’s playhouse. Our daughters had a playhouse when they were young too and they loved it.
Stay tuned for updates as we move along with this project. If you have any examples or ideas we would love to hear them! Pop over to our facebook page The Nested Design Company and upload an image or leave a comment below!
Be Happy,
Karen
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