Case Study
Challenge Design and build a storybook playhouse for children, delivering structural integrity while firing young imaginations.
Solution Construct a one-room, Alpine-style cottage that echoes the iconic gingerbread house in Wilhelm Grimm’s 1812 fairy tale, Hansel and Gretel.
Results With its white stucco exterior and steep composition roof reminiscent of gingerbread shingles, this sturdy playhouse suggests classic children’s literature at first glance. We purchased the antique windows and door from architectural salvage yards in Seattle and painted them in fun candy colors to help carry the fairy-tale theme.
We paneled the interior in knotty pine, adding warmth to this cozy space. Features include a loft bed for overnight guests and shelving on either side that stores toys in lightweight fabric drawers for easy child access.