Since we’ve been working on our backyard, we decided the next step should be a playhouse for Don! He’s so excited and really, so am I. I never had a playhouse as a kid so I get to live vicariously through him. We spent yesterday planning out the house and dreaming about it. I thought I’d share some plans and our first piece of furniture we got for it!
playhouse ideas
I thought I’d share a few houses that are inspiring me for this project. My goal is to have something that’ll coordinate with our house while still being somewhat simple to build
I love the cedar shingles and the little window boxes on this one! The lights on the sides of the door are super cute too.
The pink shutters on this one is adorable. Of course, I’ll keep it a little more gender neutral for Don. The dutch door is fun too.
This playhouse has a similar shape as the others, but I love the swing on the side. That’s something Don requested. I’ll take pieces of each of these to make my own. I’m still undecided on the color- I kind of want to do rainbow and Don wants it spooky (since he’s obsessed with Halloween).
a Frame playhouse
When Don was three, we built him a mini A Frame playhouse. It was his first playhouse and he’s been asking for one since then.
I asked him what he wants on the inside of his new playhouse and can I tell you? He has a long list! He’s really into paleontology so he wants a lab (so a desk with tools), a museum to show off the bones he’s collected while camping, and a classroom to teach other kids about dinosaurs.
I told him, that sounds like that’ll be a really fun place to play! And he said, no mom, that’ll be a fun place to work. Ha! Kids are the best. So I’ll be making a new work place for Don.
When we visited Paris last year for my sister’s birthday a year ago, we stopped by the Natural History there. It was STUNNING! There’s some elements from that museum that I want to bring into Don’s space. Maybe a bench like that, cool hand written labels. It’s so fun that he’s opinionated because it’ll force me to come up with original stuff!
new desk
When I was at the antique store last week, I spotted a vintage desk. I thought that it’d make a addition to Don’s future classroom! So yesterday, Don and I stopped by and picked it up.
I thought it’d be fun to paint the seat and chair back green since it’s Don’s favorite color! This will be adorable in the playhouse. Here’s how I redid it. It was pretty basic.
prep
- Clean the furniture. Mix 2 Tablespoons of White Lightning or TSP in 1 gallon of hot water. Use a rag dipped in the solution to clean the entire surface of the furniture you’ll be painting. Wipe the piece clean with a damp rag to remove any White Lightning residue. Let dry prior to painting.
- Lay a drop cloth on the floor. Put a towel or drop cloth on the floor underneath the furniture you’re about paint. This will protect your flooring from paint drips.
prime
Prime-
- Since the finish was slick, I primed. I used one coat of Slick Stick to prime the piece. I let that dry throughly before continuing to paint.
paint
Painting-
- Spritz your brush. With chalk paint, you always want to start with a damp brush. Continue to spray the brush and furniture piece with water while painting.
- Start painting. Dip the paintbrush in the chalk paint and apply it thinly on the furniture. Brush in the direction on the wood grain until you’ve covered the entire piece. Note, you WON’T get full coverage with the first coat. If it’s streaky, don’t panic! I used Dixie Belle’s Farmhouse Green for this project.
- Let the paint dry. Usually you only need to wait 20 minutes between coats. While it’s drying, wrap your paint brush in a wet rag or plastic bag so the brush won’t dry out between coats. If you’re painting a big piece, you might be able to begin the second coat immediately without waiting since it’s probably been 20 minutes since you first started painting.
- Paint a second coat. Repeat the instructions for the first coat of paint. This time though, you should get full coverage. If you don’t (which can happen if you’re covering dark wood with a light cover) continue with a 3rd coat of chalk paint.
Clean up-
- Wash out the paint brush. Usually tap water will remove all wet paint. If needed, also use mild soap. Rinse the brush until the water runs clear.
- Seal the furniture. If you’re using a clear coat, apply it with a paint brush thinly to all surfaces. If you’re using wax, apply it with a lint free rag or applicator pad all over the furniture. Buff it in with the rag after. I like to use Easy Peasy Wax Spray for sealing furniture.
after
Here’s the desk with the quick makeover! It’s nothing too exciting, but it represents the beginning of a new project so that’s something I can definitely get on board with!
I love the soft green and think it works nicely with the wood tones on the desk. And if you’re wondering if theres’ gum under the desk- yep! At least three pieces, lol! Please check back next week to see how the playhouse is going. I’m planning on doing a weekly post on it until it’s done!
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[…] week, after sharing my ideas for building a playhouse, my husband and I started on it! It’s not done yet, but I thought I’d share the weekly […]