The playhouse, Part II

We finally finished our playhouse project, and I’m not kidding when I say we spent about 50 hours on this sucker. The kids are loving it, and so am I. Here’s the classic “before” shot:

And a few “afters”:

This wasn’t an inexpensive project, but that platform is built to last. The paint should have staying power too—and I might never pick up another paintbrush again (#famouslastwords). I knew I wanted a black playhouse with white trim, based on this Pinterest image. If I can’t live in the Swiss Alps, I’ll bring the Swiss Alps to Idaho—well, sorta.

A few fun details:

The post caps are copper solar lights that illuminate when it gets dark.

There’s a little picnic table attached to one side; on the other is a shuttered window that opens and closes. And I added a crystal doorknob because I love the original ones inside our house (though this one’s not meant to be outside, so we’ll see how long it lasts).

For those of you feeling like a playhouse project of your own, I recommend this tutorial, which we followed pretty closely. I also recommend enlisting your own resident handyman/tool expert to answer questions. My dad filled that role for us.

The ladder was an estate-sale find cut to fit, and the Home Depot slide is made for four-foot platforms. Install could not have been easier, and it can support up to 250 pounds.

Hope you like our little Swiss chalet out back!