I spent quite a bit of time last summer trawling the various buy and sell platforms, trying to find the perfect pre-loved playhouse for Little B.
There were plenty of houses to choose from, but there was always a catch – the buyer was responsible for picking it up and getting it home. Fair enough, but for us that wasn’t really an option. We didn’t have access to a vehicle that could move a 4×6 foot structure, nor did we have the time or energy to do so. I was beginning to think we were out of luck until one morning a local family listed a house AND they offered to deliver!
I called dibs, followed by a few emails and an e-transfer and then this landed in our driveway!
It looked a bit haunted.
It stayed there for a few weeks. It was quite a conversation piece among neighbours and visitors. We had to wait until we could move our travel trailer that we keep tucked between the house and a fence before we could relocate it to the backyard.
Eventually, we moved it to the back corner of the yard, but by this time I was getting really busy with work projects. The days were also getting shorter and colder, so I didn’t get a chance to start any of the repairs or painting I’d planned before winter.
In the spring, my dad removed the front door and replaced a missing board on the bottom panel. I unscrewed the rest of the windows and shutters, transforming it from haunted to just derelict.
Over the past few months, I’ve been slowly plugging away at it, as time and weather have permitted (it’s been exceptionally rainy this summer). The exterior is done, for the most part.
We choose the colours to match the house – Benjamin Moore’s Yorkshire Tan, with Newburyport Blue for the door and shutters.
I’m embarrassed to admit, those are artificial flowers in the planters. I tried to grow some annuals but the boxes didn’t drain as well as they should. With all the rain we had this year, the real plants just didn’t do well.
We still need to paint and decorate inside, but between the rain and humidity, it’s been hard to find ideal days for working inside a tiny unairconditioned structure. I’m not in a big hurry though. In typical toddler fashion, despite our hard work, Little B has been indifferent to the house. She’s only two though, so I hope over the next few years she will discover and get some enjoyment out of it. In the meantime, it’s a great little shed to store her other backyard toys.