Got a twofer today.
This is the playhouse Charlie built for #4 daughter when she was big enough. It was made mostly out of scrap lumber and scrap siding.,
That bridge had a drawbridge section but, when bunches of kids started playing on it, we could envision concussions and guillotinements, and Charlie removed the rope and nailed the hinged part firmly in place. He did the cutouts on the doors, including the unicorn, and screwed a sheet of plexiglass on the inside.
Here’s a close-up of the unicorn.
Just inside, which you can vaguely see through the unicorn’s butt above, we painted the wall.
And, to the right and between the front window and the catwalk door, we painted, also.
Pretty cockamamie, but all us little kids got a kick out of doing it.
Inside this edifice, which is mostly doors and stairs, #4 kept a museum of natural history. Mostly seashells other people brought back from vacations, rocks and fossils, and bones she found on her amateur archaeological excavations. She had a crow skull and the entire skeleton of a turtle. Also: we generally had two or three stray beagles who took up residence with us, and beagles are always good for dragging unspeakable things home.
I say the structure was mostly stairs. Here’s the first flight, just to the right of the door.
That blue panel is the catwalk door. Here’s the catwalk.
At the end, for a while, there was a sliding board, but it got splintery so Charlie took it down and put up a railing. Under this catwalk is a tire swing.
The stairs continue.
Outside this door is a balcony, perfect for picnics in nice weather. Here’s part of the view.
And the stairs go on.
And on, to the top.
This is a stained glass unicorn with her head in the clouds, done by my mother.
This was a great place to play, especially in moderate weather. It was awfully cold in cold weather, though, and stifling up top in warm weather. Spiders and wasps love it in any and all weathers, though.
This is part of Norm Frampton’s wonderful Thursday Doors link-up.
A WRITING PROMPT FOR YOU: Where did your main character play in childhood? What about your antagonist?
MA
Dan Antion
October 22, 2015 at 7:21amWhat a beautiful playhouse. Such wonderful craftsmanship. One of the best Thursday Doors ever.
Marian Allen
October 22, 2015 at 8:54amCharlie’s a little bit OCD when he gets into a project. #4 daughter and her friends had a lot of fun with this house. If I could get it wired and plumbed, I’d love to use it as an office.
Dan
October 22, 2015 at 2:02pmI would definitely put plumbing, electricity and head in that puppy.
norm2.0
October 22, 2015 at 8:54amThat is just wonderful! I hope the kids who got to enjoy this knew how incredibly lucky they were – thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Marian Allen
October 22, 2015 at 8:57amThey did know, Norm! One of them drops by sometimes when he’s in town and reminisces. He said he has a little girl he’d like to bring sometime, because he’s always telling her about it. He said he told her it felt like it was about twelve stories high. 🙂
Teagan Geneveien
October 22, 2015 at 9:06amIt’s a fantastic door for a fabulous playhouse! Your daughter must have been absolutely thrilled. Have a thriving Thursday.
Marian Allen
October 22, 2015 at 9:43amShe got a lot of enjoyment out of it, Teagan, and so did our next-door grandson. Have a thriving Thursday, yourself, and thank you for stopping in!
Jane
October 22, 2015 at 10:15amYowzer!
I built us a whole bunch of playhouses. Though they were about 80% imagination. I’d prop a discarded shutter in a fork of the cherry tree and then climb on. Whew. Close to cherries, though! And we would use sheer curtains for tents (and outfits!). They’re very versatile.
Dad built us a house up against the willow tree. He used fallen bits of the willow after a storm, put in uprights from the branches, and wove the withes in between to make walls. I forget about the roof, but it was rigged out from the wreckage, too, I think.
Marian, I am in awe of Charlie’s playhouse. I mean, #4’s playhouse. 😉
Such serious craftmanship! I recall Sara showing me her collection and am so delighted she had a museum to keep her things in. Best decorating choices ever! You can never go wrong with unicorns!
Marian Allen
October 22, 2015 at 10:25amYour dad’s playhouse sounds very organic. And I love your playhouses built of a bit of wood, some sheers, and “80% imagination”. Finest kind!
jan
October 22, 2015 at 11:41amWhat a clever man Charlie is! Delightful playhouse!
Marian Allen
October 22, 2015 at 12:20pmThanks, Jan. 🙂 The squirrels adore it!
Holly Jahangiri
October 22, 2015 at 2:49pmOMG, will he make ME one??? I love this.
Marian Allen
October 22, 2015 at 2:58pmIt’s great, isn’t it? #4 and some friends decorated it for Halloween one year and made a haunted house for the neighborhood kids. 😀
Jess
October 22, 2015 at 7:33pmI would have had a baby heart attack if this were my play house as a child!
Marian Allen
October 23, 2015 at 8:12amShe probably would have, if he had been able to surprise her with it. As it was, she watched him draw the plans and helped him build it. She’s all grown up now, but she still loves it and all it represents.
Judy
October 24, 2015 at 2:56pmYou win the ‘coolest’ door this week hands down. Love it. 🙂
Marian Allen
October 24, 2015 at 4:36pmAw, thank you, Judy! 🙂
janet
October 26, 2015 at 4:41pmWow, what a creation! My mom built us a treehouse when we were little, but nothing like this. We loved it, though, and used it all the time.\
janet
Marian Allen
October 26, 2015 at 6:43pmHooray for your Mom! I grew up in apartments, so no treehouse or playhouse for me. My Grandpa made me a “store” out of an appliance box, though, and I thought it was great! I loved selling, even then. ha!