Wasn't this always here?
It feels that way already, as I sit to write or we stop in for happy hour or to water the plants. What started out as a platform for our solar panels has evolved to become a happy part of everyday living as our "clubhouse."
Finishing touches have included:
Did we absolutely need another mini-structure? No. Do we use it all the time now? Yup. It's not that we feel we should have built bigger to begin with. We simply had the time and desire to build again, and we had the opportunity to fine-tune this build to augment our existing house. We wanted a space for guests to spend the night. We wanted a dedicated desk for art and writing projects. And we wanted a space to play with plants and plantings in the winter. In a little less than 12'x16', this spot is designed for exactly that. Plus, we look forward to many happy hours gazing out into the woods on the screened porch we added to the back of the build.
It feels that way already, as I sit to write or we stop in for happy hour or to water the plants. What started out as a platform for our solar panels has evolved to become a happy part of everyday living as our "clubhouse."
Finishing touches have included:
- The desk! We designed the desk to fit this compact space, and it's a combination of DIY construction and IKEA pieces. The desk is big enough to roll the coffee-table trunk under it when we want to open the sleep sofa. The desk can double as a dining table by wheeling away the drawers. (More on this, under "Projects.")
- The bathroom wall! We sheathed a frame built from 2x4"s with an assortment of boards—some scavenged (with permission!) from a downed building up our mountain, some pallet wood and a few leftover boards from siding the house. Sanding lightly and staining them all with the same stain used on the floor blended them for a great look, but left their rusticity in tact.
- The corner shelves! Massing four windows on the sunniest corner of the clubhouse, gave us an ideal space for plant shelves. Built from 2x2s and inexpensive butcher block slabs, the entire project cost around $130. Now we can overwinter plants that would freeze outside. We can also start seeds that will eventually go into our vegetable garden. (More on this in "Projects.")
- Decor! Adding a rug, a slew of pillows and pictures on the wall, we have a space we love to work in, hang out in and have guests stay in.
Did we absolutely need another mini-structure? No. Do we use it all the time now? Yup. It's not that we feel we should have built bigger to begin with. We simply had the time and desire to build again, and we had the opportunity to fine-tune this build to augment our existing house. We wanted a space for guests to spend the night. We wanted a dedicated desk for art and writing projects. And we wanted a space to play with plants and plantings in the winter. In a little less than 12'x16', this spot is designed for exactly that. Plus, we look forward to many happy hours gazing out into the woods on the screened porch we added to the back of the build.