What a satisfying project! When Sarah moved into her new house, part of what she inherited was a dilapidated, boarded-up shed in her backyard (in its former life, it had been an over-sized doghouse). For four years, the shed remained in her yard and she dreamed of transforming it into a playhouse for her two girls.

Last month, she made it happen. She recruited her friend Kevin, a talented carpenter, to make the trip from Virginia to North Carolina and bring her dream to life.

Keep reading to see before and after pics, and learn more about the transformation.


Shed Before
Playhouse After

Apparently, carpenter Kevin was thrilled at the idea and up for the challenge -- he arrived with a truckload of treasures from his local garbage dump. He sat down with Sarah's 4-year-old daughter and asked about all of her wants and desires. He even had her draw a picture of what she imagined a playhouse to be. Then he worked to transform the rickety shed.


Entrance Before
Entrance After -- With New Porch

  • Using wood from an old dog run, he created a porch.
  • With windows that someone had tossed into the dumpsters, he added sunlight to the little house.
  • He cleaned out the mess that covered the inside and gave the floors a shiny pink glaze.
  • The interior walls received a fresh look, with one side coated in chalkboard paint. 

Sarah is beyond pleased with the new playhouse. And so are her girls. She says, "It's where my girls escape invisible monsters and Disney villains and where they turn when a sudden downpour strikes. It's the perfect spot to hide as Mommy and Daddy seek. It's where Leyla draws rainbows and flowers and stick figures of our family and where sisters share secrets in their made-up fairy-tale language that no one else can understand. As I peek into the window of their happy little home and watch them creating memories and magic, I just want to pinch myself. Everything is right as rain. Oh, happy day!"

Doesn't that sound just picturesque? And the whole project came to be about $100 in supplies. If only we all had a carpenter friend named Kevin ...