An Australian mum has revealed how she created a super chic beach house for her one-year-old daughter, Ivy – all from a bargain Kmart cubby.
Britney Fair, 24, from Perth, spent $199 on the popular brown child’s playhouse from Kmart.
She then spent $300 totally transforming it – painting it a sophisticated white, adding a sandpit, wooden deck and accessories.
‘The inspiration for the cubby came from my 13 month old little girl’s love for the beach and getting dirty,’ Britney tells New Idea.
‘I saw all these amazing cubbys and thought “what could we do to be different but to also suit us?”’
As Britney’s small backyard and house already had a tropical theme she said the cubby was a ‘perfect addition’.
So what exactly did she do to transform the tiny home from basic to brilliant?
First up, Britney painted it – choosing Dulux Weathershield paint in Vivid White – and adding British Paints’ Spritzig Half for the door and trim.
‘We painted the house and door using a spray gun – and used a brush for the trim – all brought from Bunnings,’ Britney tells New Idea.
Creating a sandpit to complement the tiny home, Britney explained she used three wooden panels, similar to railway sleepers which were cut to size at Bunnings and screwed together using bolts.
‘We placed a blue tarp beneath the sand which was also screwed into the sleepers and pallets to stay in place,’ she explains, adding the sand is washed play sand from Bunnings – and she used eight bags.
‘For the deck, we used four wooden pallets that we got for free and on top is the plastic Ikea floor decking in dark grey – four packs,’ Britney explains.
‘We added a few screws to secure the decking to the pallets.’
She added that unless the cubby is in a shady spot it was worth investing in a shade sail to put over it – as the decking could heat up in the sun.
Finally, Britney accessorised the cubby with items purchased from Bunnings, Kmart and Thingz – plus a personalized name plaque from online store Zilvi.
‘We used fake plants in the planter boxes and purchased the picnic table from Ikea which was also painted in ‘Vivid White’ using a spray gun,’ she explains.
Seashells purchased from Thingz and placed in the sand, added an authentic ‘beachy’ touch.
Britney said it was beautiful to see her little girl’s face light up when she received her present on Christmas morning.
Although, in a twist that many parents will relate to, she added that Ivy’s favourite part was simply opening and shutting the door.
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