Kids

Playroom design: Adventure playground

Playroom design: Adventure playground

Image: Janis Nicolay

Kids

Playroom design: Adventure playground

Homeowner Mariana D’Amici transforms a loft-style space in her Vancouver house into an adventure playground for her son and daughter.

“Having a tree house is every kid’s dream,” says Mariana. Since Vancouver has such a long rainy season, however, she created one in a second living room just outside the bedrooms of Teo, 3, and Ella, 2.

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Wallpaper featuring trees serves as a suitable backdrop, while a custom-built fort, kitted out with a slide and chalkboard wall, provides ample protection from marauding invaders (read: adults). The top bunk is a cozy, cushioned hideaway perfect for reading.

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“While I love having all the kids’ toys in one room, I also like to keep them out of sight when they’re not in use,” admits Mariana. Custom cabinetry fills one corner of the room in the form of a desk. For now, the kids might paint or draw there, but the expectation is that it will be a spot where homework is done in the future. “I also had a mini-fridge installed to hold drinks and snacks, since the kitchen is far away,” she says.

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Mariana took a risk on the hanging bubble chairs, as they required some structural engineering to mount. “It was worth it. I wanted seating that was off the ground, first of all, because a sofa would have been too constricting in the space,” she says.

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“I also wanted to maintain clear sightlines. You want to be able to see your kids at all times, especially when they’re very young.” Mariana loves to swing in a bubble chair with Ella in her arms while watching television or listening to Teo play on his Schoenhut drum set.

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Kids

Playroom design: Adventure playground