A place of his own...

is what I want to build for my nephew. Actually, when I conceived this idea, my sister was pregnant with #2, so this was to be a place of their own.

When my own son was little, I didn't own the house we lived in (I was a stay-at-home, but freelancing, single mom, which is almost an impossibility financially, but I think it was good for him), so I wasn't able to build him the tree house of his (my?) dreams. Being an freelance architectural designer gave me inspiration if not the funds to use AutoCAD to draw outlandish, modern forts, etc. But, someone else's breeding has given me the opportunity.

The idea started from some pine logs I found on the side of the street. I don't know how, but I mentally striped away the bark, revealing corners of a little log cabin (the 'logs' were about six feet long each) I rounded up some muscle (my kid) and my SUV and scavenged these logs who are now residing in my sister's shed.

Can you see the log?

Ceiling, interior walls
Roofing

Floor

Me: "I would like to build D a fort."
Sis: "WHAT? [groan] Why?"
BiL (coming in from the driveway where he had to help my son unload the logs): "Why
is Stacey bringing these logs HERE?"
Sis: "She wants to build D some type of fort."
BiL: "Uh, OK...I need to go...[something unintelligible as he walks away]"
Sis: "This cannot be something that drags out for months and months (uh oh she is on to me!)"
Me: "oh no. I will plan it out. Plus, I don't want D to get bored with it before it is even complete."

After numerous concepts, I came up with plan: A TIKI HUT! Ohhh YES! This will be SO COOL!!

I obtained samples of:
roofing material (grass, of course)
bamboo matting for the walls and floors
photos of landscaping ideas (this is where I should have realized it was getting out of hand, but it will be SO PERFECT: ferns, fake orchids, etc)

The entire project will need to be drawn up in AutoCAD, and presented to my sister with sample products, etc (BiL couldn't care less as to what I do; he, unlike she, completely trusts me in my creative pursuits; he and I are more alike than she and I!) The project needs to be modularly built in the shed (more like a 2-car garage) as panels that are quickly assembled on-site, which won't be more than 100 feet away near the stand of bamboo they cannot eradicate.

I guess hula girl lamps will only work if I run electricity out there, huh? Maybe I can rig one that isn't wired, but you put a crack stick where the bulb goes.

My darling child strongly feels that this 'hut' should be about 40' x 50'. I am thinking more like 6'-8' x 10' with a 2' deep covered porch across the front. There will be space inside with a built-in bunk for camping out when they are a bit older (considering that nephew #2 is only three months old NOW, it will be more than a few years) There will be space inside for a table and a couple of chairs, toy storage, etc...I haven't worked out all of the particulars, but that didn't stop me from shopping for hula girl lamps, surf boards, masks and lots of 'tiki' related paraphernalia

I am encouraging J to incorporate his creativity; we talked about his carving tiki poles (are you seeing where these pine logs are coming into this project now?) Pine is a soft wood and easier to carve by hand. By hand meaning with your hand wrapped around a Dremel tool NOT a pocket knife or chisel: I am not THAT crazy!

Why am I writing about this right now? Yesterday, the birds were singing, the snow melted and I was walking around in jeans and a tank: SPRING is here (God willing) It is time for me to get my act together if I want this construction completed by summer. I figure this will cost me no more than $500 and that goes mostly toward lumber, woven mats and thatch roof. Craigslist perusing has provided plenty of contacts for free bamboo for wall exteriors. I can get free windows from window replacement companies and will work out the rest this spring.

Resources:
http://www.tikifocus.com/
http://www.safarithatch.com/default.aspx
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/