• Facebook
  • Google Plus
  • Instagram
  • RSS Feed
  • Twitter

Menu

Skip to content
  • About
  • Staff
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • FAQ
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
Header image

MyNewsLA.comLogo

Breaking news for greater Los Angeles and Orange County

Menu

Skip to content
  • Crime
  • Government
  • Business
  • Education
  • Sports
  • Hollywood
  • Life
  • OC
  • Motorcyclist Killed in Irvine Crash
  • City Council President Cancels Wednesday Meeting Due To Threats of Violence
  • Port of Long Beach Moves Record 8.1M Container Units Last Year
  • State Issues Smoke Advisory Because of Bonita Fire
  • Fire Damages Property in Sylmar

Home » Life » This Article

Weekend Design: A Midcentury Modern Playhouse Built for All Ages

Posted by Contributing Editor on May 20, 2017 in Life | Leave a response
Share this article:
Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail
Photo by Sean Klingelhoefer, original photo on Houzz

By Becky Harris | Houzz

Perched on a slope looking out at the trees, this is not your typical girls’ playhouse. Inspired by the midcentury modern architecture of the main house and the fact that the homeowners are French, architect Beth Holden decided to create a unique folie. This is an old French word that describes a sort of garden folly that is a favorite abode. She chose a site that was unobtrusive, provided a view back to the main house and pool, and took direction from the classic modern elements of the main house.


Playhouse at a Glance

  • What happens here: Two little girls have play dates, do homework and enjoy the upper part of the yard. Adults have also invaded, spending the night and enjoying evening cocktails.
  • Location: Encino
  • Size: About 250 square feet
  • Designer: New Theme Inc.

Holden placed the structure high atop the home’s sloping backyard, in a private spot that made a minimal impact on the site and views from the neighboring homes. The house looks down over the pool and the main house, a midcentury modern home that she recently restored while adding energy-efficient upgrades. Learn More About Midcentury Modern Style Homes.

A retaining wall holds back the slope underneath the small structure, extending 10 feet deep into the bedrock. Another retaining wall to the right creates a small garden area next to the folie.

Photo by NEW THEME Inc. – Discover midcentury shed design ideas

Much about the playhouse responds to the architecture and location of the main house below. “The slanted L-shape opens up to and winks down at the main house,” Holden says. “Symbolically, it references an arm that provides protection.” The “arm” portion is made of a waterproof roof and deck material by Elastomeric. Because of the shape and material choices inside and out, the architect says, the roof becomes the wall and the wall becomes the roof.

The corner opens almost completely to a small deck and garden (just beneath the retaining wall on the right side of this photo), which extend the playhouse outdoors. There is a lot of wildlife in this area, including deer that like to visit. The deck, railings, structure and wood trim are all Douglas fir, an element seen throughout the main house.

The railings are metal cables that keep the view through to the yard open, giving the playhouse a treehouse feel. The tops of the railings are just the right width to hold cocktails.

Photo by NEW THEME Inc. – Search midcentury entryway design ideas

Holden designed the bifold doors, and her husband and business partner, master craftsman Wolfgang Melian, fashioned them in their shop. “There are a lot of great modern doors out there, but not many with wood details,” Holden says. “So we have our own shop, and we design and fabricate them ourselves.”

Clerestory windows help let in the light, while overhangs provide shade and offer protection from water leaking in. Supplemental electric light is provided off the grid.

There are two 75-watt solar panels on the roof that power the electricity out here. “The house is also a little lab for learning,” Holden says. She placed an energy monitor so that the girls can see how much energy they are using when, for example, working on their laptops or playing music. “They can learn about their impact on the environment,” the architect says.

Like this story? Don’t miss any breaking news from MyNewsLA.com. Sign up here for your free newsletter.

 
Photo by NEW THEME Inc. – Discover midcentury deck design inspiration

The Douglas fir is coated in wood oil with a walnut stain. The interior plywood is exterior-grade and continues from the floor up the wall and across the ceiling. Painted drywall on the far wall provides some contrast. Discover More Modern Design Inspiration Here.

Photo by NEW THEME Inc. – Discover midcentury hallway design inspiration

MAIN HOUSE: This original dark-stained slatted wall and paneling in the main house inspired the Douglas fir elements in the playhouse.

Photo by NEW THEME Inc. – Browse midcentury shed photos

Though the playhouse does not have a bathroom, there is running water to the sink, which is good for cleaning up after craft time, washing hands or getting a drink.

Inside Holden left the concrete retaining wall exposed to show the structure of the house. The window surrounds do the same thing. “They are a nice detail that expresses the thickness and shape of the wall,” she says. They also function as handy shelves.

The large sectional seen here folds out into a bed. While the structure was built with the girls in mind, the adults love to use it too. “The homeowners tell me that their house guests fight over who gets to stay in the folie now,” Holden says. A favorite abode it is. Pick Up a Sectional Couch Today to Host More Overnight Guests.

Weekend Design: A Midcentury Modern Playhouse Built for All Ages was last modified: May 20th, 2017 by Contributing Editor

>> Want to read more stories like this? Get our Free Daily Newsletters Here!

Follow us:
Facebooktwitterrss
Posted in Life | Tagged encino, Houzz, playhouse, weekend design

Advertisement

Get The Latest News by Email!

Sign up here for our free newsletters. We’ll send you the latest headlines every morning and every weekday afternoon.

 
FORECAST FOR LOS ANGELES
82°
Sunny
Feels like: 82°F
Wind: 3mph S
Humidity: 13%
Pressure: 30.13"Hg
UV index: 3
SatSunMon
86/55°F
84/54°F
77/55°F
Weather forecast Los Angeles, California ▸

Most Popular Today

  • Mom Murdered Four Daughters In Santa Clarita Fire Horror: High Court Hears Death Penalty Appeal 3,600 views
  • Evacuations Ordered as 600-Acre Fire Threatens Mountain Center in Riverside County 2,800 views
  • Rape Victim Unconscious, But She’s Dead! Suspect Nabbed, Unclear When Victim Died In Pomona 2,800 views
  • Lancaster Man Killed in Crash Involving Big Rig 2,600 views
  • Woman’s Body Found Under 22 Freeway in Westminster 2,200 views

©2021 CalNews Inc.

Menu

  • About
  • Staff
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • FAQ
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service