I designed it when my daughter was two and I just couldn't contemplate having one of those ghastly plastic wendy houses in our garden!
The curvy lines and arched windows give the house a fairy tale quality. The twin spires and forked flags swinging gently in the breeze put one in mind of a knight's encampment. Its ambiguous form transforms effortlessly from cottage to castle, wigwam to igloo.
Any small child would be enchanted to find such an intriguing structure in their garden and will quickly make it their own.
Handmade in England from natural english willow, the playhouse has impeccable environmental credentials. Willow is a material which is annually renewable and which will gradually degrade over about 4-5 years - which is about the length of time a child will remain interested in using a playhouse. At the end of its life, rather than needing to go into landfill, it can simply be recycled in your own garden. You could use the willow as kindling if you have a fire; you could put it in the compost bin or you could shred it and use it as garden mulch. The base is made from untreated pine. It too will gradually degrade but will be much safer for children to sit on than pressure treated timber. At the end of the playhouse's life, the base timber can be reused for a garden project or converted to firewood.
The Dreaming Spires Willow Playhouse is designed and made in Surrey, England by me. It has been tested against European Toy Safety Standards and carries the CE mark.
The playhouse was a finalist in the 2007 Grand Designs Awards in the UK.
The playhouse measures 2.4m (8') wide by 1m (3') deep (front to back) and is a little over 2m (6') tall at the top of the spires. Many playhouses don't allow for the fact that parents are inevitably invited in for tea parties! The Dreaming Spires playhouse allows adults a reasonable degree of comfort on such occasions! The dappled light which enters the house through the woven willow makes it a magical place to be.
I regret to say at present I can only sell playhouses to customers in the UK due to delivery and safety regulations issues but I'm working on it. If you are outside the UK and really want one, I will look into it with more urgency!
Delivery costs will depend on where you are. If you are within about 100 miles of Farnham, Surrey I will deliver the playhouse myself and charge my mileage at 36p per mile. If you are further away I will probably use a courier and will need to get a quote for you. Or you are welcome to come and collect.
Have any questions?
Contact the shop owner.
