Imagine Delightful Freshness

 

This is not quite the family room redo I had in mind. And frankly, I have Todd Oldham to blame. I bring home this book for the kids last week, thinking that over our 3 day weekend (Monday was no school) we could make some thing(s). Maybe weave a cool belt? Maybe make a duct tape bag? A Calder-esque mobile? You know…something small…maybe even usable…something cool.
 

I soon realized they had an entirely different project in mind. The kids wanted to build a “case place”, known to us laymen as a cardboard box house- the biggest project in the book actually.  Well, I said okay and stopped by our local Sears store, where they were more then willing to give me an empty refrigerator box.   I barely managed to stuff it (flattened) into our car and had to go straight home (why risk errands when I can’t see out of the left side of the car?)

 
I don’t have a camera lens to proper capture the size of this box. Big. Huge. You could easily fit 4 kids sitting side by side across it, and if they scooch in on their knees, their head will not be touching the top. Good lord, refrigerators are very big. As you can probably tell from the photos above, Emma’s side has built-in shelves (all her idea), a battery operated candle, and all that sensational tweener “ambiance” that I just adore about kids her age. Ian’s side is most definitely straight up agent headquarters/hideout/secret compartment, all strategically designed to confuse and fool the enemy. Inside, its divided by fabric thrown over a wooden dowel threaded through the center. I cut in folding windows (trimmed by the kids in green tape), hatch doors with handles on the top, and flap doors on the side.
 

“Imagine delightful freshness” it says on the side of the box facing us. Yes…yes…I am trying to imagine the delightful freshness I will feel when the kids tire of the box and this room gets new paint. Perhaps in spring.
Till then, they are having an absolute ball with this box. We now have a schedule of who will sleep in there on what night this weekend. They run to it after school.

About the book, Kid Made Modern. I *love* this book. Its not all that new, but after having it on my wishlist for probably a year, I had to have it. I love that it appeals to both my 11 year old crafty girl (she made the idea for a laptop case into a small stuffy), and my 8 year old non-crafty boy (I’ve been given a supply list from him, so exciting!). There’s something in it for both of them. The projects are wonderful. And there’s even a little mini-lesson in each project about some modern design icon. You know, so they can throw around names at bithday parties like Isamu Noguchi or Verner Panton.