Double Take: Where Is This Fairyland Forest?
Real aspen tree trunks are the enchanting focal point in this creative basement makeover
Becky Harris
April 11, 2017
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia.
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe... More
“This project really let me get back in touch with my inner child,” designer Liz Finkelstein says. When she took on this basement playroom for a 4-year-old girl, she imagined a treehouse-like space, but a fortuitous meeting with a creative woodworker resulted in something different — a copse of aspen trees, lit by twinkle lights.
Before Photo
BEFORE: The basement was nicely finished but didn’t have a lot going on. “My clients wanted to make a creative space for their 4-year old daughter, but they also wanted it to be a place where they’d enjoy spending time too,” Finkelstein says. “They have very sophisticated taste and were up for doing something really fantastic.”
Photo by Daniel O’Connor Photography & Digital Media
AFTER: During a meeting about building a treehouse-like space in the basement, woodworker Michael Auldridge suggested he could bring in real tree trunks instead. “I never would have known this was possible without him,” Finkelstein says.
Auldridge hand-picked trunks from fallen aspen trees, then bolted them into the floor and ceiling. “If we were going to do this, they had to be climbable,” she says. “There are also ledges to perch on and a ladder made out of branches so that she can play, hide and read in here.” If you look closely, you’ll see a few woodland creatures hiding in there. The wallpaper matches the trees, extending the indoor forest.
Wallpaper: Woods, Cole & Son
AFTER: During a meeting about building a treehouse-like space in the basement, woodworker Michael Auldridge suggested he could bring in real tree trunks instead. “I never would have known this was possible without him,” Finkelstein says.
Auldridge hand-picked trunks from fallen aspen trees, then bolted them into the floor and ceiling. “If we were going to do this, they had to be climbable,” she says. “There are also ledges to perch on and a ladder made out of branches so that she can play, hide and read in here.” If you look closely, you’ll see a few woodland creatures hiding in there. The wallpaper matches the trees, extending the indoor forest.
Wallpaper: Woods, Cole & Son
Photo by David Lauer
“I’m obsessed with twinkle lights, and adding those was a nonnegotiable for me,” Finkelstein says. She recommends the twinkle lights from Restoration Hardware.
“I’m not usually a huge fan of layering area rugs over wall-to-wall carpet, but the sheepskin throw just makes it extra cozy,” she says.
“I’m obsessed with twinkle lights, and adding those was a nonnegotiable for me,” Finkelstein says. She recommends the twinkle lights from Restoration Hardware.
“I’m not usually a huge fan of layering area rugs over wall-to-wall carpet, but the sheepskin throw just makes it extra cozy,” she says.
Photo by Daniel O’Connor Photography & Digital Media
Auldridge also built the cabinets, which, along with felt bins and woven baskets, keep all of the toys, books and art supplies neat and organized. The cabinets are topped with quartz. The storage corrals all the clutter and meet the clients’ aesthetic standards. Ultracomfortable Ligne Roset seating also makes it a space where the whole family loves to hang out. “We chose this color because they match the color of aspen tree leaves,” Finkelstein says.
Felt baskets: West Elm
Auldridge also built the cabinets, which, along with felt bins and woven baskets, keep all of the toys, books and art supplies neat and organized. The cabinets are topped with quartz. The storage corrals all the clutter and meet the clients’ aesthetic standards. Ultracomfortable Ligne Roset seating also makes it a space where the whole family loves to hang out. “We chose this color because they match the color of aspen tree leaves,” Finkelstein says.
Felt baskets: West Elm
Photo by David Lauer
Also cutting the clutter is the bulletin board seen here, for rotating artwork, made from an antique mirror. “I love to repurpose antique windows, mirrors and frames,” Finkelstein says. She used an old window, seen on the left, to frame more of the young girl’s artwork. For the large frame in the center, she replaced the glass with corkboard so that artwork can be rotated in a neat, uncluttered way.
Table and chairs: RH Baby & Child
Also cutting the clutter is the bulletin board seen here, for rotating artwork, made from an antique mirror. “I love to repurpose antique windows, mirrors and frames,” Finkelstein says. She used an old window, seen on the left, to frame more of the young girl’s artwork. For the large frame in the center, she replaced the glass with corkboard so that artwork can be rotated in a neat, uncluttered way.
Table and chairs: RH Baby & Child
Photo by Daniel O’Connor Photography & Digital Media
An art table makes a great spot for creative projects, games, tea parties and important meetings. Here, “she is having a board meeting with her stuffed animals about which artwork to hang on their pin board,” Finkelstein says.
There is no TV in the room. “This room is just about play,” she says.
More: Ignite Your Kids’ Spirit of Adventure With an Outdoorsy Bedroom
An art table makes a great spot for creative projects, games, tea parties and important meetings. Here, “she is having a board meeting with her stuffed animals about which artwork to hang on their pin board,” Finkelstein says.
There is no TV in the room. “This room is just about play,” she says.
More: Ignite Your Kids’ Spirit of Adventure With an Outdoorsy Bedroom
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No moisture/biological activity no decay.
What dreamdoctor wrote is correct. However, if you live in a very humid area or on the coast, you can seal the wood against moisture and acids over time.
I was just using some water based urethane last night to seal something - I use it when I don't want the wood color to change - most oil based urethane has a yellowing pigment in it.