Couple build matching Mediterranean-inspired adult and children cubby houses featuring a water slide and built-in bar for entertaining – and you can do it too
- An Australian couple create incredibly stylish kids and adults cubby houses
- Sophie Bell designed the mini houses and her husband, Michael, built them
- The adult’s den has a custom-made bar, day bed, lighting features and tiles
- In the kid’s cubby there is a mini play shop with a window, slide and sun deck
An Australian home stylist has shared how she and her husband created a stunning outdoor bar and an epic kid’s cubby house after going viral on TikTok.
Sophie Bell, 34, and her husband Michael, designed and built two incredible Mediterranean-style adults and kids’ cubby houses on their property in the hinterland behind Cabarita Beach in Northern NSW.
With rendered white walls, custom tiles, ‘crazy paved’ flooring and arched windows and doorways, the kid’s cubby has a mini play shop and kitchen while the adult’s den has a built-in bar, speakers and day bed perfect for lounging on with a cocktail.
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Home stylist, Sophie Bell has shared how she and her husband created a stunning outdoor bar and an epic kid’s cubby house after going viral on TikTok
The couple designed and built two incredible Mediterranean-style adults and a kids cubby houses on their property in the hinterland behind Cabarita Beach in Northern New South Wales
With textured rendered white walls, custom tiles, ‘crazy-paved’ flooring and arched windows and doorways, the kid’s cubby has a mini play shop and kitchen while the adult’s den has a built-in bar, speakers and day bed perfect for lounging on with a cocktail
Ms Bell, who owns Peppa Hart design studio, said she had been talking about building a kid’s cubby and finally found the time to do it during the state’s last lockdown.
‘I literally just hand drew a design on paper of how I imagined it looking and then my husband turned it into a real life structure,’ she told FEMAIL.
‘Once we started marking out the space we realised we would be out here 24/7 with the kids and we had nowhere to hang out while they were playing, so that’s where the adults’ cubby idea came about.’
‘The adults’ cubby is right next door so we can keep an eye on what they are up to but we can enjoy some spicy margaritas while the kids are living their best life,’ Ms Bell said.
To build the cubbies, two concrete slabs were laid and Mr Bell constructed frames of timber and a polystyrene-like material that is strong and easily shaped to create the arched windows and doors.
The frame was then rendered and painted white and a ‘crazy pave’ or flag stone floor was laid.
To build the cubbies, two concrete slabs were laid and Mr Bell constructed frames of timber and a polystyrene-like material that is strong and easily shaped to create the arched windows and door
The frame was then rendered and painted white and a ‘crazy pave’ or flag stone floor was laid
To finish, the bar was tiled with custom-made tiles Ms Bell designed with boutique tilers Three Balls Red that will be soon available to buy so other’s can re-create Mediterranean magic in their own homes.
‘Michael was adamant to make everything in there so he made the doors for the bar and handles as well,’ Ms Bell said.
‘(There are) a couple of speakers in the roof so we can have music playing, some beautiful light sconces on the outside that Michael made and rendered as well to complete the look.’
Ms Bell said her daughter, Peppa, 2, loves playing shops and selling us coffee and ice cream so the kids cubby was built around having a window she can open up and ‘sell’ things
To finish, the bar was tiled with custom-made tiles Ms Bell designed with boutique tilers Three Balls Red and there are speakers in the roof as well as a day bed.
The cubby is every kid’s dream with a slide, sun deck, and mini shop and Ms Bell said her kids, Hendrix, five, and Peppa, two, have spent most days playing there since they finished the build.
‘Our daughter loves playing shops and selling us coffee and ice cream so the kids cubby was built around having a window she can open up and sell us things. Inside she has her little fridge and oven,’ she said.
‘My son wanted a slide so there is stairs on the side of the cubby that lead to a little sun deck that the kids can hang out on and come down the slide. The slide has water connected to it as well so it becomes a fun water slide, we pop a little inflatable pool at the bottom of the slide so they splash into the water.’
Designer Sophie Bell’s tips and tricks to bring a taste of the Mediterranean to your home
1. Render walls or if you are unable to render, you can use textured paint, Dulux have a great textured paint product. Having tactile surfaces really creates a level of interest on what would normally be a flat white wall. I use white paint to keep that true Mediterranean vibe, I always go for white on white vibes
2. Add soft lines and curves, niches in the walls, arched doors, arched windows, if you cannot renovate then go for curves in your styling pieces like arched mirrors
3. I look at Mediterranean style as imperfectly perfect, so choose finishes that are not perfect. For example our tapware is brass and continues to Patina over time. Adding things that don’t feel shiny and modern really help bring the Mediterranean feel
Sophie Bell’s top tips
4. Use layers of textures in your styling to help create interest, keep your base neutral but can add deep rich colour with your textiles like cushions and art and go for natural materials like timbers, woven rugs, stone and brass
5. I personally love having big bowls of lemons and limes all over as well
6. Go for bold tiles in warm tones.
7. Ceramics in beautiful textured finishes
8. Crazy pave – I am crazy pave mad and think this really helps bring the Mediterranean feel into your home. You can do this inside and outside or just in bathrooms
Ms Bell posted a now-viral video to TikTok of the build and the stylish end results which has been viewed more than 1.9million times and racked up hundreds of comments praising the couple’s impressive DIY job.
‘Your husband gets it. Keep him. This is gorgeous,’ one viewer wrote.
‘Where do I buy one of these husbands? They sell them on Amazon?’ joked a second.
‘I am obsessed with the Mediterranean/Spanish vibes,’ said a third.
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