A cardboard house of my own.

I was most definitely tickled to see this cardboard children’s playhouse entitled “villa julia” by Javiar Mariscal for Magis meant to put together by children (with the help of an adult) and colored in however they choose. It reminded me the “clubhouse” my friend and I built out of a massive cardboard box when we were children for our “Wildcats Club”.

We cut out windows, covered the outside in multiple types of wrapping paper, and the inside with stickers and club mantra type things (we were all “girl power”!-esque). We had a list of rules for entry on our “door”. It was pretty rad, and we had lots of fun squished inside when we weren’t gallivanting around the neighborhood, climbing up trees, challenging the neighborhood boys to water-gun/balloon fights, or working at our street-side “store”/lemon-aid stand/concert hall (also made out of a cardboard box).

This color-in-able one looks pretty neat, too. Certainly more spacious and has a definite “house-y” vibe to it. Looks like an adult might even be able to fit inside? Maybe? I think it’d be an amusing addition to my living room. Actually, some of the local Bushwick-y artist lofts could set up a bunch of them and call them rooms. And, hey! If the economy dives down much more, we can all start living in them. We could have a cardboard house town! Artsy poverty. It’s where it’s at.

But, for kids: never underestimate the power of a massive cardboard box(es), art supplies, and some imagination.  That way they can make a house/clubhouse/rocket-ship/bakery/school/dress-shop/store/recording studio/ etc. The possibilities are endless. And cute.

via Design Boom

Shout-out to your inner child

It’s wallpaper you can color from minimoderns a line of interior products for “kids” by London-based design group and branding agency Absolute Zero Degrees. Presently, it comes in this clock design and also in a chair pattern:

Personally, I find the idea of coloring my wallpaper pretty darn exciting. It’s got to be a rather liberating feeling since many of us have gotten in trouble for coloring, or attempting to color on the walls (I mean if it’s white, it’s like the Ultimate Blank Canvas) as children. Personally, I was intrigued by how the tip of the plug-thing of cord to the headphones (?) of my kiddie cassette player could draw in a pencil-ish fashion on the walls. My dad, needless to say, wasn’t so amused (even though, ahem, it was on the inside of my closet and not on a regular wall, y’know).

While these patterns are pretty rad, I think it’d be extra cool to make color-in-wallpaper made specifically for adults… In wallpaper-y patterns or something… like damask, or trees, or artistic-ness things. The thought of it makes my heart flutter a bit, I must admit.

Continuing on this childhood-grazing wall covering kitsch factor.. How would you feel about scratch and sniff wallpaper. It exists!

Flavorpaper was created in B-A-N-A-N-A-S! , Cherry Forever , and Tutti Frutti scents. Oh, yes, and “a percentage of sales goes to the Human Rights Campaign to help achieve human equality.” Word.

A portion of this discovery aided by Cup of Joe