This is my childhood playhouse out behind the Connecticut farmhouse where I grew up. My parents think it may have originally been a corncrib. Here, it’s looking its finest, once my mother made it her own after I was grown.

She landscaped it with dwarf English boxwoods, applied a trellis, and planted geraniums in the flower boxes. A fresh coat of paint on the exterior spruced up the board siding and awning windows. She knew the weathered, white-washed interior would continue to charm as does the picket-edged detailing on the gable end. She equipped the interior with a dry sink, twig furniture, and small garden tools, supplanting my Easy-Bake Oven and miniature tea sets.

At different times, it was, for both of us, a dreamy retreat where we indulged in leisurely summer days, carefree imaginings, and everyday growing.

Do you have a small retreat that speaks to you? It may speak to others, so let me know if you’re interested in sharing it.

by Katie Hutchison for the House Enthusiast