In November 2023, we broke ground on transforming our beloved playground space into something much more functional for our growing needs.

Let’s rewind. This is what the space looked like when we bought the house. After about four years of dirt, weeds, and overgrown trees, we poured concrete to level it out.

Then we added turf and built a playground swingset. That was our Covid home improvement project.

From Playground to Practical: Our Home Expansion Journey

This project started with some bittersweet moments. The backyard playground had been home to so many memories—birthday parties, pizza nights, and summer barbecues. Letting go of that space wasn’t easy, but with two kids quickly outgrowing our 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom house, we knew it was time. The vision: convert the playground area into two bedrooms (one for each child), plus a shared bathroom with a shower and a closet for a stacked laundry unit.

Designing a New Flow

One of the first big decisions was to close up the kitchen windows. It was tough saying goodbye to all that natural light, but it allowed us to create a cohesive hallway that would connect the new bedrooms and bathroom seamlessly into the rest of the home.

During construction, we paused our ADU rentals to repurpose it as a storage room and office space.

Weathering the Holidays

The hardest stretch came during the holidays. With gaping holes in the house, constant rain, and too many leaks to count, it was far from cozy. Still, we kept reminding ourselves of the long-term vision and pushed forward (with lots of buckets and towels).

Watching It Come Together

By March, the transformation started to fall into place. The drywall was repaired, and the new floors went in.

Finishing Touches

In early May, we added a sliding farmhouse door to separate the new space—a beautiful design detail that also provided extra soundproofing for the kids’ nap times.

The following weekend, we assembled Maven’s new IKEA bunk bed, making her room feel complete. And by mid-May, we installed IKEA cabinets in the kitchen—a huge win. While it was sad to lose the natural light from the kitchen windows, the added storage more than made up for it.

We also carved out a closet for the laundry unit. Originally, we installed doors to conceal it, but they clashed with the front-load washer and dryer, so we eventually removed them for practicality.

A Home That Fits Us

Looking back, the journey from November to May was full of challenges—rainstorms, leaks, and dust everywhere again—but also full of excitement as we watched our vision become reality. Now, our kids each have their own room, we’ve gained an extra functional bathroom, and the kitchen is more practical than ever.