An Old Construction Trailer is Now a Relaxing Playroom for Kids
Old trailers left at construction sites more often than not end up as rusting eyesores, forgotten until they are finally disposed of. This abandoned trailer, however, was rescued and transformed into a truly lovely backyard escape. Would you believe it now functions beautifully as a playroom for children that doubles as a relaxation space for the parents?
A family in Belgium bought the trailer from the local government for a mere €15 ($20 US), but it was not until designer Karel Verstraeten was asked for a redesign plan it that it became a truly beautiful part of the family’s land.
The family all pitched in on the project. They clad the exterior in strips of oak and added a domed window to one end of the trailer, giving a unique fishbowl-type view from the trailer.
Inside, curved plywood smoothly covers every surface of the interior. Four wooden rails run the length of the trailer, allowing for a great deal of customization. Pieces of wood can be slid onto these rails to create storage, seating, a desk, or a bed.
The layout of the trailer can be changed to suit whatever activity the couple and their two children are engaged in at the time. It’s a quiet study spot, a clubhouse, a guest house, and more.
The family’s goal in beginning the project was to create a comfortable place for their children to relax and play. The finished trailer is a beautiful addition to the pastoral setting, blending in with nature and providing exactly the functions that the parents wanted for their kids.
About the designer
Karel Verstraeten now works as one half of FELT.
“FELT architecture & design was founded in 2014 by Jasper Stevens and Karel Verstraeten. They teamed up after being awarded the Interieur Award for their project Behind the Curtain. In the same year, the office won an Open Oproep competition for a primary school in Zarren. Recently they were awarded the ARC20 Jong Talent Award by de Architect. Karel Verstraeten (Ghent, 1985) graduated in Architecture and Urbanism at the University of Ghent. He worked as a project architect for 51N4E, in 2010 he won the Meesterproef and got selected to design a youth center in Ghent.”
