Creative People

The Coolest Cubby of All Time

Have you ever met a full-time cubby-builder? Over the last five years Kellie Macpherson and Jon Stones of Castle and Cubby have made it their thing.

We’re not talking about a pillow fort situation, or the big box the fridge came in… Kellie and Jon’s creations are more like tiny homes for tiny (very discerning) people. Castle & Cubby create mini fire stations, ice cream stores, motels and fruit vendors – or just about anything else a kid can imagine!

Recently, the pair collaborated with Sheree Commerford from popular blog Captain and the Gypsy Kid, to create an A-Frame cubby with serious grown-up appeal!

Written
by
Sally Tabart

The view looking out from the Castle & Cubby x Captain and the Gypsy Kid collab! Photo – Sam Elsom. Styling – Sheree Commerford.

Backyard goals! Photo – Sam Elsom. Styling – Sheree Commerford.

‘We never set out to be full time cubby house builders, but a little cubby we created for our first son sparked my imagination and organically we just grew it into Castle & Cubby, ‘ says Kellie. Photo – Sam Elsom. Styling – Sheree Commerford.

Eggs sunny side up, thanks! Photo – Sam Elsom. Styling – Sheree Commerford.

This cubby is designed to grow with the family, and become a guest room or teenager’s retreat in the future. Photo – Sam Elsom. Styling – Sheree Commerford.

Nicer than most grown-up bedrooms! Photo – Sam Elsom. Styling – Sheree Commerford.

Sustainability is a pillar of the Castle & Cubby ethos, and all materials used are repurposed or recycled. Photo – Sam Elsom. Styling – Sheree Commerford.

Details inside the cubby of Sheree Commerford’s kids, Captain and Sugar. Photo – Sam Elsom. Styling – Sheree Commerford.

‘We always envisage that our cubby families are creating life long memories in these spaces. Memories that are cemented by feelings of whimsy, creativity and imagination,’ explains Kellie. Photo – Sam Elsom. Styling – Sheree Commerford.

Writer
Sally Tabart
22nd of January 2018

After a bit of good-old-fashioned Insta stalking, Kellie Macpherson of Castle & Cubby came across Captain and the Gypsy Kid, and was instantly drawn to stylist Sheree Commerford’s natural, rustic aesthetic, and the adventurous spirit of her family. When she saw that Sheree was renovating her home on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, and looking for a great cubby for her kids, she jumped at the opportunity.

‘The process was really organic with Sheree, lots of excited phone calls hashing out concepts and design sketches until we came up with a design that we sighed at,’ Kellie says, ‘We both had ideas of creating A-Frames before coming together, so obviously it was meant to be!’

The result was, and I don’t think I’m exaggerating here, maybe the coolest cubby of ALL TIME. ‘We really wanted to create a space that could grow with a family,’ explains Kellie, ‘a space that was primarily for children to call their own, but that could be converted into guest accommodation or a teenage retreat over the years.’ Yes, that’s right, you can have guests to stay in your child’s cubby house.

The frame uses a combination of sustainably sourced pine, and reclaimed hardwood, for textural appeal. Galvanised tin roofing panels add another layer of texture, and there is the huge side opening that converts the space into a shaded family hang out area.

At the end of the day, sparking imagination, inspiration, and independence in children is at the heart of what Kellie and Jon do. ‘Our spaces are designed to bring families together, interacting in pretend play, mimicking the adult world, sharing secrets, making potions, selling your wares,’ Kellie says, ‘we just want to provide the space to do that in.’

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