Cookie recently featured Clare Crespo, the creator, writer, director and host of the The Yummyfun Kooking Series, a children's cooking show, as one of our expert moms. So, when she told us about the incredible playhouse that her husband James Chinlund built for their 3-year-old daughter Ruby, we had to take a peek. James built the two story, 12-by-6-foot house himself over a four week period. He says he enjoyed the project so much that he is even thinking about a smaller "weekend" playhouse down the hill. Here, we ask James about the backyard masterpiece.

What was your design process for the playhouse, and had you ever taken on a project of this scale before?

I am a production designer for film and fashion, so I have designed countless crazy things over the years, but it has been a long time since I built something with my own two hands. Last year I designed and built the set for The Yummyfun Kooking Series in our garage. That inspired me to keep going and build more. When I was a kid, I was always building myself forts and tree houses, so it was a dream come true to be able to build one for my young daughter.

We love that the space is so bright and airy. What kind of space were you aiming to create for Ruby?

Our house is on a steep hillside lot and a lot of our property is terraced and hard for little people to get to. The playhouse was designed as a staircase that would let Ruby get from the yard down to the lower area of the property, so she could run free and feel like she had some territory that was all hers to explore. As a result she has an incredible view--better in some ways than the view from our house! It was important to me to take advantage and use the views as much as possible.

What materials did you use?

I recycled some old windows and as much of the lumber as I could. The siding is made of cedar fencing. I am proud to say I built it all--I had some help pouring the concrete footings, but everything else was all me.

What are Ruby's favorite things about her playhouse?

The kitchen sees a lot of action! She runs a restaurant called "Potsa Totsa" which makes an incredible rock soup.

Who was in charge of decorating the space?

The decorating is in its early stages. Ruby and I love to go to flea markets on the weekends looking for junk and the house is a great opportunity for us to go there together. She can look for things for her house, and I look for things for our house. I hope the decorating will never end. It is one of my favorite things to do. The main idea is that she will feel free to write on the walls, spill paint everywhere and not worry about it⿿nothing is too precious. 

The mixed tiles on the floor add a great whimsical element. Where did you get them?

Ruby and I picked them together at an old linoleum shop here in L.A. They are sticky on the back, so that was one of the projects we could do together. She would peel the tiles and hand them to me to lay down. 

Can you tell us about the retro ice cream decals on the walls?

Those ice cream stickers were left over from a Levi's commercial I did a while ago. We created an old ice cream truck for the job and designed all the stickers. I couldn't throw them away and was waiting for an opportunity to use them. 

What are your favorite features of the playhouse?

I love that we can sit in the yard as a family. Ruby really loves to spend the day our there now. Los Angeles really pushes you to be in the car so much. We don't have a swimming pool, and I wanted our house to be a place where our friends and their kids would want to be. Seeing the gangs of kids playing in the house really is a dream come true.