Whimsical Kid’s Playroom & Suite Basement Remodel in Alpine, Utah
The Up House, Winnie the Pooh, and Going Down the Rabbit Hole: Building the Ultimate Grandkids’ Playroom
Some projects are about solving a problem. This one was about creating a world.
When the homeowners in Alpine came to us about transforming a basement bedroom into a space for their grandchildren, they didn’t ask for a playroom. They asked for an adventure — a place that would make grandkids want to come over, that would live in their imaginations long after they went home, and that would be built with the same level of care and craftsmanship as every other room in the house.
We built them three worlds in one.
The Concept: Up, Winnie the Pooh, and Alice in Wonderland
The theme pulls from three beloved stories: the movie Up, the classic tales of Winnie the Pooh, and Alice in Wonderland. Each one appears in the space in a different form, and together they create something that feels less like a children’s room and more like a storybook you can walk into.
The centerpiece is a hand-built replica of the Up house — a two-story structure built directly into the room, accurate enough to the movie that the furniture inside was fabricated from reference photos. The carpet inside the house is designed to look like wood plank flooring. Outside, the carpet transitions to grass with a sidewalk running through it.
From the house, a tunnel runs to the Winnie the Pooh tree — a hand-crafted tree built by the designer’s assistant and her father, painted with scenes and characters from the stories. At the base of the slide, the walls become Alice in Wonderland: painted murals capturing the feeling of going down the rabbit hole, surrounding kids as they make their descent.
“Who wouldn’t want to live in a movie they’ve seen and loved, or a book they’ve read? That’s the whole idea.”
Built for Discovery
Every detail was thought through. The Up house has two levels — enough space to climb, explore, and disappear. The tunnel connecting the house to the tree invites movement and imagination. The murals aren’t decoration; they’re part of the story. The whole room rewards looking closer.
One of the most challenging elements was the carpet inside the Up house. We wanted it to feel like the wood plank floors from the movie — visually convincing — but still soft and safe for kids. Finding and installing a carpet that accomplished both took real effort, and it was worth it.
Built to Last
This isn’t a space built to look good on opening day and fall apart under real use. Tile flooring in the bathroom, extra finish coats on the cabinetry, and windows sized as large as possible to fill the space with natural light — every decision was made for the long term. Grandkids grow up. This room will grow with them.
The Reaction
Don wasn’t there for the reveal, but the reports came back quickly. Some kids went silent. Others screamed with joy and ran straight in. Both reactions are exactly right.
What the grandparents love most, now that they’re living with it, is how it feels. Warm, inviting, and alive — not like a showroom. Everything can be touched. Everything is meant to be used. It doesn’t feel like a museum where you admire from a distance. It feels like a place where things happen.
That’s the thing about a well-built home. It doesn’t just impress. It gathers people in and keeps them there. This room does exactly that — one adventure at a time.
