Remember when you were a kid, and whenever you wanted to get away from it all you could just build yourself a nice little couch-cushion-bedspread fort and nestle on in? Wasn’t it nice to escape the pressures of reality for your own private space that could be whatever you wanted it to be? Yeah, we think so too. And now that we’re (arguably) grown-ups, and we’ve learned what the pressures of reality really are, we’re thinking that we need our forts more than ever.
So here are our picks for the best forts for grown-ups: there’s one for every type of fort-builder, so snuggle in, make yourself comfortable, and dream of a world without Glenn Beck. Plus, we bet the rent is cheaper than that one-bedroom you’ve been hanging on to. Just a thought.
For the Aspiring Work-a-holic Fort-Builder:
This space-saving wardrobe/bookcase, designed by Rene Seibum, transforms into an intimate room perfect for reading, writing, or just having some alone time. Inspired by As Seibum says, the Second Skin wardrobe “answers our human need for intimacy from a different angle.” Watch the video for the full and amazing effect:
For more, check out Siebum’s website. [via Re-nest]
For the Flexible-Minded Fort-Builder:
Molo Design has created softwall + softblock, a gorgeous system for creating spaces within spaces — the flexible walls come crafted in either translucent or opaque fabrics in order to let the user choose how much light will be incorporated into the space. Molo’s softwall is on permanent display at MoMA, so if you lack the funds to buy your own, you can at least visit your dream fort whenever you like. Check out their website for beautiful videos and many more pictures.
For the Recycling-Happy Fort-Builder:
The creative agency Nothing‘s office was constructed almost entirely from cardboard and decorated with doodles by staff and clients. The designers Joost van Bleiswijk and Alrik Koudenburg say that they used a ‘no screw, no glue’ technique — the whole structure is built without sticking agents! So okay, this isn’t exactly a private dreamer’s fort — the designers have to work in it — but consider it inspiration for a home office made of old boxes. We know you’ve got them lying around. [via Apartment Therapy]
For the Blanket-Hogging Fort-Builder:
Fraternal design team Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec created the Stitch Room out of completely eco-friendly fabrics from Danish company Kvadrat, crafting interchangeable pieces — some with internal aluminum frames — to be used as building blocks for inside spaces. The owner can build and re-build as often as they like, with unlimited possibilities — and the pieces are soft textiles, good for cozying up to. Now that sounds like the forts we remember. [via Inhabitat]
For the Literal (and Literary) Fort-Builder:
Okay, so these are grown-ups making kid-type forts. But we just couldn’t resist posting the winners of Booooooom‘s Where the Wild Things Are fort-building contest. The art blog asked readers to build the best forts they could muster with whatever they had lying around the house. The winner built his fort from old pallets and string — no nails or screws — and, um, it has a third floor. It also has a fake tree. We quite like it. The lady in second place is possibly the most adorable person ever. She told Booooooom, “I’ve been drowning in adulthood lately and building this fort was such an awesome opportunity to be a kid again.” We feel you.
Any grown-up forts of your own you’d like to share? Or are there No Girls Allowed?