When David Howard posted pictures of an indoor playhouse he built for his kids, he never thought they would go viral.
“This week they were in here [the playhouse] a lot with it being spring break,” Howard said. “I was in here watching them and I just decided I would upload it and maybe inspire someone else to build something. I was just utterly amazed at how this thing went viral in two days.”
As of Friday, more than 100,000 people had shared pictures of the playhouse that features a loft, kitchen, rope bridge, ladder, slide and chandelier. He was even contacted by Good Morning America.
“I felt if 100 people looked at it, it would be worth putting online,” Howard said. “I woke up the next day and like 30,000 looked at it, then 50,000, then 80,000, then 100,000.”
Howard got the idea to build an indoor playhouse for his kids, Hayes, 2, and Hollyn, 4, after his wife Ashley said she wanted them to have a place to put their toys. Instead of building something outside, Howard decided to convert the sun room because of the unpredictable West Texas weather.
“She [Ashley] didn’t really understand what I wanted to do at first,” Howard said. “Then when she finally started seeing the dream, she got on board with it.”
Howard said he was excited to piece together his project.
“I used to do metal fabrication in college and I’ve been working in a bank for ten years,” Howard said. “I kind of just missed doing stuff with my hands. So I remodel a few houses on the side and that’s kind of where I got the experience with sheet rocking and framing.”
He said he worked on the project off and on for about a year and a half, and as his kids got older he added more features, like the rope bridge and slide. He said it took his kids a little while to realize how fun the playhouse was.
“They were smaller and they weren’t all that impressed,” Howard said. “It took them a while to really enjoy it. I don’t know that they really thoroughly enjoyed it until the first time other kids came over and were really excited to see it.”
Howard said his house is now the most popular among his kids’ friends. And when his kids get a little older, he will start building more play structures for them…outside.
