This mini prefab cabin is a playhouse adults will envy

There’s nothing childish about this sleek playhouse. Designed by British studio Koto, the Ilo Playhouse could just as easily serve as a backyard retreat for discerning adults.

With its angular timber frame and streamlined details, the playhouse is a mini-me of Koto’s larger prefab cabins. But unlike its bigger cousin, the Ilo is designed with three walls and a fourth that remains open to let plenty of fresh air into the room. The playhouse is prefabricated offsite and can be delivered fully built or in flat-packed pieces to be constructed on-site.

Tracey Hosey

Tracey Hosey

The designers say Ilo is inspired by Scandinavian timber cabins. And indeed, Ilo does have a minimalist-hygge charm to it. The mini-cabin is was created as an intentionally blank canvas for kids to interpret as they please, though it’s not lacking for interesting details. The exterior is clad in light timber panels, and each wall features a long rectangular window that creates a cool contrast next the structure’s angular roof.