Table that turns into a secret house

The "Daily Shelter" by artist Ingrid Brandth is a dining-room table that converts to a secret fort: "At first glance it looks like an ordinary table. But for the one who knows its secret, it can be transformed into a shelter where one can hide from scary sounds, ghosts or family members. Just like a snail feels safe in its house."

One of the coolest parts of having a two-year-old around the house is getting to play fort all the time -- we dive under the covers and shout "cave of wonders," hide in closets, and so on. I wish I had the chops and the space to build one of these for Poesy, but we're doing OK with blankets and pillows.

Daily Shelter (via Cribcandy)

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

MORE: Art and Design • fort • Gadgets • transformer

More at Boing Boing

Eurovision 2013: An American in London

The technology that links taxonomy and Star Trek

Janny

I work with kids! That’s really great for them! They will love it!

Jane,
t3hmadhatter

It’s easier with blankets and heavy toys.
Robbo

A card table and a quilt = hours of off-world fun.
Matthew Miller

Really cool — too bad about the horrible web design. I almost missed the youtube video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vr8mgOHZE4
Lobster

Nice! All you need is a little imagination and you can play make-believe!

http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=4&p=000261
technogeek

Woof. Woof woof!

As an art piece referencing our shared memory of table forts, I very much like it. I don’t think it’s really intended to be taken more solemnly than that. (There’s a big difference between solemn and serious.) I think it shows a lot of imagination on the part of the woodworker.

Of course a kid can turn anything into anything. But this really isn’t intended for them.
Ellavemia

I don’t have any kids but I sure would like to have one of these. For the cats. Yeah, that’s it.
Stefan Jones

Lacking a shop . . . you should try to re-create those old comic-book-ad play vehicles, Cory.

Nautilus Sub, spaceship, etc.

They were printed cardboard. Would make a neat MAKE project.
Stefan Jones

Whoops. Polaris sub:

http://www.tomheroes.com/Comic%20Ads/classic%20ads/polarissub.htm
dancentury

A secret dog house. Sopwith Camel.
Anne K.

Aw man, now I want to go play in a blanket fort but I’m too big to sprawl under the dining room table! It sucks to be big. I want to go play our favorite fort game, Pirate Boarding School Ship with Random Literary Crossover Interludes, with my little sister.
billstewart

A second for the card table + blanket approach. Or occasionally you can find that most excellent version, a cardboard box from a refrigerator or washing machine.
Evil Lyle

Although not searly as cool as making something yourself, the “Convertibles” line available on Amazon are a series of large board books that can be assembled into pirate ships, cars, etc. They come together using sturdy plastic bands with velcro and also include a story and, in the case of the pirate ship at least, a treasure map. Check it out here
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Convertible-Pirate-Convertibles-Belinda-Gallagher/dp/1842368680/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b

My son loves it, although he loves it just as much as when I make a submarine out of our big square sofa cushions (although his mum doesn’t like that quite as much…)