Dwell › Products

Villa Julia

Designed by: Javier Mariscal
Made by: Magis
Price: $274.00
More Info: unicahome.com

Pros
Anyone who’s ever played in a household appliance box knows that cardboard is perhaps the most kid-friendly building material around—and it’s used here to great effect. Precious, but not too precious, architectural, but not too severe, the easily constructed Villa Julia just might be the perfect playhouse.

The tiny chimney and fireplace are among the classy details that make this design a hit with all ages.

Cons
The Villa’s cardboard construction means it’s easy to “customize.” Coloring in the walls is good; tearing out a window frame or bending an entire wall, not so much. We estimate the Villa’s lifespan to be two to three years, tops.

Eighteen-month-old Oliver was the perfect fit for the Villa Julia’s compact interior, but we suspect that he–and older, bigger kids–would soon outgrow it.