HOllY-TONI GIRl Deep in the heart of Texas, designer

Bailey McCarthy surprised her youngsters wit!l the country's coolest playhouse-a 250-

square-foot remake of the state's oldest dance hall. Open Tyke Night, anyone?

***** WR ITTEN BY JEANNE LYONS DAVIS PH OTOGRAPH S BY BUFF STRICKLAND STYLIN G BY BECKI GRIFFIN

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"The fact that we could replace 'Gruene'

with 'Grace' made it almost too good to be

true!" Bailey says.

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1 PONY PARKING ' --- --, Bandana-clad ..

horses stick

When designer and shop owner Bailey McCarthy (biscuit-home. com)

decided to build a playhouse for her daughter, Grace, at the family's white farmhouse in Bellville, Texas, she gave the boot to more conventional, cookie-cutter structures. Instead, Bailey set her sights on replicating an iconic Lone Star State landmark­Gruene Hall, the oldest operating dance hall in the state. She enlisted Pennsylvania-based Lilliput Play Homes (lilliputplay homes. com) to re-create the venue, and luckily this wasn't their first rodeo. The company specializes in crafting extraordinary kid­friendly digs. Mter working with . Bailey on drawings, Lilliput had the honky-tonk ready in eight weeks and assembled it on site in one afternoon. And just in time: Grace was ready and eager for her debut-pink guitar and all.

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It I ,

- - BEHIND THE SCENES Like the original

Gruene Hall (above), Grace Hall wouldn't be complete without the

iconic curtained mural. The re-creation was

hand-painted by Lilliput's staff of artists

in Pennsylvania.

70 COUNTRYLIVING.COM • JUNE 2016

WESTERN UNION No boots? No problem. A corner of Grace Hall

is equipped with plenty of pairs for dress up.

CENTER STAGE Bailey sent drawings of Gruene Hall 's exterior and interior to the artisans at Lilliput Play Homes, who then replicated the structure with cellular PVC lumber that's weather- and rot-resistant. They even cut grooves into planks and hand-painted grains to resemble the building's original woodwork. The table and benches were constructed from discarded shipping pallets.

KITCHENETTE Soup's on! When Grace

LANDSLIDE Playtime isn't reserved

solely for inside. The water tower

doubles as a super fun slide!

isn't performing her version of crowd-favorite "Deep in the Heart of Texas," she stays busy preparing a number of imaginary treats at the kitchen station Lilliput also constructed from old shipping pallets.

SNACK TIME If you're gonna play in Texas,

you gotta have a fiddle in the band .. . and refreshments at the

ready. Here, the watering hole's pint-size performers pause for a

round of root beer floats.

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PLAYING HOUSE If you can dream it

(or snap a photo of it), Lilliput Play Homes

can-and does-build it.

What'li it be? Duffy's Diner comes equipped

with a booth and a drive-thru window!

This Church Playhouse will give your

children a great reason to use #blessed.

Little ones will get fired up over the Olde

Firehouse, which comes with a pole and hose.

Any kid would be pumped to have

his own Full-service Gas Station.

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