How This Mom Turned a Closet Into the Coolest Secret Room EVER For Her Daughter

There's something a little magical about having your own "secret" space as a kid, whether that's a favorite tree or a quiet hideaway in the house. One mom has created quite possibly the most magical space for her 11-year-old daughter, Sylvia, and it's straight out of Narnia. Denver-based interior designer Laura Medicus transformed a closet into a small, hidden room by removing the back of an armoire and placing it in front of the closet's entrance. Her creative project is going viral because, well, everyone wants one — including me!

Laura explained the entire step-by-step process for the budget-friendly children's room on her blog, The Colorado Nest. The project took three weekends to complete, and while she does have the advantage of an interior designer's skills, the breakdown is simple enough for any handy person to follow. All you have to do is take the door off your child's closet (and store it somewhere), find an affordable armoire (Laura found hers on Craigslist), take the back off the armoire, and slide the piece of furniture in front of the doorway (making sure it's stable, of course). Laura shared her exact floor plan, which makes the process easier to visualize.

Now, the armoire is like a secret passageway — for small humans only, Laura notes — that leads to a cozy getaway with a reading nook and a "lounge" sign. Credit for the original idea goes to C.S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, naturally. And yes, Laura's daughter "is a big fan of Narnia. She's a fan of all things fantasy [and] magical in fiction," Laura told POPSUGAR.

It's safe to say Sylvia's room is getting a lot of use, particularly for reading time, chats with her best friend, and some TV watching. "Sylvia is LOVING it — currently we helped her move her twin bed into it and it's now a secret bedroom/reading spot, so it's used daily and is really cozy," Laura told POPSUGAR. "I should add that we do have an air return in there and a vent right outside the opening so it gets some air movement."

The mom knows that this won't last forever, but it was worth the effort for a few years. She wrote in the blog post, "I think she's got a few years of enjoying it like this and then we'll move the armoire and set it up as a 'normal' closet. For now, it's pretty fabulous and it's very budget friendly." Keep reading to see the photos from this ingenious DIY, and prepare to be inspired to create your own.