Published: October 16, 2009 10:34 am      

Family builds 12-year-old’s ‘man cave’ from recycled, recovered materials

PRINCETON — At 12 years old, Konner Lively probably has the most-coveted “man cave” in his Mikee Road community.

What started out as a porch someone tore off their house during home renovations turned into a family project for the Lively clan a few years ago. Konner and his parents, Bill and Kim, originally intended to transform the porch into a treehouse, but the project didn’t pick up steam until this summer.

“We decided that if we were ever going to do it, we had to do it now, because Konner’s growing up and he soon wouldn’t want a treehouse,” Kim Lively said. “Then we decided we were going to go green with it.”

The Princeton family set out on a summer mission to recycle pieces of home construction and demolition and make them part of the soon-to-be-teen’s hideaway.

The only “new” items in side the tiny house adjacent to the Lively home are the comfortable chairs where Konner and his friends kick back, snack, watch TV, listen to tunes and more.

While the removed porch created the framework of the house, there were still lots of other items to consider.

Bill had some wood left over from a friend’s home demolition that helped fill in the walls and flooring. Another acquaintance provided excess siding used in a renovation project to decorate and preserve the exterior of Konner’s house. A wire spool retrieved from Lowe’s as a give-away serves as his table. The curtains were once bedsheets.

Even the appliances are recycled. A discarded microwave Bill gave new life with a new fuse offers a way to heat snacks, while an old car stereo installed into a small wooden cabinet lets Konner rock to his own beat. Kim discovered the refrigerator and some of the windows at a yard sale.

Other windows were preserved from a home demolition near Peterstown.

While the Livelys were completing the project, nearly all the neighbors chipped in by donating items to finish the house or offering their services.

“There are always small amounts of things left over from projects when you’re done. They’re usually things nobody wants, except Bill,” Kim Lively said. “Those are the things we used to make the man cave, because Konner’s too grown-up for a playhouse.”

There’s even an escape hatch, made from a trap door in the floor and using a play slide. Although Konner hasn’t found cause to flee his refuge yet, he knows he can slip out and slide down the mountain any time he needs to.

“Me and Dad just mostly watch TV out there. We’ve slept out there a couple of nights,” Konner explained.

The family dog, Buddy, also likes to get in on the fun, because the guys often drop pieces of popcorn. The big, black Labrador retriever is always happy to pick up the pieces they miss.

Kim said Konner’s man cave has also left an impression on his sisters’ boyfriends.

“They’ve asked if they can rent the man cave, but Konner hasn’t settled on a price yet,” she said.

The project took a lot of effort and ingenuity, but the Livelys all said they were happy they completed it as a family.

“Konner learned a lot, and I learned a lot about how you can recycle and make something really nice with hardly any money,” she said. “You just have to pay attention to the things around you.”

— Contact Tammie Toler at ttoler@ptonline.net.