All of the Toylike Features on HGTV's 'Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge'
A life-size Barbie Dreamhouse wouldn't be complete without the very same elements that make the toys themselves so fun to play with. In HGTV's Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge, each design duo is tasked with adding at least one "toyetic" concept to their project. In the series premiere, we learned those are defined as "toylike features that often serve a dual purpose." Now that the four-part series has come to an end, we're looking back at every fun addition throughout the 4,500-square-foot fantasy mansion located in Southern California. Who knows, maybe you'll want to recreate a few of the features in your own dream house.
Spiral Pool Slide and Lifeguard Tower
The winning space of the whole competition series was the Y2k party backyard designed by 100 Day Dream Home stars Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt. Naturally, their backyard—shown in the third episode of the series—featured a hot pink spiral pool slide. But they didn't stop there! The slide is actually connected to Ken's lifeguard tower, which also has a spiral staircase. The iconic combo offers endless fun on hot summer days.
Accessory and Beverage ATM
Christina Hall and James Bender tackled Barbie's dream closet. For the playful, innovative space, the Christina on the Coast stars took inspiration from Cher's iconic closet in Clueless. Instead of a rotating closet, they created an ATM for accessories (shoes, bags, and sunglasses) and beverages. The setup makes getting dressed extra exciting.
Hat Carousel
Hall and Bender took their closet design up another notch by incorporating a hat carousel. The design duo placed a track similar to those used for toy trains on top of the built-in clothing displays. With the press of a button, hats on pedestals emerge from behind their glass cases and out into the open where they're reachable by ladder. Once a hat is selected, the button can be pressed again so that the hats are safely stowed away.
Desk Aquarium
Barbie has had more than 250 careers, and yet she's never had an office... until now thanks to Luxe for Less stars Michael Smith Boyd and Anthony Elle. For the first-ever Barbie office, they turned the desk into an aquarium. The fish tank is decked out with typical aquarium decor and marine biologist Barbie floating in it and doing what she loves.
Pop-Down TV
To make the office more functional while maintaining a playful atmosphere, Boyd and Elle added a hidden TV for video calls. Covered in black-and-white striped wallpaper, the pop-down TV ensures business gets done without sacrificing style.
Water Fountain Flamingos
Bargain Block stars Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas gave the home's front exterior a 1990s-inspired makeover. While it boasts fun elements like a toy handle on the roof and a phone-shaped doorbell, the main toyetic element was Chilean flamingos that were transformed into water features. Placed along the entrance's walkway, the water-spewing flamingos create a magical experience as guests enter the home.
Spinning Changing Room
In the second episode of the series, longtime HGTV stars Ty Pennington and Alison Victoria create the first-ever den for Ken in a Barbie dreamhouse. With a 1970s theme to guide them, they built a spinning changing room that doubles as a dramatic entrance onto a light-up, dimensional dance floor. The wooden, tube-shaped changing room even has a disco ball hanging inside of it to amp up the party atmosphere. It's a lounge that can even make "just Ken" feel special.
Talking Canopy Bed
For a Barbie bedroom suite with 1980s flair, Farmhouse Fixer stars Jonathan Knight and Kristina Crestin went all out. They built a canopy bed (every Barbie lover's fantasy!) that features a detailed headboard with a heart at its center. But what makes the dreamy addition extra special is that when anyone says the phrase "Bed, I'm tired," the furniture lights up and shares a sweet wish for a good night's slumber. The pre-programmed message was recorded by Knight for a soothing end to every evening.
Purple Lucite Elevator
Married to Real Estate stars Egypt Sherrod and Mike Jackson take on the entry, living room, and dining room in the house. While they originally wanted to incorporate a cupcake carousel in a dining room wall as their toyetic feature, they ended up going with an elevator made of purple Lucite for Barbie's pets in the 1990s-inspired living room (which is arguably even more iconic than cupcakes!). But there's more! The elevator doubles as a telephone booth and operates via a simple button.
Hidden Appliance Lifts
The purple number isn't the only elevator in this house. The appliances get their own mini-lifts. Help! I Wrecked My House star Jasmine Roth and Food Network's Antonia Lofaso worked on the kitchen and family room, and they incorporated multiple toyetic features in the kitchen. Perhaps the most thrilling are the hidden appliance lifts in the kitchen island. With the press of two buttons—made to look like 2-D stickers, one of a blender and the other shaped like a toaster—each appliance garage rises out of the kitchen island with its respective appliance in tow. It’s not only playful, but it's a space-saving solution that makes meal prep easier. "I sincerely want that feature in my life," designer and judge Jonathan Adler said of the creative storage during the premiere episode.
Secret Pantry
Roth and Lofaso also added a secret pantry in the kitchen. The door acts as a shelving unit for storing dinnerware, cookbooks, decor, and other kitchen essentials. When pushed in, it leads to a walk-in pantry.
Sofa With TV Dinner Trays
The 1960s family room is outfitted with a replica of the colorful plaid cardboard sofa featured in the very first Barbie Dreamhouse. Not only does it look exactly like the toy, but Roth and Lofaso attached TV dinner trays to both ends of the sofa to further transport anyone who enters the space into the era when America first fell in love with Barbie.
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