Magical: Mom builds secret Narnia room with wardrobe entryway for daughter
REGINA, Saskatchewan - It looks like something straight out of fantasy, but a Narnia-inspired secret room one mom built for her daughter is real.
Brittany Gogel, who owns Brit & Barclay Designs, an antiques and curiosities shop in Canada, said she’s loved the “Chronicles of Narnia” since before she could even read. “To be honest, I've just always wanted to go to Narnia, so creating it in my own home was a childhood dream come true,” said Gogel.
“But also, I have a daughter now and I'd really like to teach her how important reading and using your imagination can be,” Gogel added.
The room that she calls the “imaginarium,” is something she says every house should have.
Just like the magical story written by C.S. Lewis, you enter the hidden crawlspace through a wardrobe. The entire room is not just a step into the past with themes reminiscent of the Victorian era, but a step into a magical land complete with butterflies, tree trunks and turf that looks just like real grass.
Brittany Gogel created this magical Narnia-inspired secret room complete with a wardrobe entryway.
Gogel said her company advocates for maximalism and she reaches for as much color and pattern as she can. “I've loved antiques for years, but love turned to obsession when I lived in Europe for a time,” added Gogel.
While you may be in awe of the beautiful detail and work that she put into the Narnia-inspired room, the imagination doesn’t stop there. Gogol said she’s currently working on turning an indoor pool into a jungle with tigers and crocodiles hiding all around.
“That's my goal — to make adults remember what it was like to be a kid, while still being sophisticated adults,” said Gogel.