Can’t get away this summer? Take a peek inside our money-is-no-object dream fort and get inspired to build your own.

We lust over glamping, we dream of yurts and we strive to one day be as easy-breezy-chic as the gals in Anne’s camping fashion post. But we’ll be honest: Here at ShelterPop, we are gals that like air conditioning. And guest towels. And pizza delivery.

So we’re taking on one of our fave ways to bring the outdoors in: Fort building!

Recently, my friend Sareen gathered friends on a hectic, humid weekend for the ultimate retreat, the adult fort. Yes, the mechanics of it are the same as your old standby childhood fort — sheets jerry-rigged with sofa cushions and chairs to make a hut filled with your favorite toys — but we swear the appeal is pretty timeless.

We could all use an escape at the end of a long day and if there isn’t time to drive out to the country, this mini-break could be just the breather you need. (Bonus: While being in the fort, you likely won’t glance at all the things around the house that are stressing you out.  Dishes? Out of sight. Bills on the counter? Can’t see ‘em!)  Of course, this is design summer camp, so we can’t help but dream up a slightly lovelier mood board for the next fort-building session (no offense to the floral sheets here). We pulled out all the stops to create a just-for-fun, money-is-no-object dream fort. And oh boy, now it’s the only place we want to be…

Prop up sofa cushions for walls and drape Confetti sheets by PLOVER Organic to make a ceiling that’s all at once festive and ethereal.  Plop down on poufs from Missoni through Unica Home, Etsy shop Mookah and cozy up with pillows from Jonathan Adler and CB2.  A shaggy flokati rug in a jazzy color makes a perfect base (Thanks, PB Teen!), and you’ll keep things handsomely lit with this little wonder lamp from IKEA.

Now that you’re inside: What do you do? Bring in games to make everyone crack up like Loaded Questions, Table Topics, or just make a quick trip to the newsstand to pick up all the mags you’ve been dying to read. (Our picks: House Beautiful, Town & Country, ELLE DECOR, Real Simple and Country Living.  Don’t forget to rip out pages with inspiration for future forts.

Fun fact: Any calories consumed inside a fort don’t actually count. So sip on refreshing and yummy vanilla seltzer in bright monogrammed glasses in between bites of too delicious Stuffed Artisan Cannolis (in S’Mores flavor, no less). And make sure to keep crumbs off the rug by eating over this stunning Gien France tray from Bloomingdales. Looking for a meal to wash down that dessert?  Slice Pizza off the terrifically brilliant Pizza Slice Plate from Fishs Eddy hits the spot.  And because remember, we’re all in close proximity here, keep the fort stocked with bubblegum.

The only thing we’re missing is music, but we’ll leave that up to you campers to decide. What tunes would you blast through here? And tell us what else you’d bring to your fort!  Thanks so much for having us Tobi…we’d invite you to our fort anytime!
xox the gals at ShelterPop