Five Most Stunning Treehouses

Homes with a view 

Tree houses appeal to the child in all of us and bring us closer to nature. At one point you probably dreamed of living among the birds in a house nestled on the leafy branches of a towering tree. Whether these structures are tiny shacks clinging to a single bough, unique treetop observatories or sprawling works of art spanning several trees, there’s something magical about treehouses. Here’s a look at 18 of the world’s most stunning treetop structures and the unique stories behind them.

Too High Tea House

Terunobu Fujimori’s tea house, Takasugi-an, which literally means “a tea house too high,” stands in Chino, Nagano Prefecture, Japan, atop three chestnut trees. The house is accessible only by ladder, and guests must remove their shoes and leave them on the platform before venturing inside for tea. As an architect, Fujimori is known for his innovative and often whimsical designs, and this freestanding structure certainly pushes the limits of a conventional teahouse.

 

Spirit Spheres

These spheres were created with the concept of “oneness” in mind, so the floor, walls and ceiling create one continuous space unlike a conventional building. They utilize biomimicry and are designed to fit into a forest setting without altering it. Free Spirit Spheres use trees as their foundation, which the designers say reflects our connectedness to nature, and because they’re suspended in the air, the human footprint is drastically reduced.

Temple of the Blue Moon

This charming treetop cottage is just one of the many treehouse lodgings available at Pete Nelson’s Treehouse Point in Issaquah, Wash. Nelson, a world-renowned treehouse builder and author, created this sustainable destination as a beautiful, educational getaway that provides visitors with a unique way to connect with nature. The Temple of the Blue Moon sits partway up a 300-year-old, 160-foot-tall Sitka Spruce and boasts skylights, built-in cedar beds and handmade quilts.

Redwoods Treehouse Restaurant

This gorgeous treehouse was built in New Zealand as part of a marketing campaign for Yellow Book. Amateur entrepreneurs were challenged to build a restaurant 30 feet up a redwood tree using only those resources they could find in Yellow Book’s directory. The treetop restaurant took 66 days to build and employed more than 60 businesses. Two thousand people dined in the Redwoods Treehouse Restaurant upon completion.