Have your head in the clouds? These fantastical structures are just the place to visit.
10 Outrageous Tree Houses You’ll Want in Your Backyard
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The UFO
Ever wanted to be an astronaut without suffering zero-g motion sickness? Book this “room” at the Treehotel, located in a pine forest in northern Sweden. The 323-square-foot space—with a separate bathroom and living area—sleeps five.
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The Lightbox
This “treebox” may have been created as a play space for kids, but the design is decidedly grown-up. Built by Robert Potokar and his firm, in Ljubljana, Slovenia, the structure has a wall of plexiglass, which is not only a striking visual statement but allows its occupants to have the ultimate immersive experience with the outdoors.
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Stilt House
Andreas Wenning and his firm Baumraum have built more than 30 treehouse-like structures—including this two-story tower in Schonhagen, Germany—for private clients and hotels in Europe and the United States. This structure stands proudly in a pond, and its first level is reached via staircase and catwalk. About the lure of treehouses, Wenning told the blog hometreehome, “It is a space in between. It’s not on the earth, it is not in the air….[Treehouses are] a space for romantic, quietness, concentration and common space with friends and family.”
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Tree Castles in Two Sizes
Built by U.K. firm Blue Forest, this turreted treehouse compound is actually a pair of spaces—a larger lodge for adults, a small one for kids—connected by a rope bridge. The adult house has a kitchen (with wine fridge), bathroom, and the space to hold an elegant dinner party. The children’s house, three towers big, contain a luxurious feature more appropriate for wee ones. A hidden trapdoor leads to a game room with a plasma TV and a game console. Still, kids may be too busy outside to investigate—to top it all off, there’s an attached 80-yard zip line.
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The HemLoft
The HemLoft—named because it’s perched atop a towering hemlock tree in the backwoods of Whistler, British Columbia, Canada—was a passion project for carpenter Joel Allen. It took him around three years of on-and-off work to construct, and it contains a sleeping area, a desk, a cooking space, and a balcony. Bathing takes place in nearby lakes and waterfalls, and for other bathroom activities, well, there are the woods.
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The Birds’ Nest
This is another of the guest “rooms” at Sweden’s Treehotel. With two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a living room, it can fit a family of four. To prevent intruders from entering the nest, the staircase is retractable.
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Inside the Birds’ Nest
Despite its crunchy exterior, the nest has a surprisingly modern yet cozy interior.
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Mirrorcube
It would be easy to walk straight past Treehotel’s Mirrorcube hidden in a Swedish forest. The two-guest tree house is covered by reflective glass, making it hard to spot among the branches.
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The 7th Room
This Teehouse structure uses a different form of camouflage. Stand under The 7th Room, and you might not realize there’s anything above you—the building’s underside features a life-size photograph of the Swedish forest canopy above. Up to five guests can stay in it and hop into the safety net hanging more than 30 feet above the ground.
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Baumwipfelpfad
Less “house” than “path,” Baumwipfelpfad in Germany’s Bavarian Forest National Park translates to “treetop walk.” Visitors can climb the 4,300-foot path as it gently inclines, making their way up 140 feet to a 360-degree observation deck.
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Gibbon Experience
The highest tree houses in the world belong to the Gibbon Experience, which draws eco-tourists to Laos with the promise of waking up gibbons and zooming through the forest on ziplines. Check out these other 12 of the world’s strangest and most unique hotels.
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Tree Houses
Most images are from the book Tree Houses, edited by Loft Publications, which has photos of 50 of the best structures from around the world.
