ARGYLE – Lucas Mihuta didn’t have a treehouse growing up.
But he always wanted one.
“They think outside the box,” Mihuta said. “There’s never anything cookie-cutter in a treehouse.”
Surprisingly, his wife, Kristin, booked them a night in a Vermont treehouse. The man who ran it inspired the Mihutas to build their own tree house.
On his way home, Lucas Mihuta found a way to finally get the treehouse he always wanted as a kid.
“He was saying that people would come and they would travel great distances, and they weren’t coming for the city, they were coming for the treehouse experience,” Mihuta said. “That’s how it started. I sketched this layout on a piece of paper.
Mihuta climbed the 67 steps to his wooden tavern on Friday, which has been available for rent on Airbnb since October 2020 under the title “Out On A Limb – A Magical Treehouse Experience”.
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At the top of the stairs is a treehouse, just big enough – or small enough – for two. A perfect, quiet little house, nestled in the trees.
Inside, a brown leather couch faces a window, where visitors can watch squirrels, birds, and raccoons frolicking. A pillow on the sofa is embroidered with the words “Get Lost”.
Last year, a nursing raccoon often sat at the bird feeder eating $120 worth of birdseed every month, Mihuta said.
“Guests love it,” he said. “She would sit there and eat birdseed. They sat on the sofa and looked at her. Some of our guests, I don’t think they’ve ever seen a squirrel.
Wallpaper commissioned in England lines the wall that runs from downstairs to the upstairs bedroom. Both floors have wide plank pine floors. The barn wood came from a barn that was demolished in Rupert, Vermont. The place is heated and has a bathroom with a glass shower.
“We didn’t want anything that was designed,” he said. “We didn’t want plywood stuff. Everything we’ve tried to find is real wood.
The tree house is in a corner of his property and he can see his own green-roofed house from the terrace.
“We wanted seclusion, we wanted privacy, and we wanted the right trees,” Mihuta said.
Two large oak trees support the majority of the structure along with concrete pillars for stabilization.
“You need big trees. You need healthy trees. They have to be the right kind of tree and they have to be sited in such a way that you can put a tree house there,” said Mihuta, who works as a lawyer in Albany. His wife is a nurse.
The two built the tree house by themselves – everything except the electrics, plumbing and metal roof. Kristin stained all the shingles herself.
The place rents for between $250 and $300 per night with a two-night minimum.
The October 2020 opening was somewhat difficult due to the pandemic. But it turned out to be exactly what people in New York, Long Island and Boston were looking for to escape the close quarters of city life.
“People wanted this in a pandemic,” Mihuta said. “It gave them a place to go where they could still be away but without security issues.”
The outdoor hot tub is a major draw.
“Our bookings have been pretty strong,” he said. “I think the hot tub is a big part of it.”
The Treehouse has received rave reviews on Airbnb, including one reviewer who wrote, “If you’re looking to decompress, relax, and reconnect, this is the place for you.” The place is magical and inviting. Whether you’re sipping coffee on the comfy couch or enjoying a glass of wine in the hot tub, you’re sure to have a blast.
Now the Mihutas are buying property in Salem to build another hardwood hotel that can accommodate a small family. The new treehouse will be built entirely in the trees on a 5 acre lot.
“There will be a main treehouse and two sleeping quarters and rope bridges, so the full treehouse experience for the kids,” Mihuta said.
He hopes the new place will be ready to rent in November.
“It taps into your inner child,” he said with a big smile. “Just being in a tree, being a kid.”
Gretta Hochsprung writes features and news from her hometown. She can be reached at 518-742-3206 or [email protected].
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