Pete Nelson runs the roost at Treehouse Point. Photo by Luma Weddings / courtesy Nelson Treehouse and Supply.
Made in the shade
Treehouse Point, Autumn Town
Three houses: Seven
Where would we be without Pierre Nelson? On the ground, probably. The Pacific Northwest wouldn’t be the national hub for high-end treehouse manufacturing, and the construction landscape wouldn’t be dotted with builders who made their mark under the undisputed king of treehouses. Even now, you can’t talk about trees without hearing about the 59-year-old Fall City man or his now-over reality TV show, Masters of tree houses; after all, he built almost 400 structures in his 30 year career.
As a child, Nelson created his first “terribly funky structures” in the New Jersey woods, inspired by his forester father, and has since become the first name for luxury huts that can include rainfall showers and floor-to-ceiling windows. A price of $ 1,000 per square foot is the norm. For his part, Nelson does not think that tree life is only the domain of the ultra-rich; he imagines a village of affordable treehouses on, say, the steep, unbuildable slopes of Portland.
For decades he has studied how to let a structure fit into a living tree, and he sits at the center of a community that comes together every year in Oregon (“There’s a lot of THC circulating at the Treehouse. Conference, as you can imagine, ”he laughs). But to ask Nelson, his real strength lies in promoting the very idea of arboreal life: “I’m more of a dreamer.
As whimsical as the seven treehouses at his Treehouse Point property on the Raging River may be, they are fully licensed, a grid process of asking for forgiveness rather than permission from official housing authorities. The latest addition to the bundle will be the last, but the shingle rental known as Ananda stands for something special: ADA accessibility. It took years for Nelson to convince King County that he could meet the requirements (a steep slope helps, meaning the house is suspended 22 feet high with the help of two fir “monsters” from Douglas while the access ramp is relatively flat). The entire Treehouse Point property has become so famous for its books and TV show that tours are only available by reservation.
The “how” aside, when it comes to treehouses, the “why” isn’t even a difficult question. Of Classes Above-ground forts are cool, even taking into account the associated challenges of a living foundation, wind hazards, and plumbing impossibilities. But Nelson still ponders the question – why he is drawn to tall houses – and concludes, “As humans, we are so closely tied to trees. They are so magnificent, mystical, beautiful and vital.
Sunspot
Goldendale Treehouse, Goldendale
Three houses: a
Everything is warmer east of the mountains, not just the temperature; the color scheme in the ponderosa pine woods outside of Goldendale glows with such warmth that the town might well have been named after its name (although in fact its nickname comes from a former settler). Tanned earth covers Scott Brock’s expansive acres, dusty sage-colored trees and their almost reddish trunks, and the cabin itself is clad in cedar shingle siding. Portland-based Brock and his twin sons have a vacation cabin nearby, but the very tall rental – 34 feet from the ground at the top – feels perfectly secluded (and no one can see you on the outhouse). The wood-lined interior has a very steep staircase, essentially a ladder, leading to the attic, the cozy ground floor with a bed and a kitchenette. The nearby town includes an astronomical observatory in Goldendale State Park, but the view of the stars from the treehouse patio is literally over the house.
Island Grooves
Doe Bay Resort, Orcas Island
Three houses: a
At Doe Bay Resort’s annual summer music festival, official performances
take place on the main stage, but after working hours, musicians play around campfires, in the woods and, most memorable, on the high porch of a treehouse. Crowds sit on the floor to listen to acoustic sets until late at night. Year round, the Treehouse is one of Doe Bay’s signature rentals, with a loft bed accessed by a ladder and views that can reach Puget Sound. The whole resort is imbued with a sort of hippie vibe – clothing is optional at the pools and the restaurant emphasizes plant-based cuisine – never more evident than in the gnarled walls of its cabin the higher.
About the brand
Treehouse and Co., Whidbey Island
Three houses: a
It took three years for the logistics to align with Max Lindsay-Thorsen and Tatiana Rocha’s dream on Whidbey Island, but it all happened at the right time – in 2020. Lindsay-Thorsen has passed the pandemic to help build the treehouse on a wooded lot on Whidbey, the island where he spent his youth. The former technician felt that permits and official approvals were essential for the rental; the structure can withstand winds of 110 miles per hour and a 9.2 earthquake. The pair previously sold candles under their Treehouse and Co. brand before launching into on the construction project, moving from a fragrant simulation of forest life to reality. When they opened in July, tenants entered a brand new birch plywood interior with woodland decor sourced from the duo’s favorite Northwest manufacturers, and they go sell local products to customers. Already Lindsay-Thorsen imagines treehouses elsewhere in Puget Sound, an extension of the Treehouse and Co. brand that stretches across the islands.
High by design
Klickitat Treehouse, White Salmon
Three houses: a
An unpaved single lane road slowly traverses the forest so far above the Columbia River Gorge that the river is only a distant memory, even though the town of White Salmon, kitesurfers and craft breweries can be found nearby. only 10 minutes by car. The clearing that houses Taryn and Colin Mooney’s towering Klickitat Treehouse is so remote that cell service is poor and neighbors are completely invisible, with snow-capped Mount Adams the only landmark among the swaying Douglas firs. The Scandinavian influence creates an anthracite blocky exterior that contrasts with the warm woods of the patio. Stark white walls in the interior appear with black accents. This is the wood for people who are not sure they really like the woods. Between the leather sofa and the walk-in shower, both
Story Treehouse is a centerpiece from all interior angles. The sloping hill makes the structure feel much taller than it is, with the master bedroom tucked away on the first floor and a twin-bedded loft with even better mountain views.
Blitzed in the branches
Mountain View Treehouse Joint, Monroe
Three houses: four
Tracy Rice only leaves her house if she knows she can get fucked hard – she even brings weed when she walks a few hundred yards from her house to the four treehouses on her four-story property. acres in Monroe. “I’m never going to not smoke weed,” she said. “I am those people.” So she understands marijuana fans who hate traveling unless they know they can smoke in their accommodation, which is why her Mountain View Treehouse Joint is explicitly, happily, almost too much, pot-friendly. The roof of a hobbit-like treehouse is even shaped like a pot leaf. Over the past year, Rice has fought the pandemic with a wave of adoptions and additions of pets, alpacas (call them Bong and Dab), sheep (Mary Jane and Flower Pot) and of goats (Homey and Ronie, the latter abbreviation of Corona). “I’m living my best life all high with my animals there,” Rice says.
Many of his treehouses came from the creative mind of SunRay Kelley, a concrete man known for his quirky cabins that look more like art projects than living units. Sure, Rice cringed as Kelley without shoes swung a chainsaw around her waist and climbed a tree during construction, but she found the results flawless – solid but whimsical rentals set above ground, dotted with skylights. and branched attic ladders.
The treehouse decor should come as no surprise: murals, tie-dye, black lights. A 40-foot tree net, a sort of hanging hammock that holds a crowd, hangs in the middle where Rice likes to hang out with her cannabis-loving guests. Almost all of the renters (adults only, of course) come specifically for the vibe. “I think people are high in the trees and are high to the trees kind of go together, ”Rice says.
Big orders
They might not be tree houses, but other very high rentals in the Northwest offer elevation overnight.
Evergreen Mountain Lookout Of the five ancient fire detection towers for rent in Washington, the historic structure northwest of Stevens Pass offers some of the most spectacular views of the waterfall.
Pleasant Bay Lookout We will forgive this South Bellingham Airbnb for its self-proclaimed ‘treehouse’ status – it’s more of a chalet on the steep slopes – because of how its patio fits perfectly into the green hillside. .
Sequim lavender castle The medieval reproduction of the Olympic Peninsula comes complete with castle movies and knight costumes for play, although the solar power that powers the tower dates from the 21st century.
Public domain (Evergreen Mountain), courtesy of the owners (Pleasant Bay, Sequim).
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