Former Atlantan (and now California girl) Susan Fairbanks LeCraw
completed this treehouse a decade ago when she was living in the
Southern city. Located close by the governor’s mansion, it perches
over a lush fern garden and looks entrancing in all seasons.
Constructed entirely of reclaimed materials, approximately 25
windows comprise its walls. A bridge from the main house extends to
the space, where an upstairs loft has a king-sized and a downstairs
sofa bed extends into a queen for company.
Susan Fairbanks LeCraw’s enchanting Atlanta treehouse was decked
out dreamily, with pillows and curtains LeCraw made by hand from
collected fabrics. Sunlight streams through its numerous windows,
shining on tattered rugs, antique quilts, wicker chairs, stained
glass, a shabby sofa bed, mosaic tables and a melange of Moroccan
lanterns. Enjoyed by children as much as the adults, the fanciful
design invites gatherings morning till night, season by season.
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Photographer, designer, artist, industrial designer and handyman
Nelson Chan, of 2Chan Design, has worked on many diverse projects.
But the first treehouse he ever designed was this stunner, located
in Oakland, California. He got the job on referral from fellow
builder John Lionheart, and designed it winsomely—that cedar shake
siding and wraparound deck had us at “hello.”
Though it belongs to a proud 6-year-old named Loula, adults still
love to hang out in this Oakland, California treehouse, built by
treehouse newbie Nelson Chan. Inside, he constructed a built-in
bench, skylight and deep window sills to make the six-by-seven-foot
space appear more spacious, while finishing touches like a simple
table and chairs for coloring, plus a camping lantern, make it feel
like home. Soon, Chan plans to paint clouds onto the ceiling and
add built-in storage shelves.
Artist Alexandra Meyn built this treehouse behind her
Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn home while looking for work in a bad
job market, after graduating with a masters in interior design from
Pratt Institute. Constructing her space around a mulberry tree, she
let the environment dictate what materials were used, while a small
budget ($400, all told) forced her to be creative. Salvaged
materials were used in abundance.
The porch of Alexandra Meyn’s Bed-Stuy treehouse is a fabulous
hangout spot, decorated with rocking chairs picked up at an estate
sale, dangling window frames, radial floor boards, an elegant
second-hand table and a light fixture fashioned from antique ice
block tongs. A sturdy ladder leads to the upstairs
lounge
Inside artist Alexandra Meyn’s Brooklyn treehouse, her colorful
aesthetic takes center stage. This room, used for sleeping,
working, reading or ruminating, has a collected look that springs
from its collage of fashion illustrations, remnants of Elysian
Fields prints, pink floral fabric walls, a vintage coffee table,
lace draperies, string lights, candles and copious crafty
accents.
Inside Costa Rica’s Finca Bellavista is this fabulous residence
called El Castillo Mastate. The rounded structure is outfitted with
tiger strand bamboo floors, a sleek platform bed, tiki-style
woodwork, a vessel-sink vanity with seashell faucet and tropical
shades of red and green befitting the exotic surroundings. This
home is occasionally rented out to lucky visitors.
Finca Bellavista, a sustainable treehouse community in Costa Rica,
is a lush, 600-acre property of private treehouses connected by
bridges and ziplines. Its owners often rent out their spaces
nightly or weekly, rendering this residential Shangri-La one of the
world’s finest treehouse resorts, as well. Architects from all over
the world have built homes here, and at spots like the El Castillo
Mastate house, their craftsmanship shows.
