my cool treehouse: an inspirational guide to stylish treehouses

by Jane Field-Lewis

Treehouses have always been a symbol of imagination and adventure, but despite the traditional stereotype, treehouses are not just for children and children's stories. Well built and in the right spot, they can add real value to your home and lifestyle. Beloved for centuries as ramshackle palaces of backyard escape and fun, the modern-day treehouse has evolved from more traditional structures, in the process morphing and expanding its agenda to capture the heart and soul of a new breed of acolytes. Versatile and endlessly adapting, it gives us a unique opportunity for creative expression and an individualistic challenge. It enables us to build on ‘unbuildable’ plots, create unusual business models and even use it as a form for art installations. Using high-end interiors, landscape and lifestyle photography and styling in the specially commissioned images (photographed in all seasons and weather conditions), the book includes 35 treehouses with different budgets and styles, from the rustic that seem to disappear into the foliage to the futuristic made out of contemporary materials. Embracing a world-wide approach, the seeds of inspiration in this book come from far and wide: from contemporary minimalist treehouses, recycled urban structures in backyards, bespoke Welsh hideaways and glass walls in the African wilderness to cabins perched on trees in the scented lavender fields of southern Italy. Creativity and vision definitely anchor each and every one of them firmly to the ground. The accompanying narrative for each of these projects will give information about the location, the owners and their inspiration as well as style notes. Word count: 25,000

160 pages, Hardcover

Published August 1, 2016

Reviews

[Figgy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating 3.5

Literature, too, understands this principle. Magical tales are spun by Enid Blyton or her faraway trees while Tolkien’s elf houses and Roald Dahl’s The Minpins unashamedly take delight in harnessing the imaginative power of the treehouse.
The satisfaction of leaving all your worldly worries behind as you climb up into the sanctuary of a tree is still very seductive. Perhaps it’s this other-worldly sensation that grabs ups as children and never leaves us even as we make the transition to adults.

My Cool Treehouse showcases an assortment of awe-inspiring treehouses, grouped into categories ranging from simple and handmade through to eclectic and modern.

Within these pages you will find information, style notes, and images of treehouses created in exploration, to fulfill a particular need, or to fit into unusual landscapes, and the book itself will appeal to many readers on different levels.

For those who love collections of photos that adhere to a theme while still pushing the boundaries of said theme, this is a gorgeous book to look at. The people who enjoy more information in terms of the atmosphere, and the setting of the scene, as well as additional links for more information one the architects and photography.

The rest of this review can be found HERE!

[Domini Mullins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book really useful in giving me ideas for building my own space in my garden. Would love to stay in some of the treehouses as well, have put them on my list of places to stay.

[Patricia Herlevi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I delved into My Cool Treehouse. I love alternative architecture and fine art. Readers you won't be disappointed with this book because there is literally something for everyone. And I think most of us have a soft spot for treehouses.

The author did a wonderful job selecting just the right tree dwellings to appear in the book. And I like how she categorized them.