3 Ways to Bring Your Kids’ Treehouse Dreams to Life

Designing and building the treehouse that your kids have been begging for can be challenging. You not only need to provide enough room for them to play, but also create a world that feels entirely their own. Oh! And it needs to make sense in the context of your home—be it a compact condo or a sprawling property.

How exactly are you supposed to pull that off?! Well, looking at these examples from the WL archives is a good place to start.

Fake it till you make it

Whether you lack outdoor space or construction skills (or both), a treehouse-style bed can do the trick—especially if you surround it with other nature-inspired elements. In this Calgary home, designer Reena Sotropa paired Restoration Hardware’s Cabin bed with woodsy Cole and Son wallpaper and forest-green fabrics to create a woodland escape.

Go against the grain

Today’s treehouses look a lot different than the ones we played in as kids, as you can probably tell by looking at this modern one in architect Rafael Santa Ana’s backyard. Instead of building a rickety platform out of scrap wood, he designed a sleek, asymmetrical box with corner windows that mirrors the family’s actual home. “I’m not going to say the treehouse dictated the aesthetic, but if you think about it, there’s a bit of an echo,” he says.

Push the boat out

If you wanted a sign to go a little overboard with your treehouse, you’re looking at it. This whimsical backyard hideaway by Kathleen Lin features real porthole windows that have been repurposed from boats, salvaged ship wheels and bunk beds where the homeowner’s trio of kids can dream about sailing the high seas.