We are so happy to welcome Lynne Knowlton to the blog today to share her treehouse with us!
"The treehouse is nestled amongst the trees in the backyard of our 100-year-old home in rural Ontario, Canada. Having a treehouse is both serene and energizing all at once.
"It all goes back to a time when we were kids, and we tucked ourselves in blanket forts made from sofa cushions and cardboard boxes. We had secret handshakes, water balloons, and clubhouse passwords. No one else was allowed in our magical fort, unless, of course, they knew the secret password.
"We built our treehouse as a getaway. A big escape. We all have moments of stress and feeling crazy tweeked. My goal was to create a space that children and adults would love, a space that they could feel good in. It evolved into a treehouse for grown-ups.
"It’s no big secret that our economy is tighter than bark on a tree… excuse the pun. Building a treehouse that’s eco-friendly, with green living in mind, meant that we could be creative and save moola along the way.
"Most of the treehouse is made from reclaimed, upcycled items. The walls of the treehouse were created from a reclaimed barn. Some of the walls are barn board, and one wall is built from the barn tin roof.
"There is a big ol' red slide on the side of the treehouse! The slide was reclaimed from a school playground and was originally destined for the landfill. It’s fun; even my 85-year-old Grandma loves it.
"We have lived in our home for 11 years but only just built the treehouse a few years ago. The space started as playhouse for our four children but evolved into an adult-sized treehouse.
"Being creative and hugging trees (especially ones with tree houses in them) feeds my soul. There is nothing like the sound of the trees, the smell of the air, and the beauty of the fireflies at night."
Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful treehouse with us, Lynne! You can find more of Lynne over at her blog Design The Life You Want To Live. xo.
Credits // Author and photography: Lynne Knowlton. Additional photography: Samantha Erin Photography and Marlee Maclean from Roots Canada.
136 Comments
What a beautiful, inspiring place to live! It’s like every kids dream.
http://sincerelylara.com
OMG! it´s awesome !
http://www.modaonlinegelolasvintage.com
WOW
This is absolutely gorgeous! It’s like living in a dream. Gorgeous home. I would love a place like that. The slide is an adorable touch too.
This is so dreamy. I’m impressed. 🙂
This is the most amazing house I’ve ever seen! A tree house – with a slide! It’s like a childhood dream 🙂
xo
Camilla
http://kapteinmoe.blogspot.no/
Holy smokes. This is incredible.
Wow!!! This treehouse is insane! I would love love love to live in a place like this.
This tree house is like something out of a dream. I love it!!
I grew up near where Lynne lives but only heard of her blog and treehouse recently. Thanks for this great feature! what a beautiful space.
BEST. HOME. EVER!!! Instantly this home makes me think I should quit my job, build the exact same type of home and sit on the porch drinking lemonade all day lol, I just love this place!
So amazing!!!
Oh wow, this is seriously amazing!
How amazing!! Ever thought of renting it out for holidays? I’d be straight there!!
Grace xXx
theartofwandering.blogspot.co.uk
cool! how fun is this?!?!?
This place is a dream. An absolute dream. I am in love with it! Thanks so much for sharing, and for featuring someone from Ontario!
xoxo,
Mickie.
This home is so beautiful! Love it, wonderful post!
Love from London x
Emma from ELECTRIC SOIREE
This is beautiful! What an amazing idea! And that slide! Love it!
http://sometimesgracefully.com
The tree house is so much more stunning in real life!!! Lynne had to practically kick me out!!! So awesome that you did a feature on this beautiful place.
Omg! Can I move in?! This is so awesome!
Looks like I’ve found my dream house. Yep, I’m definitely in love.
Absolutely gorgeous tree house!
Nothing quite like a tree-house. Beautiful. Makes me want to update our little play tree-house. =)
Simply amazing. I want to live there.
THIS IS AMAZING!!!
I ♥ IT…
This is the most amazing thing! I would love to live here, gorgeous!
I am super jealous!
I love the slide, and the hammock, and the whole thing! Adult treehouses seems like the best idea ever.
waw!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I want that house !!!
wow– this is unreal! totally beautiful and amazing!
xxoo,
nikki
http://www.dreaminneon.blogspot.com
Favorite house tour so far. This is so close to the type of home we’re looking to build after college. I’m in love. Thank you for this post!
Jo
This is SO cool! Omg, I want one now!
I’ve always wanted to live in a tree house, from the first moment that I read Swiss Family Robinson. Very cool. I’m jealous!
Love and Luck,
Laurali Star
http://www.thesecretsurprisinista.com
MAJESTIC!!!!!
Thank you everyone for your beautifully kind words!! I am literally teared up at your kindness and sweet words.
The treehouse is so fun to sit back in, and enjoy. I think we all need a sweet escape, and it looks like you agree.
Thank you to A Beautiful Mess for giving me a chance to share our treehouse story.
I hope many of you come visit my blog and say hello to me today ! I’d love to ‘virtually meet’ you too !!
Big love from the Canadian 🙂
Lynne xx
Woot woot Mickie !! Ontario !! A beautiful place to be ! xxo
With much love,
Lynne
Hello Grace,
Yes, we do rent it out via TripAdvisor but I’m afraid it would be quite a hop skip and jump for you from the UK. LOL.
Here is the rental info for trip advisor : http://www.lynneknowlton.com/a-gorgeous-treehouse-retreat-for-rent/
Have a beautiful spring day !
Lynne xx
Beautiful photos. I love this home.
That is absolutely amazing! I want to live there!
http://www.allthingsbeautiful-x.blogspot.co.uk
WOW. A treehouse like this would be the ultimate honeymoon spot! Super cool.
Oh God!!!
I’m in love!
So cute and beautiful! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Love from Brazil! ??
http://www.vanillathought.com
that space is incredible!!! the slide makes the beautiful space so playful too 😉
Adore. I so wish I could move here.
I love Lynne’s tree house. Something so magical about it! I’m even happier now that I know it’s rentable 😉
Very inspiring to to see the fun that went into creating the treehouse, and the red slide is simply awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Simply incredible!
it is beautiful!
I didn’t realize until today that I could actually fall in love with a house. A treehouse. Now I know.
I’ve been lucky enough to spend a few nights in Lynne’s treehouse and it really is as spectacular as the photos make it out to be.
The added bonus of my stay was hanging with Lynne.
XO
Anita
http://www.theorganicexperiment.com
That is the most amazing house ever!!! The slide…that is so cool! And I love the white sit that hangs in the air!
Fashion latte with vanilla
I am desperate for a tree house! This is such a beautiful and inspiring post. Definitely have to look into building an eco-friendly tree house when I finally get my own house.
What a dream! I love this. It’s like the grown-up version of my childhood treehouse. I would totally live in this house! I love that it’s all reclaimed wood. Absolutely gorgeous.
xo Denise
http://lovelybohemian.blogspot.com
This is my dream home!!! I would love to be far far away, up high in the tree tops and living with nature. I’m from a temperate rainforest climate about the same latitude as Ontario so this Canadian hideaway has got me missing home more than usual. Beautiful details Lynne – the stained glass window, intricate door handle, driftwood wind chimes, the giraffe and cute painted pup!! Thanks for sharing!
OH. MY. GOODNESS. This is the most fantastical thing I’ve ever seen and I want one STAT! Thank you so much for sharing this incredible space with us.
Uhm, WHAT?!!? DREAM HOUSE!!!! Who DOESN’T want to live in a tree house?! Oh my gosh, how awesome and absolutely gorgeous!!
xoxo
Taylor
WOW!!! Thank you for sharing. This space is so personal and creative. Your use of items with a past life is inspiring. You’ve made my day!
Oh Lynne 🙂 XOXO
Yahhhhh Lynne! So so wonderful to see this on here and such a wonderful blogger she is! 🙂
this looks like the most amazing and magical place. Its beautiful. <3
http://itsjustkatee.blogspot.co.uk
Wauw it is amazing!!
Can I go live there? *heartbeat is raising*
http://CoralynxBlog.com/
It’s like a fairytale!
OMG! This house is Amazing! What a wonderful place!
P.
http://theslowpace.com
Thank you Grace !
I’m off to check out your bloggy right now too! Yes, the slide is a total hoot !!
Much love,
Lynne !
So creative and so pretty! http://sadityinthecity.com
That tree house is phenomenal, but the family behind that tree house is bajillion times better. I know, seems impossible… don’t ask how or why, just know it is! Awesome feature!
Oh, my goodness! I love the tree house! I don’t know how I could ever go anywhere else if I had this! I’d become a tree house shut-in!
Thanks for the awesome sauce treehouse love !
Lynne
Thank you Erin !
The slide was so fun to install. Our friend had the job of dismantling children’s playgrounds here in Ontario. He thought it would be such a shame to take down the slide and throw it away.
He literally drove 3 hours to bring it to us, because he knew how fun it would be to have it at the treehouse {{ instead of burying it in a landfill }}.
It was a FEEL GOOD find 🙂
Lynne xx
It is dreamy Kamile to have such a getaway … until the squirrels outsmart me. Hahaha !
http://www.lynneknowlton.com/treehouse-squirrel-trouble-capital-t-trouble/
Big love,
Lynne
Whoop whoop Katie !!!
This little neck of the woods is a pretty rare little gem of a place. LOL. I love how so many people just know locals by their first name, and wouldn’t hesitate to lend a helping hand.
Ahhh good clean country living xx
I’d sit and have lemonade with you, any day of the week Stephanie ! Come on over 🙂 …
Now, about that job. LOL.
Lynne xx
Thank you Danica ~
We need to meet in the treehouse AGAIN. That was sooooooo fun !
With many hugs ….
Lynne xx
Hahaha Stephanie,
I hear ya sista ! I look up, and suddenly it’s afternoon and my hair is still standing on end, while wearing my pj’s and fuzzy pink slippers. I’m a sight for sore eyes 🙂
Lynne xx
oh my gosh!! what an absolute dream!!
This is just too cozy and adorable…. I want one!
WOW. In the words of the great Liz Lemon, “I want to go to there.”
Wow that looks amazing!! Possibly my dream house!
Is that “Hippies Use the Back Door” sign supposed to be cutely ironic?
It’s a treehouse.
Totally jealous!
wow! how amazing is this?!?! I want to live there!!
Oh hey I live in Ontario too! This treehouse looks amazing, but how do you deal with all the snow in winter?? 🙂
http://everydayingrace.blogspot.ca/
Okay, I’m beyond impressed with this one.
Having a treehouse has always been my dream…
http://buildyourbliss.wordpress.com
Such an amazing space.
Krit
etsy.com/shop/pepeandcarols
I remember begging my parents to keep the large cardboard boxes that things like new appliances came in, so that my sister and I could turn them into tiny “cottages,” complete with curtains made of fabric scraps. And when we were in our early teens, each year we would convert my dad’s garden shed into a cabin…where we would sleep for the whole summer!! This tree house is like the most perfect “grown-up” version of one of those little hideaways…but with all the childhood fun left in, too!!
http://www.StyleIsMyPudding.com
Wow, inspiring!
You have GOT to be kidding me. This is the coolest thing ever
It’s kind of insane to me that someone who’s building a multi-story tree house is talking about the economy. “It’s no big secret that our economy is tighter than bark on a tree.” Uh, really?
(The tree house is pretty though.)
so so beautiful! Im in love!
i-have-no-words! this is just epic. I would love to have this in my own backyard.. new goal!
http://www.dancingthroughsunday.typepad.com
This is so amazing!! Thanks for sharing. I love how it’s rented out. I would be there in a second!!
This is a truly gorgeous space. And I can vouch that it is even more amazing in person!
OMG IT’s Amazing and Beautiful at the same time!!!! This would probably a dream house for me. Its just really nice. My body is filled with excitement right now! love it!
http://www.jaseyjade.blogpost.com
OMG!!!! I love Lynne! I’m Lynne’s blog subscriber! She’s so wonderful person with such a big sense of humor despite many adversities.. Lynne, You are my hero! I’m from Poland and haven’t got any posibilities to use English every day so I’m subscribing many English newsletters. That’s the way I found and choose ABM and Lynne’s blog too. Thank you girls that you invite Lynne to your pages to show other people her gorgeous tree house!
Big love,
Magdalena
This is AWESOME!
This is amazing!
An adult tree house sounds so magical! This place is gorgeous! I never would have picked it as a tree house from the inside pictures until seeing the outside ones! I love the hanging chairs too… They are awesome! And the slide is such a fun addition!! 🙂
Gorgeous! I could definitely see myself living there. I would love it.
Wow, this is such an magical place??? Props to you. Is most of your furniture thrifted or would you be able to tell me where you to the hammock chair and bed?!?
So lovely, Lynne! Such great ideas, and I love that everything is re-purposed and saved. I think every kid growing up dreams of a tree house, and now you are making me as an adult dream of one too! PS. Love the Hippie sign!
Thank You Lara !
We let the kids in our treehouse every now and again. LOL. Jokes. We have four kids and they love love love it too. It’s great for a good book and chilling on the hammocks. Ahhh.
Thanks for your beautiful compliment !
Lynne xx
Wow Jo ….
You just made my day ! Thank you soooooo very much. It’s your favourite house tour ?!! YEssss !!
If you need more ideas, here are all kinds of treehouse pics and ideas for you !
http://www.lynneknowlton.com/?s=treehouse
Cheers !!
Lynne
I’m always willing to share, Cheri 🙂
Cheers !!
Lynne
Yes Lyndsee,
I agree, it probably seems crazy to be talking about the economy and tree houses. Truth is, we live in the middle.of.nowhere in the Ontario countryside. Our cost of living is very very low because we are not in or near a major city. I drive about 30 minutes just to find a grocery store. Ha !! There are lots of cows and chickens around tho 🙂
The treehouse was an affordable alternative because our friend lost their barn in a tornado. Rather than burn the barn ( like the insurance company suggested) our friend gave us the barn for free because she knew we would repurpose it. Everything in the treehouse is reclaimed and recycled. We had to buy very little, to create it. Our friends and family gave us their old items. It was fun !
I hope that helps to make it all make a bit more sense. Treehouses make country living even more enjoyable. xx
Thank you for the tree house compliment too!!
With much love,
Lynne
thank you, my friend Alex. Thank you ! Oh la la ! It is soooooo awesome to grace the beautiful pages of A BEAUTIFUL MESS !
XOXXOO
#BucketList LOVE
Teehee Sandra
That hippie sign was a gift from a friend. It makes me laugh out loud too !
Thanks for sharing the love 🙂
Lynne xx
Hi Abigail !
Almost all of the furniture is thrifted from garage sales, and even roadside finds. The hammock chair is from a street market in Mexico. The sofa bed is actually from Ikea. It was very inexpensive.
Hope that helps !
Lynne xx
Come on over Lotte 🙂 …even if it’s a virtual visit. We share LOL. It’s a hoot in there.
You can see the rest of the treehouse photos here http://www.lynneknowlton.com/?s=treehouse
Lynne 🙂
Thank you so very much Simone,
It has been a labour of love.
Lynne xx
It is lovely to hear from you Magdalena !
Thank YOU for subscribing … I’m doing a happy dance right now !
I love this blog too, because they give lovely ideas and inspiring DIY’s. As a fellow blogger, they are an inspiration to me every single day !
Cheers !
Lynne
Hi Dani
I think we need a treehouse retreat weekend soon. Now that the snow has MELTED (eeerhmergerd, finally !!) let’s make a plan !
Dani and Nads in the treehouse ! In the house ! :)))
Lynne xx
Funny enough Katie,
I blogged about it for 2 years and didn’t even think about renting it out. I hog it as my blogging studio. LOL.
One weekend a friend asked to rent it … and the light bulb went off … I need to share this lovely feeling with others. Ahhhhh.
It’s been fun !
Lynne
Here it is on tripadvisor
http://www.tripadvisor.ca/VacationRentalReview-g850574-d5976047-A_genuine_treehouse_retreat-Durham_Grey_County_Ontario.html
Big love !
Lynne
Oh how I love your tagline .. dancing through sunday !!! BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL !!!
No joke 🙂 Asia. It is a cool place to hang out in… until the mice think that they are the boss. Haha!
Lynne 🙂
Oh la la Monika,
We might be twins separated at birth ! Hahaha !! Wasn’t that the best? Cardboard appliance boxes rock out loud ! They were cardboard mansions !
The fabric curtains made the boxes AKA mansions ooooh so special.
I still do that in our treehouse !!! This time, I use twigs as the curtain rods and hang tea towels as curtains.
You can see more of how to make them here :
http://www.lynneknowlton.com/our-treehouse/
It’s an easy DIY to create !
Have a beautiful weekend !
Lynne xx
Thank you so very much for your kind words Emily ! I’m inspired !
I hope you get your treehouse dream some day. I really do. It is a spectacular feeling.
With much love
Lynne xx
Hi Grace,
We didn’t winterize the treehouse because I couldn’t imagine hanging out in there in the winter anyway. Cool nights are nice (because there is a little wood stove) but snow storms … OY ! You are an Ontario gal ?!!! woot woot ! You know what I mean 🙂
I drool and miss the treehouse over the winter, though. Swoon.
My biggest challenge is driving up and down my driveway in the SNOW so I can’t imagine swaying in the trees in a snow storm. LOL.
Big hug
Lynne xx
Haha YES Kate,
It was a gift from friends. They have a great sense of humour. They also brought a second sign for our funky outhouse.
It says ” no not squat with your spurs on ”
They make me laugh out loud.
xx
The tree house is truly wonderful! Loved everything about it…especially the cut-out dog in the corner! Too cute!
That is an amazing treehouse. I would live in there in a heartbeat. Every detail is so beautiful.
This treehouse is a freakin’ DREAM! I love all the finishes, I love that it’s completely green, I love that one of the walls is tin! I bet it sounds heavenly when it rains. Gah, can I live here, please?
xo Ashley
thetiniestfirecracker.com
WOW!! amazing! this house is to die for.
Valentina
http://valentinaduracinsky.blogspot.com/
Unbelievable! So beautiful.
Wow, this looks incredible! That’s basically the dream, right, to live in a treehouse?! I’m quite jealous.
What is the resource for the hammock swing?
This place is wonderful!! Just stunning.
Thank you Laurie
So very very very kind of you to say. xx
with much love,
Lynne
Sure Mariska,
There is always room for one more. 🙂
Lynne xx
WOW. I. HAVE. NO. WORDS.
OMG!!!! I love Lynne! I’m Lynne’s blog subscriber! She’s so wonderful person with such a big sense of humor despite many adversities.. Lynne, You are my hero! I’m from Poland and haven’t got any posibilities to use English every day so I’m subscribing many English newsletters. That’s the way I found and choose ABM and Lynne’s blog too. Thank you girls that you invite Lynne to your pages to show other people her gorgeous tree house!
Big love,
Magdalena
This is my dream home! Everything about it is so beautiful. I love the all the rustic details, including the doorknobs!
Kirsten
kokay.me
Where did you get the hanging hammock chair?
Lynne’s space is gorgeous (much like she is). Maybe one day I’ll have a treehouse… but until then, a girl can dream!
What an amazing house!!
I love this idea, how inspiring. I really love that hammock chair. I also love that most of the house was made with upcycled material.
Oh wow, this is amazing! Living here must be like living in a dream….
This is my favorite “At Home With…” ever. Ever ever ever ever.
this is so awesome§°