15 Tree House Ideas Worthy of Wonderland

We all used to fantasize about clubhouses hanging in the sky, a place where we could get away from those cootie-ridden girls or escape the pestering boys. In the days of youth, a rope ladder leading up to a simple platform would have sufficed. There is just something special about creating our own space and embedding it into nature. Tree houses are a product of the adventurous human spirit, and what people have been able to create is absolutely astounding.

While some of us may have had the perfect tree house at a young age, it is often found that growing up can rob us of simple pleasures like climbing a tree, not to mention building a space in one. Fortunately, not all of us have lost our taste for innovation, and thanks to the avant-garde attitude of those building these tree houses, we have inspiration to get back out there, and create our own kind of masterpiece in the trees.

Although the featured tree houses are extravagant, and likely too complicated of a task to DIY in the backyard, they may provide a vision of something you want to create. For those of us without the means or the resources to build something so grandiose, The Tree House Guide, provides great instructions for getting started. With a little motivation and a few good ideas, you may soon find yourself lounging in your own treetop utopia.

Featured first in our peruse through treetop paradise, is this house that is seemingly encaged by the tree on which it is built. With a wide inviting staircase and bucolic plank walls, this tree house is truly dreamy and welcoming to all who might wish to experience the wonder inside.

With magical mushrooms and many crooked angles, this tree house stands ominously over the average tourist. This house features four different levels, each with new surprises and spooky qualities. The ridged edges and deep corners are great for those who may be looking for a dark fantasy adventure.

A high ceiling and long rafters give this tree house a warm and cozy feel. This high-class cabin style combines impressive construction with that rural taste that we all love. Suspended high in the air, the staircase leading up to this house is not for the faint-hearted.

Smooth your ruffled feathers and rest your wings in this “nest” like tree house. Posted elegantly on a cliff-side, this house has a beautiful view of the surrounding waterfalls and rivers below. This structure provides a sufficient outlook for anyone willing to leave the ground.

Up next, with an innovative and visually stunning design, this tree house is truly a sight to take in. The glass and mirror materials used in construction create the reflective effect, making the tree house look as if it is assimilated into the landscape itself.

A wide deck and the thick tree-trunk beneath support this beautiful, almost colonial style house. With stately white pillars and large glossy windows, this house would bring comfort to any tree-dwelling traveler.

Differing from conventional tree house design, this structure features a metal rooftop, protecting the walkways and deck below from falling debris in the forest. The attractive wood grain and artful concept on some of the windows make this tree house a true masterpiece.

If it weren’t for the right angles and flat rooftops on this structure, it would be hard to tell that it wasn’t a part of the growing landscape! A unique hollow trunk leads inward and up a staircase, and the vines and plant life growing up the side seem to cradle this tree house naturally.

Although somewhat hidden by the lush tree on which it was built, this design is fresh and familiar. A simple, yet well-executed design holds the tree house on four supports, with the tree growing up through the middle. The two hammocks strung between bottom supports add an appreciated relaxing touch.

If somehow unimpressed by the brilliant craftsmanship on the walkway leading inside, this extravagant tree house will surely not fail to deliver. It’s intricate railings and large picture windows, combined with warm, comfortable lighting, command a certain respect from anyone with a taste for class and style.

A wobbling rope bridge or a spiraling staircase are the two options if one wanted to climb into this tree castle. The wooden shingle style creates a beautiful outer appearance, while the cone-shaped rooftops and long skinny windows portray a medieval fortress.

Radiant colors and a bombastic style make this structure impossible to ignore. A long plank bridge connecting the two upper houses is the centerpiece, while the unique shapes and angles make this tree house an example of innovation and creativity.

Jeremiah Johnson would live comfortably in this elevated rustic cabin. If you have a heart for the mountains and can endure the harsh weather, this tree house offers the optimal sanctuary for you and your wilderness bound soul.

A refreshing break from the extravagant and fantastic, this quaint little tree house looks like the perfect home for a pair of settling old souls. A low set base and two sets of stairs make this structure very accessible. The set of two matching chairs sit out in front, as if awaiting the return of their keeper.

A shabby and thrown together look accommodate this unique tree house, and give it character that suggests it was built by Peter Pan and his crew of lost boys. With uneven boarding,  random flare on the outside, and vibrant color, this house is an ideal place for a child to never grow up.