If your family is graced with children and your backyard is graced with a majestic Oak or a small grove of towering Redwoods, then perhaps there is a treehouse in your future.  In fact, even if children aren’t in your equation, then an adult treehouse might be a unique, tranquil addition to your yard.

Let’s start with what defines a treehouse. 

When I was little, a wedged-in slice of discarded plywood provided a 12-foot high lookout roost from my grandmother’s maple tree.  When I sat on that small platform it was just me and the blue jays in our own private nest.  From my throne in the sky I was the self-proclaimed Queen of the Backyard, literally and figuratively above it all. Despite its obvious lack of OSHA-approved building methods, it provided hours of pleasure and (amazingly) no injuries ever occurred. 
  

Would I let my own children play on that precarious perch?  It’s hard to say.  Fast forward 30 years and the treehouse in our own backyard today has a railing and is somewhat screened in to avoid possible falls.