17 of the Most Amazing Treehouses From Around The World

17 of the Most Amazing Tree houses From Around The World

• Kids ever since dreamed of building their own tree house as a sanctuary away from parents, away from the real world. Some of us still do. In Western countries the tree house is said to be only for kids, but is it? People from the other side of the globe see the tree house as their traditional home. For instance, for the Korowai community in New Guinea, the tree house is the best option of accommodation due the environmental conditions. They raise their houses up above to protect their homes from sneaky animals and constant floods. 

• Fortunately, the idea of tree house is no longer left to rust in the pages of a children's books, nor on the other side of the globe. Architects and designers develop new concepts of tree houses for a child inside you, who never grew up. In these days, everyone can fulfill their old as the hills dreams about having a tree house or even spending your holiday there. The conventional wooden cabin design is left into the previous century as these new houses feature multiple floors, electricity, glass, mirror or even lightweight aluminium alloy parts. 

Three Story Tree house (British Columbia, Canada)

Why have a single-story tree house, if you can have three? This one is said to be the tallest tree house in British Columbia, Canada. You can find it somewhere near Revelstoke

Mirror Tree House (Sweden)

Almost invisible and perfect for hiding, the Mirror House is part of the Tree Hotel project in the North of Sweden. As cool as it looks, we’re afraid the house may be invisible to birds. 

The Bird’s Nest Tree House (Sweden)

This tree house, by the creators of the Tree Hotel, might confuse the birds even more. Although it looks like a massive nest from the outside, the house has a modern and high-standard room built inside.

The HemLoft Treehouse (Whistler, Canada)

After retiring at the age of 26, software developer Joel Allen became a carpenter and fulfilled his dream of “building something cool”. Kind of an understatement. He never thought this personal project would be featured in international design magazines!

Treehouse in Muskoka (Ontario, Canada)

Designed by Lukasz Kos, 4Treehouse is constructed around four trees over Lake Muskoka in Ontario, Canada, and floats in the air like a big Japanese lantern on stilts.

Minister’s Treehouse (Crossville, Tennessee, USA)

This grandiose 100-foot-tall structure is said to be the tallest tree house in world, and was built entirely out of reclaimed wood by Horace Burgess in Crossville, Tennessee.

Yellow Treehouse Restaurant

This restaurant in Auckland, New Zealand, offers you an amazing dining experience: the restaurant seems to be organically wrapped around the tree and is able to host up to 18 guests at a time.

Treehouse in Seattle (USA)

As if tree houses are not fairy tale-ish enough by themselves, this one even has a rope bridge leading to its doorstep! (Image credits:

Free Spirit Sphere Treehouses (Canada)

Built with vision and engineering, these handcrafted spheres are suspended like pendants from a web of rope. They occupy a truly unique place in the world and provide a habitat for the un-tamed spirit that exists in us all.

Treehouse by Takashi Kobayashi (Japan)

Designed by Takashi Kobayashi, the Tree House People seek to “break down the feeling of separation that exists between humans and nature.” 

Senior Center Turned Treehouse (Ghent, Belgium)

This sculptural tree house in Belgium was made for the art festival TRACK: A Contemporary City Conversion, and is a miniature version of the houses behind it.

O2 Treehouse (USA)

The O2 Treehouse seeks to “inspire humanity to reconsider how we can more harmlessly co-exist with nature” by creating world-wide tree house communities.

Treehouse for Birds and People (Andu Momofuku Centre, Japan)

A modern tree house concept by Nendo offers you the possibility to peek into the private life of birds. Divided into two parts by a wall with little peek holes, it allows people to see what the birds are doing on the other side of their wall.

Eco-friendly Finca Bellavista Treehouse (Costa Rica)

This tree house is a part of the self-sustainable and eco-friendly Finca Bellavista tree house community in Costa Rica. The whole property of the community now takes up more than 600 acres, and is all connected by suspension bridges!

Plane Treehouse (Costa Rica)

While not entirely a treehouse, this vintage Boeing 727 was originally bought by Joanne Ussary for $2,000.00. It cost her $4,000.00 to move the plane and $24,000.00 to renovate an turn it into this Executive Suite 727 tree house. A jacuzzi in the cockpit is just one of the intriguing ideas she had for her new home! 

Teahouse Tetsu (Yamanashi, Japan)

Architect Terunobu Fujimori‘s treehouse combines both minimalism and fantasy. While the interior is simple and modern, the exterior looks like a page from a fairy tale.

UFO Treehouse (Sweden)

The Swedish Tree Hotel decided to go a totally different direction after building a Bird Nest tree house and built this UFO treehouse.

keywords: 17 of the Most Amazing Treehouses From Around The World

Container Gardening Ideas

Container Gardening Ideas

Enjoy nonstop color all season long with these container gardening ideas and plant suggestions. You'll find beautiful pots to adorn porches and patios.

All Fired Up

Take glorious fall color right up to your door by mixing the blazing tones of orange and yellow with cool shades of purple and blue. First, encircle a copper container with a bittersweet wreath (fresh or faux). To contrast with the orange berries, add "Lemon Ball" sedum and the regal hues of purple cabbage. Spice up the center with "Calypso Orange" ornamental peppers and "Cosmic Yellow" cosmos. Crown the look with a halo of Mexican bush sage. Stack pumpkins on the steps for additional color. Provide full sun and moderate water and the display will flourish through the fall. When it's done, just plant the sedum in your yard to continue the show.

Show Your True Colors

The plants in this LSU-themed container all thrive in part sun and moist potting mix.

Summertime Flair!

Let's hear it for elephant's ear! Its oversize leaves—the secret to this stately combination—create drama through scale. And they allow you to fill in the blanks with tiny, colorful flowers.

Meet Miss Lantana

Tougher than Clint Eastwood, lantana parties in heat, chortles at drought, and blooms in a slew of sunny colors from spring to fall. Plus, its nectar-laden flowers attract pretty butterflies like moths to a flame.

Bring On the Sun

The high-drama, low-maintenance container spotlights 'Variegated Spreading Salmon' SunPatiens, but leaves room for a foxtail asparagus fern and a 6-inch pot of 'Neon' pothos.

A Quick Container Combo

In the largest pot, working from back to front and tallest to shortest, densely plant 'Liberty Classic Yellow' snap-dragon, 'Bouquet Rose Magic' dianthus, and 'Tickled Pink' veronica. Place 'New Look' dusty miller and 'Lemon Ball' sedum in the front to trail over the edge. Pack a powerful, single-note punch in the two smaller pots by planting 'Supertunia Vista Bubblegum' petunia in the midsize container and more sedum in the smallest.

Geraniums Built for the South

Southerners used to have to choose between geraniums that could handle high temps and humidity and those that produced lots of flowers. But Calliope series geraniums were developed to offer the best of both worlds. This one's called "Dark Red."

Tulips, Pansies, Acorus, Heuchera, Ivy and Fern

Pair your tulips with Lavender Blue' and 'Purple Wing' Plentifall pansies, acorus, heuchera, variegated ivy, and 'Tiger' fern (a selection of Boston fern).

Warm and Cheerful Trio

Heat-tolerant geraniums, calibrachoas, and mecardonias in bright red, yellow, and purple shout a welcome in a cheerful way. 

Bargain Blooms

Take advantage of seasonal sales at your local nursery, and stock up on popular plants. Keep them in their nursery pots, and display them in galvanized buckets on the porch until you are ready to plant them in your garden. Recreate this look with gerbera daisies, salvias, shasta daisies, daylilies, and sweet potato vines. 

Add a Tropical Punch

Are you dreaming of a summer vacation, but the only thing on the horizon is more heat and humidity? It may not be a balmy getaway, but bringing the Tropics to your doorstep is a breeze with this combo: giant-leaved, sunny ‘Maui Gold’ elephant’s ear; heavily blooming, fiery orange SunPatiens; velvety, fragrant citronella plant; purple iridescent Persian shield; and a heavenly skirt of angel vine spilling down the sides.

Hostas, Violas & Blue Phlox

We're kicking off our list of Container Gardening Ideas with a tip that will have you thinking outside the box—or planter.

Consider using a cast-concrete pool for a miniature garden. Because these pools are made to accommodate plumbing, there are already holes in the bottom that allow for drainage.

Pansies, Violas, Panolas, Grass & Ivy

Orange pansies, violas, and Panolas provide a warm autumnal welcome in this grouping. Try pairing colorful and distinctive flowers like these with a textural plant, like a grass.

Magnolia, Spider Plant & Caladiums

Red ‘Freida Hemple’ caladiums, a spider plant, and a ‘Little Gem’ Southern magnolia decorate a large pot in the corner and hide the downspout. Smaller pots of the same caladiums tie together the grouping.

Agave

Use decorative ground covers to jazz up your potted plantings. A potted blue agave surrounded by pebbles serves as a living sculpture on this deck.

Mixed Succulents

Use plantings to enliven your outdoor table. This shallow bowl of mixed succulents makes a great centerpiece.

Grasses & Caladiums

Use textural plants for extra drama. This homeowner added spiky and vertical plants, such as ornamental grasses and caladiums, to her pots.

Keywords: Container Gardening Ideas

Frank Lloyd Wright Designed This Home to Look Like Pottery

Frank Lloyd Wright Designed This Home to Look Like Pottery

• Frank Lloyd Wright is said to have been the most important American architect of the 20th century. There were two Frank Lloyd Wright houses built in New Mexico. 

• The first, a compact home in Pecos, southeast of Santa Fe was designed and built in 1952 during the great architect’s lifetime. 

• The other, the Pottery House in Santa Fe, was built posthumously. According to architect, Arnold Roy, who trained with Wright and worked for his firm Taliesin Associated Architects (TAA) , any homes built after Wright’s death get the designation “based on a design by Frank Lloyd Wright.” 

• Due to building codes and other considerations, the original homes cannot be reproduced exactly as they appear in the original plans and must be modified to meet building code and site requirements. 

• Currently, there’s s a moratorium by the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation on all his archived plans, which makes this home even more special.

• The original house, commissioned by Texan Lloyd Burlingham in 1941, was to be built on land he owned outside El Paso. 

• The plans, according to the Frank Lloyd Foundation, were completed in 1942. 

• The Pottery House was designed to be built of adobe to take advantage of the building materials available on  the Burlingham property. 

• It was never built and the plans were filed away.

• In 1982, builder/developer Charles Klotsche  hired Scottsdale, Arizona firm, Taliesin Associated Architects (TAA) to update and enlarge the original design to fit the Santa Fe site an better meet his needs. 

• Architect Charles Montooth, a former Wright apprentice, was in charge of the project. The original 2400 square foot home was expanded to 4900 square feet.

• The house, designed to look like a piece of Native American pottery with rounded sides, was influenced by Wright’s Usonian period (an acronym for United States of North America). 

• These spare designs featured lots of light, varied ceiling heights and a central fireplace. The Pottery House has a total of seven fireplaces including a wood burning grill in the compact kitchen. 

• The home also features built-ins, a Wright signature feature. There is a radiant heating system, a concept Wright pioneered. 

• According to Roy, when the designer was in Tokyo in 1914 designing the Imperial Hotel, his host introduced him to an ancient Korean secret. 

• They heated their homes for over 2,500 years by running their chimney flues under masonry floors. 

• In the late 1930s and early 1940s, Wright adapted this technique, running hot water pipes through concrete floors.

• The home is surrounded by outdoor living spaces including courtyards and patios. 

• The house was sited to take advantage of the spectacular Sangre de Christo and Jemez Mountain views. At night, the twinkling lights below in Santa Fe are spectacular.

• Montooth created an exterior wall of glass in the gallery leading to four of the five bedrooms (the fifth, a second master, is on the far side of the house off the kitchen). 

• These bedrooms have large windows and glass doors opening onto the hallway affording the rooms maximum light. 

• The two master baths have sunken soaking tubs. 

• The secondary bedrooms have narrow sunken tub/shower combos. Perhaps the home’s most luxurious feature is the swimming pool Montooth added that can be accessed directly from one of the home’s two master bedrooms.

• The Pottery House, currently on the market, was included in Santa Fe Properties’ 2012 Art of Home Tour, part of the annual ARTFeast. 

• This free tour, that teams some of the city’s galleries with high-end homes on the market, gave many people an opportunity they wouldn’t normally have to see this unique home.

• If you have a spare four million dollars and change lying around, here’s your chance to live in a home with Frank Lloyd Wright’s imprint on it. 

• If not, enjoy the photos. 

• Take advantage of next year’s tour; there may be another amazing architectural treasure on it. You never know. 

Keywords: Frank Lloyd Wright Designed This Home to Look Like Pottery

10 home design trends to ditch in 2015

10 home design trends to ditch in 2015

• Home design trends may come and go, but homeowners are always looking for inexpensive, easy ways to increase their property's value. Some of those trends can translate into bigger bucks when it comes time to sell a home, while others can actually drag value down. 

• Part of figuring out whether to change a design element involves predicting what potential buyers might want down the line, while also considering the needs and tastes of the people who live there today. It's a balancing act for almost every homeowner's budget. The risk? That some design decisions make your home look dated before its time.

• We talked to three interior design professionals about which trends to resist and where they would put their renovation dollars instead. Here are 10 trends they think homeowners should steer clear of in 2015.

• 2. Until recently, lots of interior designers thought it would be useful for homeowners to build a desk space directly into the counter top. People used the space, which was usually about six inches shorter than the average kitchen counter, for storing cookbooks, making telephone calls and paying the bills. 

• John Petrie, a Pennsylvania-based master kitchen and bath designer, owner of Mother Hubbard's Custom Cabinetry and the 2014 president of the National Kitchen and Bath Association, advises clients to skip the desk -- mostly because those needs no longer exist.

• "In many cases today, homeowners don't have a land line," he said. "My wife was one person who got the Southern Living cookbook over and over, year after year; but we don't do that anymore. It's all on her iPad."

• Replace it with: Counter space you will actually use, and more kitchen storage underneath.

• 3. According to an August Houzz survey, 35 percent of people plan to put a television in their children's and guest bedrooms.

• Amy Yin, the award-winning principal designer and owner of Amy Yin Interiors in New Jersey, said she's been seeing more TVs in kids' rooms over the last few years, and she would like to see homeowners move in a different direction. 

• "We just installed magnetic wallpaper in a preteen's room that looks like linen," she said. "She can put up inspiration from magazines or things she's interested in. She does horseback riding, so it gives her a place to put up her awards. It's a space that rotates and grows with her interests."

• Although a TV isn't really a design a feature, a magnetic wallpaper or chalkboard-painted wall is -- so consider if your home might be re-sold to another family. If so, the extra touch could help potential future buyers see their kids in that space.

• Replace it with: A play space, bookshelf or something that will spark kids' imaginations.

• 4. Kerrie Kelly, a California-based interior designer, founder of the Kerrie Kelly Design Lab and member of the American Society of Interior Designers, believes there's a big difference between the classic herringbone print and over-saturated, overused chevron.

• She's not alone. According to the 2015 Zillow Digs Home Trend Forecast, chevron was "one of the most overused trends of 2014." 

• Bold and often brightly-colored chevron pillowcases and area rugs are likely a passing fad, but luckily they're not too expensive to update. Wallpaper, on the other hand, is a little trickier.

• Replace it with: Solid-colored, textured fabrics or pieced animal hide.

• 5. In the 1980s, whirlpool bathtubs were a hot commodity. Now, Petrie has noticed that people aren't using them as much as they used to.

• "They just take up a lot of real estate that can be used in other fashions that tend to be more desirable for people today, like bigger showers or his-and-hers vanities," he said.

• They can also cost homeowners big bucks when it comes time to pay the water bill. One whirlpool bath can use between 80 and 100 gallons of water, he added. 

• If you still want the look and feel of a spa-like master bath, a sitting area or regular soaking bathtub can create a similarly relaxing environment and save you money in the long run.

• Replace it with: A shower with more space, a seat, shelves for bath products and a rainwater showerhead.

• 6. Over the last two years, more people have been inspired by trendy urban loft spaces to embrace minimalist design -- and not always in a good way.

• "There's just nothing on people's windows," Yin said. "It's completely open. There's no privacy; there's nothing to protect from glare. There's no color, personality, texture or softness, which is what window treatments can do." 

• But Yin doesn't recommend going back to the days when people hung three layers of thick, heavy fabric in front of every natural light source. There are plenty of window treatments that are sheer, simple and minimalist while still being functional. They bring light in without looking dated.

• Replace it with: Shades or simple panels that can leave the windowpane open or provide privacy.

• 7. Gone are the days of "Hollywood Glam" mirrored and metallic furniture, according to Kelly, owner of Kerrie Kelly Design Lab. The trend may once have been the so-called red lipstick of interior design, adding a bit of easy glamour to a dull room, but she says such accents are now overdone. 

• While it may be tempting to hang on to a bedroom set that makes your room feel larger (and a little more like a disco ball), shiny furniture is best used sparingly as an accent. 

• Replace it with: A mix of wooden and metal furniture that is complementary without completely matching.

• 8. People started putting microwaves over the kitchen range about 20 or 25 years ago, Petrie said. While they can save some space, they're not always the most attractive or ergonomically safe option. 

• "If designed properly, they're very safe," he said. "But in reality they can be placed too high. If you're 5-foot-5, I can put the microwave at a good height for you. But if you sell your home and the new homeowner is 4-foot-11, she's going to have a hard time reaching her new microwave."

• The popularity of open-concept kitchens is also prompting more homeowners to choose stylish range hoods that are nicer to look at from the family room, he said.

• Replace it with: A microwave drawer installed underneath the counter top.

• 9. Tiled counter tops have been around as long as any of us can remember, but their popularity has resurfaced in recent years. The trend made Houzz's list of most popular kitchen counter top materials in 2014, partially due to its affordability compared to materials like granite, copper or quartz. However, Kelly said not all homeowners are thrilled with the cheaper tiles once they realize how much cleaning is involved. 

• "No one wants to clean grout on a horizontal tile surface ever again. It doesn't matter how tight the grout lines are."

• According to Kelly, ditching this trend now could be worth the effort since it will improve the value of a home.

• Replace it with: A quartz slab.

• 10. One of the least expensive and easiest ways to update your home in a hurry is by changing out the hardware in the kitchen and bathroom. Homeowners don't need any expertise -- just a small budget and a screwdriver. 

• Petrie, of Mother Hubbard's Custom Cabinetry, says brass hardware is one design element that could use some updating. To replace brass hardware or other knobs, be sure to choose a size that will cover the "footprint" of whatever is currently installed.

• "Let's say you're changing the knobs on your cherry cabinets," he said. "The cherry patinas over time and warms up, gets darker and warmer in color. As that changes, the part hidden under the knob doesn't change at all. If the new knob doesn't have as big a footprint, you'd see a ring there, and that's not very desirable."

• Replace it with: Brushed or satin nickel hardware.

Keywords: 10 home design trends to ditch in 2015

Key Decorating Tips to Make Any Room Better

Key Decorating Tips to Make Any Room Better

• Are you trying to change the appearance of your house by your own means? You should have some considerations in mind in order to carry out this project successfully. 

• People try to do some housework in a frequent basis but, unfortunately, they tend to forget the basics. 

• You may want to save some money by decorating on your own. 

• However, you may not want to create a mess in the process, right? In order to avoid any undesirable outcome, you should keep a few pieces of advice in mind. 

• We proceed to summarize the most useful ideas about house decoration in only 12 Key Decorating Tips to Make Any Room Better. 

• In the first place, a common overlooked step is to pick the paint color at last when people decorate rooms at home. 

• There two reasons to do this: you will have less trouble painting at last and, most importantly, you will be able to pick the most suitable color if you decorate the room before. 

• As long as you keep the place organized, you will surely make the best possible color election. 

• Another important step is to hang artwork at the correct height. 

• You wouldn’t want your paintings to be too low or too high. 

• Make sure that the artwork is hanging at a comfortable height. 

• In addition, do not get crazy about themes. 

• It is more important to have a nice room than a thematic one. 

• Many people believe than having a theme is the best option but sometimes the room can end up having too many patterns. 

• Another good elections is to have a focal point, which means that you arrange your stuff so that they point towards a certain place. 

• It helps to keep everything organized.

• You should also consider sight lines and arrange the collectibles in a place where they are not obstructing the movement. 

• Changing the scale of the items or trying out layers of lightning are also recommended options when decorating your room. 

• Have you ever tried out bold? As you can see, there is quite a lot to do in this regard. 

• And keep in mind the golden rule: be creative, be yourself. 

• By following some of these 12 Key Decorating Tips to Make Any Room Better, you will definitely have the job done successfully.

Keywords: Key Decorating Tips to Make Any Room Better