Are you interested in building a tree house but not sure where to start? Look no further for inspiration and ideas than here! In our latest blog, we collate ideas ranging from easy simple tree house designs to daring and complex tree house designs. The world, or should we say the trees, are your oyster!

What is a treehouse?

Simply put a treehouse is an elevated structure which is constructed around, adjacent to, or among the branches or trunk of one or more trees. The tree house may be partially or fully supported by the tree itself, or it may be self-supported via pillars. A treehouse can be as simple as an elevated, open platform, or it can be a fully habitable sealed and insulated building. Or it can combine multiple elements such as a house, several platforms, bridges and play features. Tree houses are for everyone. They can be used for hanging out, working in, bird watching, living in, or for renting out as part of a glamping site. The most important thing is choosing a tree house design that suits your needs.

How do you build a tree house?

Treehouses are usually, but not exclusively built from wood. The advantages of building with wood are that it is a relatively lightweight material which can easily be moulded to fit the shape of the tree you are working with. Wood also blends in well with its natural environment and is a sustainable option. There are several options for attaching the treehouse structure to the tree itself, these range from treehouse attachment bolts to rubber-cushioned clamps and cables. The most important thing when building a tree house is ensuring that whatever hardware you use, you do not cause any harm to the tree itself. Alongside choosing the right materials, the most important thing is starting with a tree-led design process. However you decide to build the treehouse, it is essential that the structure is well designed and well built to ensure it is safe for use, whether that be for your children to play in, or for you to sleep in.

Easy tree house design ideas:

Are you looking for inspiration for a compact tree house or platform for your children to play in or maybe even a tree house for you to enjoy the sunset with a cold drink? Look no further than this list we’ve compiled of some of the easy, simple tree house designs that we love. Of course, no 2 trees are the same and for that reason no 2 tree house designs should be the same, but hopefully, there are some exciting concepts and features in here to get your design juices flowing!

1. Red Treehouse

Introducing the Red Treehouse – a perfect chillout and play zone for adventurous children. Hanging amidst a ring of Scots pine trees, the Red Treehouse is suspended from steel cables that are slung over the strong upper branches. This compact treehouse has curved walls front and back, a flat roof, custom windows, rustic rope and branch wood balustrade and cleverly integrated play features including a foreman’s pole, monkey bars and gym hoops. To enter the treehouse, you climb a simple wooden ladder up to the front balcony with a railing constructed of round wood and gnarled branches.

2. Elmfield Treehouse

Another great one for the kids, and also if you are working with relatively small trees, is the Elmfield Treehouse. For this simple tree house design the idea was to create a treehouse big enough for the kids to sleep in with as many cool play features and climbing options as possible. The tree house wraps around a young holly tree on the left and Lawson cypress on the right. The tree house design includes a curved ‘floating’ deck, floor joists fanned out across the main beams. The floor joists are also used to support endless play features including monkey bars, wooden loops and hanging ropes so the entire sub-structure can be scaled without the need to touch the floor! The balustrade itself is a combination of riven and stag oak, which gives the railing its wriggly nature. The house has a bespoke doorway that sits underneath a hipped roof. And best of all, there is a secret side door which provides access to a rocket slide!

3. Little Croft

Looking for a more open structure to maximise sunlight? Look no further than the Little Croft, a free-standing sundeck with views over lush green fields. Little Croft is a fully self-supported roundwood chestnut stilt structure with gorgeous branch details in stag oak and chestnut to help it blend in seamlessly with the nearby trees. The decking is planed larch, laid concentrically to create a spider-web effect. The sundeck is 2.2m high and provides a space for adults to chill out with a drink, or sit and have dinner, whilst the kids can keep themselves occupied on the monkey bars, nest wing and stainless-steel slide.

4. Orchard Treehouse

*Orchard Treehouse is reached via a stunning steel spiral staircase*

The Orchard Treehouse is supported fully by a Field Maple tree and a Poplar tree using compression through natural forks in the tree. Where timber rests against a branch, rubber is used as a buffer to protect the bark. The stag oak details on each open side make the treehouse feel as though it is part of the tree and the live-edge oak cladding blends seamlessly into the woodland surroundings. A steel spiral staircase takes you up to platform height where you then step under the roof and into the treehouse.

More complex tree house designs

Are you looking to push the boundaries a little further? Do you dream of having a fully liveable tree house where you can sleep or even rent out on Air BnB? Or do you want to create an unbelievable play experience for children, teenagers, and adults alike? Check out this list of our favourite more daring and complex tree house designs.

5. Wilderness Treehouse

*Wilderness Treehouse blends perfectly into its surroundings*

Looking for an elegant and classic tree house design? The Wilderness Treehouse takes inspiration from the 400-year-old gothic house within the grounds in which it is built. The tree house has 8 sides, each one with a pointed window arch. The door is also framed with a pointed arch and the roof of this tiny home is pointed and covered with cedar shingles. The treehouse platform neatly encircles 2 of the 3 trees that support this structure so that you can touch the trees as you walk across the deck. And for some perfect symmetry, a scaled-down version of the tree house design was used to build a miniature birdhouse mounted upon the handrail!

6. Nassjo Treehouse

For those who love to play… Supported by 5 Scots pine trees, the Nassjo Treehouse is a complex multi-platform tree house encompassing a rustic tower built from logs and oak, a play platform, and a treehouse, all connected by separate bridges. The play platform hosts a climbing wall, a scramble net and a fireman's pole which shoots through a trapdoor. The treehouse itself has a wrap-around balcony and inside you’ll find a loft bed with a skylight built into the roof overhead. Underneath the treehouse, the tree house design includes a pendulum swing and a set of monkey bars to a hidden trapdoor.

7. Hareway Treehouse

*Hareway Treehouse for daring acrobatics*

The Hareway Treehouse is designed to be played with. Multiple levels take you up between a sturdy oak and a mighty lime tree, whilst an expansive balcony wraps around the treehouse. From the top level, a trap door provides access to a lower platform which houses a zipline for daring children and adults alike. Underneath the treehouse is an array of play and strengthening equipment, including callisthenics/pull-up bars and hanging hoops for gymnastics. Up inside the treehouse, you can hang in a netted mezzanine whilst looking through the glass facade, with floor-to-ceiling windows which face the woodland and look out over fields beyond.

8. Lyneham Treehouse

*Lyneham Treehouse - style and substance*

The Lyneham Treehouse design is a forest cabin-styled timber-framed structure with a truly unique staircase design. Both beautiful and functional, the roof extends out over both front and side balconies to give maximum weather protection and views in all directions. Its boldest tree house design feature is the stunning 5m high timber spiral staircase built entirely by hand. The spiral was built around a huge, sustainably sourced oak log with Douglas fir steps supported by cleft-oak brace notches. The railing itself was made from thin strips of Douglas fir and the top handrail was 4 strips laminated together.

9. Dragonfly Treehouse

*Dragonfly Treehouse - contemporary treehouse living*

Looking for a contemporary and stylish tree house design? The Dragonfly treehouse blends in perfectly with its woodland surroundings with its staggered cedar-shingle cladding, which draws inspiration from the pinecones littering the forest floor. Twisted, bendy branches line the stairs on either side and a balcony of cleft chestnut and stag oak guides you to the front of the treehouse. On the inside of the treehouse, a dark pine floor leads to pallet walls of mixed colours and a giant window spanning the entire wall gives an amazing view of the forest.

10. Gracious Treehouse

Last but not least, this list of innovative tree house designs would not be complete without the Gracious Treehouse. Situated between 2 large oak trees overlooking a pond, the treehouse nestles between the branches of the 2 trees. The tree house is accessed by 2 custom-made curved staircases which wind up through the trees to the 5m high top platform. A midway treehouse platform splits the two flights of stairs, easing the climb. The treehouse itself comprises three parts; a living area, and a two-story room with a floor level and a mezzanine above. Bespoke-shaped windows give views of the forest on all sides.

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10 innovative tree house designs

What is a treehouse?

How do you build a tree house?

Easy tree house design ideas: