Latest news with #treehouse
Irish Times
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
The Needle
Long ago, Sorrel the foraging elf lived a peaceful life in their small cottage, but alas, Sorrel really didn't like this house. Sorrel couldn't invite their best friends over because their house was too tiny: they only had a livingroom, kitchen and bedroom – all packed into the one room! Winter was coming, and it was getting too cold to meet up outside. Harper the androgynous witch liked to couch surf and Kellie the lesbian siren lived underwater, so they couldn't meet up at their houses either. Sorrel wanted to live in a nice insulated treehouse, with fairy lights all over. They wanted it to be in a tall tree with one big bed that they could share for sleepovers. They dreamed of having a little wooden elevator to go up to the house that ran through the trunk of the tree. But of course, such a build was extremely expensive and they could not afford it. Being a forager is a low-paying job, and they mostly work in bartering. READ MORE Kellie, being a siren, wasn't able to visit too often, so Harper and Sorrel would sometimes visit her at her lake. Kellie hated fishermen, because they disrupted the lake and fish up all her fishy friends. Sorrel and Harper didn't mind the fisherman: Sorrel bartered with them, so they needed them, and Harper sold them potions to make the fish bite. One day, as the two came to visit to go surfing with Kellie, they saw her being caught in a fisherman's net. 'AHHHHHHH!' screamed Kellie. 'Put down that lesbian at once!' Sorrel demanded. Sorrel shook their fists at the fisherman and ran towards the stony pier. Harper, ever the practical one, walked forward calmly, took out a knife and started to cut Kellie loose. The fisherman nervously backed away from the side of the boat, hands raised in surrender. As the fisherman were distracted with Harper, Sorrel swooped in, grabbing Kellie from the ripped fishing net. Kellie was wailing loudly, thrashing in the net until Harper cut her loose and Sorrel rescued her. 'Let me at 'em!' Kellie said furiously, lunging at the fisherman. Harper quickly grabbed Kellie and began to drag her back to Sorrel's tiny cottage, and Sorrel skipped behind them. 'Next time someone tries to catch me, I'm gonna eat them,' said Kellie, deadpan. 'Calm down, ya crazy lesbian,' Harper said. 'Let's all cheer ourselves up and get some piercings.' Harper was covered in tattoos of potion doodles, and had lots of piercings. 'Absolutely!' Kellie said enthusiastically. Sorrel froze at the idea of getting a live piercing. Harper had always given them a sleeping draught to make sure they didn't have to see or feel the needle. Harper noticed Sorrel looking upset, and said: 'It's okay, there's nothing to be afraid of, it's over in two seconds! But I'll get you some sleeping draught anyway.' Taking their bag off their back and placing it on the floor, Harper rummaged through the contents. A look of confusion crossed their face. 'It's not there.' To be continued… Transgender Equality Network Ireland (Teni) is an advocacy, support and education organisation that focuses on the issues and needs of transgender and gender diverse people in Ireland. Each year, Teni hosts a family residential weekend for families who have trans children and/or young people. At last year's weekend, the organisation worked with a group of trans young people on fantasy world-building through writing, where they could imagine a world where trans and gender diverse people are not framed in a negative light.
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Travel + Leisure
09-05-2025
- Travel + Leisure
This Southern Tree House Is Built Around a Real Tree—and It Has Blue Ridge Mountain Views and a Resident Owl Named Betty
Finding some peace and well-deserved rest in nature shouldn't be hard. In fact, one easy way to get some time in nature is to book a tree-top getaway for the weekend, like this luxurious tree house near the small town of Travelers Rest, South Carolina. Known as the Forestry House, this striking rental vacation home is located on a 16-ace spread and is built on a platform around a living tree. The property has beautiful minimalist, modern design with pops of natural wood accents and stunning views of the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains. Guests can relax around the outdoor fire pit. Guests can choose to relax in the house, or they can take a short stroll across a bridge to access a wooden deck, where they can enjoy a cozy evening under the stars, huddled around a fire pit. There's also a back porch with comfortable seats, if you want more places to while away the day. The bathroom and bedroom inside The Forestry House. Inside, the open concept layout of the Airbnb makes the space feel delightfully airy and breezy. The home has a comfortable, king-sized bed and a private bathroom, too. If you feel like whipping up something during your forest retreat, there's a kitchen with an induction cooktop, a toaster oven, an air fryer, a retro-style refrigerator, and a Nespresso coffee machine. An open floor plan shows the tree house's kitchen, living and dining area. If you're feeling adventurous, there's an on-site outdoor shower where you can freshen up to the sound of songbirds. In fact, there's plenty of wildlife to observe: deer, foxes, flying squirrels, turkeys, and even a resident owl named Betty. To help guests truly unplug and connect with their surroundings, the tree house intentionally doesn't have a TV or Wi-Fi. Chairs set up to the enjoy the view from the tree house's balcony. There's a lot to do nearby as well. It's a 10-minute drive to downtown Travelers Rest, where you can find the History Museum of Travelers Rest, a farmer's market, as well as the 22-mile-long Swamp Rabbit Trail that connects to the nearby town of Greenville, South Carolina—perfect for a long walk or bike ride. But if you're looking for a taste of "big" city life, Asheville, North Carolina, is about an hour away and is known for its vibrant arts and culture scene. For more nature-focused adventures, head to Jones Gap State Park, where gorgeous hiking opportunities abound. There are also barbecue trails for meat-loving foodies, as well as some wineries and breweries close by that are worth a visit. Nightly rates start at $285.
News.com.au
09-05-2025
- General
- News.com.au
2025 Houses Awards: Bushfire ready steel treehouse among short-listed Victorian projects
An elevated steel treehouse built to withstand bushfire and a cavern-like hideaway are among standout Victorian homes in contention to be crowned Australia's House of the Year. More than 80 projects from across the state have been short-listed for the 2025 Houses Awards, with many rewarded for embracing the 'radical idea of doing less'. One of the smallest abodes to make the cut is Sawmill Treehouse, an unconventional one-bedroom bush retreat constructed over a gully where street water was discharged. Described by one visitor as a 'spaceship', the Robbie Walker design sits on four slender columns that mimic the surrounding trees, allowing for cars to pass underneath. The high risk of ember attack dictated that all external materials had to be nonflammable, so the treehouse roof and walls were covered in steel slats that serve the dual purpose of providing shade and natural cooling. Houses Awards jury chair Alexa Kempton said the short-listed homes pioneered bold new ideas. She said there was an emerging trend towards more compact homes and out-of-the-box transformations that spared existing homes from demolition. 'Many of this year's short-listed homes show us that we should be designing smarter, rather than bigger,' Ms Kempton said. 'Increasingly, we see architects telling clients 'you don't need more space – you need better design'. 'The jury observed modestly scaled new houses as well as clever interventions to existing homes and applauded this continue emphasis on responsible residential design.' Rising demand for granny flats and studios has also seen the introduction of a new category this year to recognise small projects. But there's still plenty of grand statements in the mix, such as the striking House on a Hill, by Leeton Pointon Architects and Allison Pye Interiors. The curvaceous country retreat on the Mornington Peninsula is short-listed in the New House over 200sq m category. The home's robust concrete walls, cave-like arched doorways and dramatic windows are designed to shelter multiple generations of the family from its harsh windy environment while framing distant pastoral views. Capitalising on the vista over Mount Martha also inspired another ambitious Mornington Peninsula project in the same category, FIGR Architecture Studio's pavilion style Kross House. The design was inspired by the local boardwalk and appears to levitate above the hillside and an 18m lap pool below. In Northcote, Wowowa directors Monique and Scott Woodward's own California bungalow renovation is in the running for best House Alteration and Addition under 200sq m. Barbie would be right at home among the pink, copper and maroon residence, designed during maternity leave. A cinquefoil arch is a nod to a favourite Jaipurian holiday destination, while inside pink cabinetry and ceilings radiate warmth. Even bolder interior choices, including a bathroom cabinet constructed from shells and an upside down periscope, make an appearance at another a quirky Great Ocean Road beach house. The aptly named 'She Sells Sea Shells' by Multiplicity is in the running for best New House under 200sq m. A bunk room for the kids is just about the only conventional feature of the Aireys Inlet getaway, which has retro carpet on the walls, instead of the floors, and a brick island bench. The winners of the 2025 House Awards will be announced at a gala event on August 1, with one home from across the nine categories to be crowned Australian House of the Year.
