Tree houses used to be small and simple , but a Scottish company has bigger ideas - and Irish buyers are snapping them up, writes Eoin Lyons
Every child loves tree houses - and many grown-ups do, too. Roman emperors feasted while sitting on platforms in trees, and Renaissance builders took up the idea with enthusiasm. The oldest surviving English tree house dates from the 17th century, so they have a long and impressive history. But, in Ireland, although playhouses in trees are common enough, tree houses that are full-scale garden buildings are more unusual.
The TreeHouse Company, a bespoke manufacturer based in western Scotland, builds both tree houses for children, which start at about €22,000, and structures that are nothing less than houses in trees, which cost upwards of €75,000. Its turnkey service includes design, project management and construction.
The company, which now has an office in Dublin, recently finished a couple of projects here, both in Co Kildare. One of them is a fully functioning weekend home, with two fold-away beds, plumbing, electricity and even an Aga in the kitchen. Gordon Brown of the TreeHouse Company says the owner "works all week, then comes down, switches off his mobile and sits on the deck". He says the house cost between €75,000 and €95,000 and took six weeks to build.
The higher the tree, the more expensive a house is to build in it. Other factors affect price, too, such as how many branches have to be accommodated through the structure. Each is built to allow for the growth and movement of the tree. "For our Irish jobs, we come over, look at the site with a surveyor, write a brief and come back with a computerised illustration," says Brown. The company also brings in its own team to build the house.
Its other Irish project is more of a children's playhouse, but it is still large, over two levels, with a sleeping loft. "It's in the garden of a family's second home. This is where the kids sleep," says Brown. There's a secret room, hidden behind a false bookcase, and owl murals painted on the walls. It cost between €45,000 and €65,000 and took three weeks to build.
The TreeHouse Company is at 01-6319326 and www.treehouse-company.com