Maybe we were brainwashed by “The Swiss Family Robinson.” Or was it the Ewoks? “The Simpsons”? Whatever the source, Bay Area residents will go to incredible time and expense to turn a cypress in the backyard into a second home. And they’re dedicating a lot of technical and creative energy toward some amazing tree houses.

We solicited entries from readers on The Big Event and in this Sunday Datebook cover story profiling a few local tree house builders. There weren’t a lot of rules. Tree house purists will say that anything without a roof is just a tree fort; for this contest, two planks balanced on a tree and a healthy imagination a perfectly fine tree house. We also accepted a few houses from beyond the Bay Area — from transplants or Bay Area residents who built on a vacation home.

Enjoy the photos. There’s a little about each tree house in the photo gallery captions. The messages are included in their entirety below, along with a few additional photos. Four quick thoughts before you get to that …

1. I had no idea there was an adult tree house scene. I kind of assumed that my window for tree house building was when my children were young, with maybe a second chance if some grandchildren come along. Now I’m definitely waiting until the kids are in college. I’m getting a sports car and a tree house with a bar.

2. Lots of reclaimed wood and tree houses that don’t damage the tree. I’m wondering if this is a “Lord of the Rings” influence.

3. If there’s one thing I’d like to see but didn’t, it’s a solar powered minifridge. There were plenty of multi-level houses, rope swings and dumbwaiters, but I didn’t see a lot of beer storage potential beyond the Tiki tree house.

4. I’m not planning to add any more entries today. (Except one or two more from people who sent me entries earlier, and were asked to send bigger photos, etc.) But if you have a Bay Area tree house that is going to blow my mind, you can send it to me this morning. The rules and my e-mail are here.

There are no losers here, but I did call this a contest. So let me know your favorites in the comments. I’m hoping to get a live tour of one or two of your top picks, bring them a treehouse-warming gift, and post some video on The Big Event.

Thanks to everyone who entered.

Peter,

Here’s a tree house your readers might enjoy. It’s a pirate ship in a tree I built this spring. The grandkids and their parents wanted a tree house and have always enjoyed the pirate theme so they turned me loose in their back yard in Castro Valley. I’ve built boats in the past and I’ve built decks. So this wasn’t too different except for the challenge of having it all supported by a pair of redwood trees.

The decking is reclaimed wood from an old fence on the property. The stern railing was part of a bed frame, and the two cannons were feet from the same bed. The bowsprit (spar sticking out in front) is partly from an old sailboat boom saddle, and the name placard on the transom were also found on the property and reused.

Dave Coleman

Castro Valley

Daddy Mommy, what do we do? we don’t have a tree…

March 2007, after 12 years living “temporarily” in Berkeley we finally decided to buy a house. Our three kids 5, 7 and 9 years old made one request: we want to build a tree house with two floors and sleep on the second floor. The perfect house only had a palm tree (scientifically not a tree), so we built the perfect tree house on a plant. When the kids wake up after a night of sleep on its upper deck, they can enjoy the amazing view of the Golden Gate.

Sincerely Francois Jeanneau and family

Peter,

Thank you for the great article on tree houses, I fully enjoyed it. Attached are two photos of my tree house (platform) located in Bolinas. This was completed about six months ago, although I keep finding small ways and improvements to be made, I suspect that this shall be an on going project. It is built on what is left of a Cyprus tree that all the limbs had fallen and cracked off. Over five years ago I trimmed it down to what is left. I had been looking at this tree for the past many years and thinking it was perfect for a tree house for my granddaughters and a place to practice yoga. It was designed with both these purposes in mind. It has turned out to be perfect for both purposes. The granddaughters love it and the attached swing and I enjoy my yoga practice eleven feet above the ground; that’s a picture of me doing the “tree pose” in the tree!

Thanks again for the article,

Roger Hillyard

Dear Peter,

We have a 43 acre off-the-grid “encampment” near Lake Berryessa. There was always going to be a treehouse and a Tiki bar, so why not combine the two? Our hilly land is covered with spindly blue oaks and ghost pines, but my husband reasoned that four yoked together would make a fine base. He upcycled old lumber from Builder’s Resource for the floor and walls. The bar itself came from a naturally fallen oak. Friends lent their strong backs and helped stock the joint with booze and maritime toys. It is solar lighted. There is a red velvet rope to keep out undesirables in our absence, in this case the deer, those drunken sluts…

You are welcome any time—

Lynka Adams

Ron Kurash

Potrero Hill

Hello,We always had a tree fort somewhere when I was growing up in rural New York State with plenty of bones to be found in back bush farm country. I will never forget the magic of those days. There are no woods of that sort here in Berkeley but I still wanted our daughter, her friends and the neighborhood kids to have the same fun – so we built in our back yard – on a telephone pole.

Hung a giant monkey fist as a swing, added the cow skulls ( and a moose). It has entertained many youngsters and oldsters. It’s a destination on the couchsurfer network, and we’ve had many requests to “rent it” but it has to remain open for the adventures of kids.

Thank you

George McNeil

Berkeley

Self built two years ago in a cork oak tree I planted from an acorn 30 years ago, our tree house is a favorite spot to relax, read a book, watch birds, or have a glass of wine with friends. Its structure rests in branch crotches with no nails or screws penetrating the tree. Guests from 3 to 90 years of age have enjoyed the peacefulness of our little perch in the hills northwest of Vacaville.

Bill Spurlock

Sunny Slope Orchard

Vacaville, CA

Our tree that now is the cradle for our tree house is a redwood sown by Mr. Wolf the prior owner in 1958 from a sapling that he dug in Muir woods. In 1999 myself (Mr. Fox) and Mrs. Fox bought the house, overgrown garden and neglected tree. After weeks of hacking the undergrowth, trimming and climbing the tree as though I was a 9 year old again, we saw the beauty and memories it had in store for us.

So then after having two boys we built this tree house in one day, with my brother and crew, from materials left over from a project.



Peter Hartlaub,

This is a tree house in my backyard in Ashland, Oregon. I know it doesn’t qualify for the contest because it’s not in the Bay Area, but I’m sending it to you because I think your special about tree houses is a great idea.

It was built by a local contractor, Kelsey Bower. The walnut tree died and supports have been added. Hops cover the metal ladder.

Best, John Toso

Dear Mr. Hartlaub, Our tree house is a fun-filled kid’s place. The tree house is built on stilts so we don’t hurt the tree. In the tree house there is an electronic dart board, an attic for games, a folding table that swivels away for storage, a dumbwaiter, secret floor spaces to store anything, a porch, walkie-talkies, and a super awesome fireman’s pole! There also are two swings, one tire swing and one normal swing. You can also climb up the tree to reach the tree house as well. Our tree house is a great place to relax and have fun whenever! Enjoy the pictures. Cole Kastner

Hi! My name is D. Joseph and my treehouse is in Mill Valley ~ as you can see, it is still under construction. It was designed and is being built by san francisco artist and wunderkind, Jay Nelson. The redwoods on my property have always screamed, “Build a treehouse in us!” So, after eleven years of living here, I finally decided to listen… especially because I now have a granddaughter who i hope will love to play in it. We hope to finish it off with a staircase that winds around the tree in the foreground of the first photo. So exciting!! Thank you for doing this — can’t wait for part 2 of your article. D. Joseph This is an Apollo space tree Capsule I built for my clients kids, aged 10 and 6. The 10 yr old boy said he was to old for pirates but that he loved space, especially the Apollo program. The capsule is a polyethylene water tank, cut for windows, top hatch, and rear oval door. Interior control panel is recycled retro electronics from Urban Ore in Berkeley. Other recycled items serve as capsule parts. The tree platform is about 6 feet high, Trex decking with a rope ladder, hatch. Rope, pulley and basket serve as a dumbwaiter. Cy Lo

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Please visit my new website! www.cylobuilder.com Hi Peter, I live in Temescal, Oakland where I designed and built this treehouse for my children in 2008. Not technically a treehouse since the tree it sit below is in my neighbors yard right on the property line. We had her full blessing. The structure is 3 “stories”. A lower entry floor, a main loft and a small third story bench that allows you to peek out the skylight. It has a cargo hoist for bringing up snacks, interior LED lights, and an interior climbing rope for pulling yourself up to the primary level. There is an all important “secret compartment” under the lower floor. The floor of the main loft is movable oak boards recycled from a set of shelves my father built in college. The entry opening up to it can be at either side or in the middle which divides the loft into 2 halves. The windows are all acrylic sheet and held in place with embedded magnets so they snap into place without any latches. The entry door is held closed the same way, with embedded pairs of rare earth magnets. It’s 95% redwood with a Trex floor on the bottom level and walnut pegs holding the window and door moldings. Both my children and I have slept out in it several times. Elliott Aldrich Oakland, CA Hi Peter, As child growing up in suburban NY, our treehouse was a magnet for every kid in the neighborhood. The simple wooden platform was nestled in a dense tree, offering complete anonymity from adult supervision. We used a painting ladder to climb up and down, until we were old enough to climb the tree. My husband and I weren’t sure when we built a treehouse for our six-year old this summer if it would be a draw for the neighborhood kids. So much has changed since the 1970s and few kids today in Marin County have unscheduled afternoons, where they’re free to play. But with a bit of “Field of Dreams” philosophy, took a leap of faith and build a tree/playhouse. I’m thrilled to report that before the painting was complete, several neighborhood kids had gathered and were performing “little miss muffet” and well as “darth vader battles spiderman” on stage and the kids traffic through our backyard has been steady all summer. pics from 1973 and 2012. Best Regards, Jacqui Boland ceo + founder | red tricycle Hi Peter, I built this treehouse in Los Gatos for a family with 3 young boys. Snugged into an oak tree on the edge of a small vineyard, it has a fine view down to their house and across the Santa Clara Valley. The doorway and one interior corner are too low for an adult, but kid friendly. Each corner is a different height, so the roof both slopes and curves. Redwood exterior and deck have aged to blend in with the tree and nearby fence. I enjoyed your article. Let me know if I can tell you anything else about this treehouse or others I’ve built.