10 Modern Treehouses To Inspire Your Next Garden Project

If, like many of us, you dreamt of living in a a cool treehouse one day, then take inspiration from these cool, modern tree structures.

Whether you decide to build a treehouse as a weekend retreat / holiday home for yourself somewhere, or build one as a play room or guest cottage in your own woods or garden, it'll probably be one of the coolest things you'll ever do (as far as your younger self is concerned).

We've found inspiration from the rentable treehouses in the UK and beyond – so if you're not in the position to build one, you can at least stay in one.

1. LOG CABIN

The Woodsman Treehouse in Dorset is full of inspiration, from the log walls and the hot tub on the desk, to the slide that saves you having to cross the suspended treetop bridge.

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There's even an outdoor shower, hammocks, and sauna on the roof.

Playful touches aside, there's plenty of grown-up loveliness too; just check out the stylish interiors, the centre log burner and the copper bath.

Stay here.

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2. MIRROR CUBE

The mirrored treehouse in Northern Sweden is part of the Treehotel, and its exterior is entirely clad in mirrored glass, thus making it almost invisible in the pine forest.

Designed by the Tham & Videgård Arkitekter architecture firm, 'Mirrorcube' is a modern, compact box-like structure that's accessible via a hanging pathway.

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The mirrored glass window flood the cube with natural daylight and give views in every direction, while still providing privacy to the guests inside.

Stay here.

3. TREE VILLA

The latest addition to Sweden's Treehotel, the '7th room' is practically a villa in the sky, with stylish interiors and all the latest mod-cons.

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Designed by Snöhetta, the cabin sleeps five (there's a master bedroom plus a separate room for kids)...

... and also has a tree going up right through the middle of it.

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There's also an outdoor 'courtyard' net, which lets guests laze and relax suspended above the forest floor.

Photography by Johan Jansson

4. COUNTRY COTTAGE

Deep in the Baxby Manor estate, half an hour outside the city of York, a long boardwalk weaves through the woods to the shingled and turreted Rufus’ Roost.

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The fairy tale house is full of surprises, from the floor-to-ceiling windows that fill it with light, to the hot tub and pizza oven outside and a tunnel to a reading nook.

Sit quietly and you’ll see deer and badgers in the woods below.

Stay here.

5. UFO

Breaking the treehouse mould is this UFO-shaped cabin in the trees.

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Designed by Bertil Harström of Inredningsgruppen, the structure reminds us of Steven Spielberg's E.T. movie as the room resembles a spaceship coming in to land. Part of the same Treehotel as the Mirrorcube above, the UFO houses a double bed as well as three single beds - making it the perfect retreat for a family or group of friends.

Stay here.

6. PINECONE

Floating high in the branches of the Redwood forests of California, the Pinecone Treehouse will immerse you in 360 degree views of the forest's upper canopy.

The treehouse sits 35 feet above ground on the uphill side and almost 60 feet from the ground on the downhill side. With two triangular floor windows, the treehouse gives you views even down over the forest floor below.

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Cradled by giant California Redwoods, this unique structure was built with the intention of immersing guests in the beauty of the natural world.

The geodesic pinecone shaped cabin comes complete with a skillfully hand-crafted indoor/outdoor bathroom connected to the treehouse via wooden catwalk.

Aside from being rentable through Airbnb, the pinecone-shaped treehouse is also currently for sale here.

Stay here, or buy it.

7. BOEING 727

While not entirely a treehouse, Hotel Costa Verde in Costa Rica has upcycled a vintage Boeing 727 into a hotel room that's perched up in the treetops.

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Named the 'fuselage', the entire interior is wood-panelled, and still has the original aeroplane window holes.

With the amount of airline companies going bust at the moment, now might be a better time than ever to snap up a Boeing of your own.

Stay here.

8. SPACE-SAVING

The space-saving Cleave Treehouse in Devon is full of clever ideas, from the cosy mezzanine double bed that's accessible via a ladder, to the pull-down single beds in the living room.

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We also love the outdoor bathroom idea – although we'd rather save that for warmer weather!

Stay here.

9. DANISH DESIGN

If you thought treehouses were all haphazardly-laid floorboards and rope ladders, think again – the sleek and modern Lovtag treehouse hotel in the Danish forest proves otherwise.

Designed by Sigurd Larsen, the cabin sits up a pine tree that's perched on a small hillside, surrounded by wild deer that run free in the forest. Sitting eight metres above the ground, the cabin offers views over a meadow as well as Denmark’s longest fjord.

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A sweeping wooden bridge leads up from the forest floor into the cabin's living space, which is divided loosely into a kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and living area.

Large windows to the south and west let in lots of natural light. Space usage in the wood-lined interior has been maximised, with built-in furniture and wardrobes.

We love the way the treehouse was built around the tree itself, giving new meaning to 'bringing the outdoors in'.

A small wooden staircase leads further upwards to the rooftop terrace. Access to the roof terrace gives the impression that you continue to ‘climb’ the tree to reach the canopy.

Photography / Søren Larsen

Stay here.

10. FLOATING GLOBE

Last but not least, the Lost Meadow Treepod in Cornwall is a striking, floating design. Although it's a bit on the small side for comfortable living, we love this idea as a floating play room and a rather stylish alternative to a kids' play treehouse.

The Free Spirit Spheres in Canada offer a similar but larger design – and they're for sale, so you could set the globes up as stylish 'glamping' guest pods at home or a fun floating playroom.