A Camoflauged Vacation House In The Trees

So you finally splurged on a parcel of land in the country to break ground on your dream vacation home. Only problem: the killer view is obstructed by a whole bunch of trees, which you'd never consider cutting down, as that would ruin the inherent tranquility of the place. What do you do? Build the house above them, duh.

A far cry from the more traditional country cabins you'll see peppered throughout New York's Catskill region, this three-bedroom abode was designed by the architecture firm Gluck+, whose mission was to build a place with sweeping views while keeping its footprint to a minimum. That evolved into what is now essentially a hybrid treehouse and miniature skyscraper.

To maximize communal living space each floor of the grounded tower has its own small bedroom and bathroom, complete with floor-to-ceiling windows.

And like nearly every part of the house, the stairwell is fully exposed, giving off a life-sized dollhouse vibe. It takes you all the way up to the roof, which is set up with a large patio and BBQ grill — the perfect spot to enjoy a summer evening cocktail, or death by lightning.

Step through the kitchen off the third-story landing and you're greeted by an immaculately white dining area. You might find it a little stark or boring, but frankly there's no reason to even attempt to compete with the view.

Why bother with decor that might distract from this?

The living room is basically an IKEA catalog in the sky. With stripper poles.

In order to minimally disturb the natural elements of the site, the facade was fashioned from a combination of transparent and dark green back-painted glass, which camouflages the whole structure by both blending in with and reflecting the surrounding woods.

Just remember, at night you're on display for the bears, birds, bobcats, and every other nearby woodland creature, so keep the stripping tasteful.


Joe McGauley is a senior editor at Supercompressor. He calls dibs on the highest bedroom.