A Home in the Trees

A stay you won’t forget

BY ERICA THOITS / COURTESY PHOTOS

No, you won’t find a scrawled “No girls/boys/ parents allowed” sign on the front door but, yes, there is a rope and pulley.

The rope system is entirely optional, however, as this isn’t a typical backyard tree house — it’s a fully furnished, two-bedroom, one-bath home with all the comforts and amenities you’d expect to find in a structure built on the ground. No sleeping bags or flashlights required (unless you want them, of course).

Owners Caitlin and Patrick Clapp are quick to point out that you won’t be roughing it at this Newbury rental. “This is a luxury tree house,” says Caitlin. “We get questions about whether it has running water, but it has everything.” “Everything” includes air conditioning, heated tile floors, Wi-Fi, cable, a full kitchen, washer and dryer, bath with a travertine-stone shower and more.

Though the tree house feels secluded, it’s in fact close to several attractions like the lake and Mount Sunapee. But still, there’s a real sense of whimsy here, thanks to original owner and builder Gordon Tiff Stanley, who crafted the house in his spare time with his friend Dennis Bourassa over four years.

Made almost entirely from recycled hardware and reclaimed wood, each room is filled with charming details, such as the many windows that offer a view of the main oak tree that runs through the house. Visit tiffhill.com to begin your cozy tree house adventure.

If you were expecting a ladder of two-by-fours nailed to the trunk, this is not that kind of tree house.

The blue kitchen cabinet doors were rescued from a nearby cottage.

The 640-square-foot house is situated 14 feet above the ground.