02

Tree House

 Santa Cruz, CA  2022 – 2025

THE

Tucked away on the lower west side of Santa Cruz, under a magnificent canopy of Red Woods and Coastal Oaks, the idea to build a modern Tree House took root. As owners and builders, we were involved in every aspect of the build. After three years, we are happy to finally call the Tree House...home!

—STARTING WITH KEY WORDS
Mixed wood (raw, exposed, Cypress, Oak, Red Wood); Board & batten; Plaster; Light Filled; Inspiration from a family cabin in Canada & Emsland historic barns; Wabi Sabi; Rectangular; Spherical; Nature inspired color palette; Warm whites.

—THEN A DESIGN SCHEMATIC
Natasha walked us through developing a Design Schematic for the Tree House. The resulting document included a Base Concept, inspiration pictures, and some sketches that imagined the interior.

Each time we needed to make an important design decision, we always returned to Natasha's Schematic. It kept us focused on the overall goal and proved to be a source of inspiration along the way.

Evolution of the Primary Suite . . .

Living Room From Sketch to Completion:

The Living Room (and entire main living space) was a labor of love. Although time consuming to source, fabricate, and install the Cypress ceiling slats, shelves and benches, the wood finishings make the space warm and inviting.

Chance finds of 19th century tiles from Lisbon, and handmade tiles sourced from Habitat for Humanity's Restore–to vintage (and vintage inspired) lighting–helped the kitchen come together. There are several videos of our lighting finds on my Instagram - including the Italian hand blown globe pendant above the island.

jean mcintosh

Portals to the Outdoors:

From a Sketch to the Finished Kitchen:

—AND FINALLY, BEAUTY IN THE BUILD