How the Other Half Lives: The Coolest Home Office Ever

When a tree falls in your backyard, you definitely hear it, but what do you do with it? Remove it, right? Well, the homeowner of a Brentwood estate in Los Angeles decided to let a sleeping tree lie. Surprisingly, the 40-year-old pine tree began to revive and grow from its horizontal position, and the art-loving homeowner decided it was time to honor it by building a 172-square-foot office/guest house atop the tree.

Forget the typical tree house. This modern tree house straddles a horizontal tree trunk -- the exact opposite of its traditional counterpart, which is typically high off the ground and supported by standing trees.

The architects, Rockefeller Partners Architects, took the homeowner's dream as a challenge. Chris Kempel, the project's architect, says that it was important to everyone involved that they honor the fallen tree. "It was a critical part of the design and construction process," he says. "Not only was it important to somehow incorporate it into the design, but also to build effectively around it, without affecting its health. But we also saw it as an opportunity. It allowed us to create a unique relationship and tension between the built object (tree house) and the natural (fallen tree)."

The design process took about 8 months; construction took 18. And we love the finished results.

Instead of the treehouse ladder seen in traditional treehomes for kids, simple, concrete stairs lead to the front door. The space has a small bathroom, an outdoor shower, a fridge, a fireplace and a microwave and daybed -- so guests can stay too. To allow for maximum light and ventilation, the structure is wrapped in windows. Those gorgeous floors are walnut, the windows are mahogany and coolest of all are the steel poles that shoot up from the ground all the way to the structure's roof.

It's why we can't stop drooling over this space. This treehouse is nicer than most people's homes!