My Favorite Airbnb: A Treehouse Outside of Toronto With a Woodburning Hot Tub

29.05.2024 - 22:09 / cntraveler.com

Danielle Meredith/Airbnb

As a Toronto city dweller, the steady stream of traffic, noise pollution, and general chaos can definitely take its toll. Luckily, you don’t have to travel far to find a quiet place to unwind and relax. Located just two hours north of Toronto in the Haliburton Highlands (what Torontonians refer to as “cottage country”), sits The Baltic Treehouse, a modern, sustainable hideaway elevated in the trees, and designed to fit harmoniously into the natural landscape.

A lesson in skilled biophilic design, the epic home resurrects that sense of childhood wonder—and a nostalgia for the treehouses you used to play in. But what really sets the property apart is its regenerative design and the low-impact building techniques employed to preserve the natural surroundings. Two maple trees support the weight of the house, and much work goes into finding the right trees, assessing their health and strength, and ensuring they not only stay alive but continue to grow and thrive. Owners Lauren and Cam even enlisted the expertise of a consulting arborist to use sonic tomography to study the trees’ internal structure to make sure they’re healthy and strong.

The cozy living room with large windows overlooking the trees.

String lights adorn the path to the treehouse.

As an eco-minded individual, I was fascinated by the specialized tree-safe hardware that was designed to be high load-bearing, while causing little to no damage to the trees. These systems allow the trees to continue to grow and move as they would naturally—and given trees grow from the tips, not the base, there are no concerns that the hardware will fall out of alignment.

Built with renewable materials and powered by solar energy, the Sustainable Tourism Certified–property allows you to indulge without guilt. It is impeccably appointed and offers all the amenities you’d hope for (like Wi-Fi, an outdoor shower, and complimentary toiletries), with the novelty of what the owners call a “nest-like experience of life in the sky.” Reminiscent of Scandinavian design, the living space is warmed by a Norwegian cast-iron fireplace, while earthen floors (made with a mixture of sand, straw, and clay) are designed to keep the treehouse warm through the winter, yet cool in the summer. You’ll hardly notice there’s no TV, with a robust collection of vinyl (we had Pink Floyd and Neil Young on heavy rotation), plenty of board games, and an aptly curated library of books. The kitchen is well-equipped with everything you could possibly need, from beautiful dishes and tableware to high-quality cookware and modern appliances. We also appreciated the locally brewed craft beer and maple-infused Sapsucker water stocked in the fridge, a nice homage to what Ontario