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Tree Houses Reimagined, Luxurious Retreats for Tranquility and Play, Blue Forest & E. Ashley RooneyReview from Jeannie Zelos book reviewsGenre: non-fiction Tree houses – they conjure up rustic structures, made of old bits of wood roughly nailed together by kids in the boughs of old trees don't’ they? Well, a look at this book will certainly challenge that perception.These aren't playhouses – except for few very lucky kids, but structures built to blend into the landscape, intended to create a stunning contemporary retreat, or create a fairy tale structure.Its hard to find a favourite, there’s so much thought gone in to them. I love the ones that mimic the “real” tree-house ideal though, ones that use imagination and create fairy-tale strictures. Maybe its just that living close to nature in the way Fairies etc are supposed to means that these houses can feel real to me, be places I’d love to live. And maybe I’m just still a child of the 70’s in my heart, and a lover of all things nature and natural.I would adore to have some of these, to live in them and become part of the land. Its self sufficiency made up to date, made beautiful. Yes you can live in a wood cabin, work the land, survive that way, but how much more satisfying to do it while living in homes like these...They have more going for them than just stunning appearance though, the whole live-with-nature ethic is worked in to most of them, with materials used, water, waste and energy very carefully thought out, well designed to make use of local natural features and to cause least harm to the land. I’ve been drooling looking through this book, just adore the places created, and wish, wish, wish I could afford something like this in my garden.They aren’t just kids playhouses, but places for holidays, for holding meetings ( one of them can hold 40 adults!), to be used as a home office, or for businesses like Yoga studios, where the idea of creating a place to work from natural materials to fit in with nature and become part of the landscape is an extension of the Yogic ethos. they truly are places of relaxation.I’ve been reading this on my Kindle Fire and that really shows the illustrations well. I’ve been waving it in front of visitors, friends and family for past few weeks, and making them all drool too. We all agree the things created here are incredible, the thought that's gone in to each very well researched and carried out, the book is one to treasure, to inspire and to build dreams with.Stars: Five, a stunning, visual feast for nature lovers, inspiring creations for those talented enough to build them. *sadly not me :-( I need a goodly lottery win! *ARC supplied by Netgalley and publisher
