Building a House | Our House in The Trees

You’d think after eight years of planning, five months of building, one month of moving and another month of pinching ourselves in disbelief, I’d be sick of talking about Our House in Trees. I mean, you could think that. But you’d be wrong.

As I keep saying, I feel like a decade into this journey we are just finally getting started.

Getting started living in a home we carefully designed to be the perfect size for our family and as users of solar energy and as microgenerators.

Started as live-in caretakers of 40 acres of diverse land that includes forests, hills, ponds, a wide variety of trees, shrubs and plants, as well as insects and animals like deer, moose, squirrels, owls, rabbits and… a bear?

Note that this post contains affiliate links, meaning if you click on a link and make a purchase a small percentage of the sale goes to yours truly. Please know that I strive to only feature eco-conscious products and brands.

Building a House from the Ground Up

If you’re new here, I’ve put together a video that documents the general process for building a house. And, in our case, a sustainable house. From a hole in the ground to a yellow home with a red door.

Overwhelmed by the thought of choosing eco-conscious furniture and decor for your home? Don’t worry – I can do it for you!

Check out my ready-made eco-friendly design packages!

Various furniture and decor items for a neutral woodland nursery on a white background. Click to visit purchase page. — Neutral Woodland Nursery

Various furniture and decor items for a modern farmhouse entryway on a white background. Click to visit purchase page. — Modern Farmhouse Entryway

Need something custom? I can do that too!

Various furniture and decor items for a boho coastal living room on a white background. Click to visit purchase page. — Boho Coastal Living Room

Various furniture and decor items for a bohemian bedroom on a white background. Click to visit purchase page. — Bohemian Bedroom

If you’re not new, but like me you just can’t get enough of those videos that show all the steps to building a house in mere minutes – then check this out. Although it isn’t a comprehensive how-to guide, it does give a good idea of things ranging from the required materials for building a house to the emotional impact of constructing your dream home.

Think of it as the first six episodes of Our House in the Trees condensed into one. Sure, you get less blabbing from yours truly, but you also get less blabbing from yours truly. So it’s a win-win.

Watch episode 7 below. You can also scroll down to see photos of our finished home!

Have you visited EarthHero yet? Find products in categories ranging from home decor to fashion to kids and pets – all from eco-conscious brands! They also have carbon-neutral shipping. Yay!

Front Exterior

Mudroom

Living Room

Did you know that Etsy is the first major online shopping destination to offset 100% of carbon emissions generated by shipping? Read more about the initiative here and view my favourite eco-conscious Etsy finds here.

Main Bathroom

Kitchen

Dining Room

Did you know Amazon has a dedicated Green category? Many of the products sold on Amazon are done so by independent sellers, who use Amazon as a marketplace. Just make sure – as always – to shop consciously!

Loft

Kids’ Bedroom

Basement Bathroom

Perhaps the simplest of all the green living tips is this one: “The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is now.” Plant a tree right now with Click a Tree.