I want to travel to a treehouse and not with my child. Is there something fundamentally wrong with this? Though Casa Bartel is not your expected fort in a tree made from broken down orange crates for children enacting battles with styrofoam swords.
“No Kids Allowed.” A tree house built for romance or a creative escape, 20 minutes outside of Florence.
On the outskirts of Florence, the structure is plotted within a family compound that includes other residences, themed after the interior’s collections like the “Movie House” (decorated with vintage film posters) and “Ceramic House” (designed with handmade 18th century tiles).
The terrace acts as an additional room with views of the sublime grounds and Italian countryside.
Casa Bartel overlooks orchards, olive groves, the Tuscan landscape, pool, tennis court and a sole cypress tree. The terrace is spacious enough for dining, which you will share with the tree’s neighboring tenants of birds and the occasional squirrel. Inside and you will quickly forget that you climbed a narrow staircase up a tree to discover a room with a fireplace, bathroom and full-service kitchenette. The chalkboard wall behind the bed displays an artistic rotation of drawings and notes from past guests. The decor rivals most New York City apartments.
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- The stairwell leading to the treehouse residence.
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- Below is a terra-cotta court, surrounded by orchards and views of Tuscany.
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- The structure has the presence of a majestic home, which would be the envy of the Swiss Family Robinson.
Travel has become a luxury service operation. We have glamping in pods equipped with wood burning tubs. Safaris where you can see wildlife outside a cabin that’s illuminated with antique chandeliers. Desert hotels with pools that can be dove into from a room’s terrace. Luxury tree houses are a natural extension for the traveler who doesn’t want to be close to nature but in it. While the sounds of birds and wildlife are engaging, there is something appealing to the swish of a running shower as well.
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- A kitchenette serviced with all the basics.
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- The welcoming sight of a bathroom in the outdoors.
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- A wood burning stove keeps the structure warm in the cooler months with air conditioning for warmer temperatures.
Creative impulses facilitated with a chalkboard wall.
Learn more about Casa Bartel at www.casabarthel.com. The owner’s design shop in Florence can be visited at www.riccardobarthel.it, www.desinare.it.
Photography by Elena Barthel
