Cozy, Eco-friendly Treehouse in Greensboro, North Carolina.

On an unassuming street in Greensboro, North Carolina, is a lovely treehouse called The Roost.  The cozy home is tucked behind the owner’s house and blends into the backyard so well that I actually drove past it the first time.  It’s always in high demand as it’s one of the top Airbnb rentals in Greensboro, and yet this stunning eco-friendly treehouse is practically hidden within a residential area.

In this post, I’m going to share the details of my stay at The Roost and include all the reasons why this treehouse is absolutely worth a visit.

 

Disclosure: I was kindly given a discount on my stay in exchange for writing this post.

 

Cozy, Eco-friendly Treehouse in Greensboro, North Carolina.

The unique natural cork siding may look a bit unusual at first, I had never seen it used as a building material before, but its insulation value adds to the energy efficiency of the treehouse.

 

 

I parked in front of The Roost on a hot July afternoon and took the stairs up nine feet into the air to find myself among the trees.

 

 

The owner, Amanda, wasn’t home when I arrived, but there is a lockbox system in place to retrieve the key and let yourself in.  As I opened the door to the treehouse I was inundated with the fresh, invigorating smell of wood.  It instantly brought back fond memories of staying in log cabins.  The bedroom nook is encased with reclaimed barn wood, which is wonderful to look at as you relax in the queen size bed.

 

 

I loved being in the bed and taking in the sky, the trees, and all the homey touches that made it so comforting.

 

 

I spent a lot of my time relaxing in that comfy bed.  My two night stay at The Roost was part writing retreat and part respite from motherhood.  It was my first time truly being away from my son, who is currently 14 months old.  Being a mom can be all consuming, especially a mom with a chronic illness, and The Roost was an excellent choice for my retreat.

It was also the first time I have traveled alone since my trip to the Stecoah House in April 2017.  Over the past two years I have struggled greatly with my lupus, my pregnancy, and the demands of being a parent.  Being able to take this trip was one step on the road to regaining my health and my independence.  I am very glad that I chose to stay in The Roost for this trip as it was such a deeply peaceful and inspirational experience; I recommend it to anyone looking for solitude.

Additionally, one of my 2019 travel goals was to stay in a treehouse.  After I discovered the wonders of yurts and glamping (first in North Carolina and later in Virginia, I wanted to try staying at all sorts of unusual accommodations.  However, many of the treehouses that are within a three hour drive from my home in Charlotte, North Carolina, are quite expensive – in the range of $300 a night (most are found in Asheville and the surrounding mountain towns).  So I was very excited when I found The Roost in Greensboro with a cost of $90 a night as I knew I’d finally be able to fulfill that goal!  It’s one of few budget friendly treehouses with luxury amenities in North Carolina.

Those amenities include a bathroom with shower and hot water (which definitely can be a luxury in a treehouse), air conditioning, Wi-Fi, and a kitchen with refrigerator, toaster oven, and induction stovetop.

 

 

There is the most lovely recycled glass drinkware to use.

 

 

If you’ve never used an induction stovetop before you may want to read a quick how-to before cooking on it.  I thought I knew what I was doing but I burned my first meal.  Also, the refrigerator is quite small, think dorm size, but it does have a decent freezer for its size, so plan accordingly if you’re bringing food along.

My favorite thing about the treehouse was that you could see trees out of every window.

 

 

Behind The Roost was an expansive, green, tree filled view and each side window featured trees from neighboring yards.  As I sat up in the bed I could see the crepe myrtles in bloom along the street – they were gorgeous!

I really enjoyed looking at the tree rising above the owner’s house as I stood at the sink washing dishes.

 

 

In the living room there is an actual tree – I love the idea of a tree inside a treehouse.

 

 

The lights hanging from the tree create an enchanting atmosphere in the evenings after it gets dark.

 

 

You can tell that Amanda really loves this space by its beauty and the way it’s lovingly maintained.  She built it through her company, Inhabit, in 2016 and refers to the process as a labor of love.  Amanda wanted to use natural and local materials as much as possible.  Much of the lumber was sourced from North Carolina and nearby states.  The treehouse was creatively built without drywall, exterior wall sheathing, foam, or materials that contain PVC or flame retardants – which have been widely used to prevent fires but pose serious health risks.  Amanda constructed a building that truly stands apart in environmental safety, health, and economic friendliness.

 

 

The insulation in the treehouse is impressive, with seven inches in the wall, 10 in the floor, and 14 in the ceiling.  Combined with the tripled paned windows and a structural air barrier, the treehouse is super air tight.  The home uses energy recovery ventilation (ERV) vents that provide fresh air while using significantly less energy.  These ERV vents are able to filter out many air contaminants which keeps the indoor air clean and a consistent temperature without a large energy bill.

I really appreciated the fresh feel of the air in The Roost.  It was wonderful that I didn’t have to run the air conditioning unit very much since the coolness was retained so well.  I ran the air conditioner during the first night, turned it off when I woke up, and I didn’t have to turn it back on for six hours even though it was 85 degrees outside.  There was a lovely, quiet stillness in the treehouse since the air wasn’t constantly blowing.  It also alleviated some of my chronic dry eye symptoms, and I dreamed of how much I’d enjoy living in a home like The Roost and reaping the many benefits of using less energy.

It was impressively quiet inside; occasionally I would step out onto the deck and hear a variety of sounds, including construction, but once I returned inside there was very little noise.

 

 

Between my birds and my toddler, my home is quite noisy, though I didn’t realize how nonstop the sound was until my trip.  The quiet at the Roost was almost uncomfortable at first, but after I adjusted I found it refreshing.  It reminded me of our time spent living in Germany, where we also had airtight windows and a lot of quiet time.

The Roost is a very popular rental space in Greensboro, and Amanda is a Super Host (a term from Airbnb uses for experienced and highly rated hosts).  It tends to be full every weekend, either with couples looking for a getaway or people that come to Greensboro for the High Point furniture market.  I would love to return to the treehouse for a getaway with my husband, although I did really enjoy having the space completely to myself.

You can walk to coffee or tea shops, such as Vida pour Tea, and other places nearby.  The Roost is just two miles from downtown Greensboro.  I drove to the Food Lion one afternoon for writing supplies (snacks) and it only took me two minutes to get there.  There are lots of great places to explore in Greensboro if you decide to leave the serenity of the treehouse, such as the Science Center, History Museum, or the Arboretum.  You can check out this list of 23 things to do in Greensboro if you’re looking for more activities.

During my stay I felt deeply content.  As I glanced through the guestbook, it was clear that others felt much the same.  People have visited from all over the USA and shared how they found the The Roost to be beautiful, tranquil, and one of their favorite places they’ve ever stayed.

The treehouse was a place where I enjoyed solitude, reflected on my life, got a lot of work done, and left feeling motivated about my future.  I highly recommend it for couples or a solitary retreat – it’s great for just about any type of visit!

You can view the Airbnb listing here: Eco-friendly Treehouse: The Roost! 

Have you used Airbnb before?  If not, you can sign up through my referral link here to receive $40 off your first booking plus $15 towards a booking of $50 or more. (The value and terms of this promotion change periodically – this is the current offer at the time of writing.)  Because this is an affiliate link (you can read about those here), I also receive $30 if you sign up and take a trip using Airbnb, but this is done with no additional cost to you.

What do you think about this lovely home in the trees?  When I first saw it I was so eager to experience it that I booked my stay only a few hours later, which is very unusual for me – I usually sleep on it first!  Did this post leave you dreaming of a treehouse vacation?  I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section.

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