Dream Home: $2.3 Million for a Mountain-side Treehouse

Address: 249 Bayview Road, Lions Bay

Price: $2,395,000

Listing: West Coast Modern 

The skinny: Four-bedroom, two-bathroom, 2,317-square-feet home in Lions Bay

The chic:

Remember that childhood treehouse you had in your parents’ backyard? Now imagine that, but a hundred times bigger and nestled in a lush forest. 

That is exactly what this natural oasis is. Originally designed by Hassell/Griblin in 1974 with an added extension by D’Arcy Jones Architects in 2019, this cozy home is situated along a mountain slope in Lions Bay. The home’s interior and exterior is dressed with wood throughout, perfectly mimicking your childhood safe haven. 

The exterior of this four-level home is reminiscent of a timber structure stretching upward, with an interesting play on geometry. You’ll be immediately welcomed by nature’s elements as you step inside. The marriage between the indoors and outdoors in this space will have you taken aback.

The 113-square-feet entry level of the home houses the foyer and porch. Here, you’ll find a large storage space for grab-and-go items you need before you head out to explore the woods.

As you head upstairs to the lower floor, you’ll be welcomed by rugged, wired netting along the railings. This space is fully dressed with medium cedar panels along the walls and ceilings, perfectly camouflaging the fact that you are indoors. The black and white colours compliment the warm tones from the wood throughout the home, creating a harmonic atmosphere. 

On this floor, you’ll find a set of washer and dryer, the family room and a full bathroom. There is also access to a spacious deck, where you can enjoy your morning coffee as you listen to the birds conduct their morning songs.

Head up another flight of stairs to the main floor, where the open kitchen is situated. There is an abundance of natural lighting in this space, as half of the ceiling is a part of the glass roof. With timber structures throughout this space, you will feel as if you are cooking in the middle of the forest. The backsplash in the cooking area blends right in with the wooden paneling throughout the living space, creating a streamlined look. This area is also lit by LED lighting under the open wall shelving, which shares the same colour tones as the rest of the wall. 

While still a part of the open floor plan, the dining room rests in its own space, protruding slightly from the kitchen. It is separated from the rest of the space by a wooden island, and sits next to the sloped portion of the transparent roof, overlooking the forest outside. Sitting at this dining table will make you feel like you’re having a picnic in the forest!

On the same main floor, you’ll have access to two bedrooms and two separate decks–both accessible from the open dining space. 

The uppermost floor is where the master bedroom and main living room is situated. You can warm your hands with the fireplace in the living room as you cozy up with your loved ones on the couch. One side of the living room is a small den, and the other side is the master bedroom. The den has its own skylight, allowing in maximum natural lighting as you spend your time there reading or meditating.

The master bedroom houses an ensuite bathroom and private access to another deck, which faces the bottom of a small hill. The ensuite bathroom has a standing shower built with vintage-style tiles throughout, and white cedar panels on the walls and cabinets. There is also a door that allows you to step onto the deck from the bathroom–talk about blending nature into your home!

The hidden extras: 

You’ll find an extra floor in this home located underneath the entry floor. This ‘studio’ level is a large open space equipped with a sink, a separate deck and a storage room. Although there is no skylight on this floor, there are large floor-to-ceiling windows spanning the width of the open space, allowing in an abundance of natural lighting. The interior design elements on this floor are quite unique from the other levels. We see less wood throughout and more modern paint colours, like a bright teal for the floor and white across the walls. Custodians can head to this level for a refreshing change of scenery.