Design Feature \ The Ultimate Treehouse

Architect and environmentalist Peter Bahouth designed and built this beautiful trio of treehouses linked by bridges in an Atlanta forest, which also happens to be his backyard. Inspired by the treehouses and adventures of his youth, the idea was to create a sort of fort for grown-ups. The three houses dubbed “Mind,” “Body,” and “Spirit,” include a living room and bedroom with a special bed that slides out for an improved view of the forest below. The photos here were taken for Jane Field-Lewis’ book My Cool Shed, provided courtesy photographer Lindsay Appel.

The Greenwich Hotel / Penthouse

Teaming up with design guru Axel Vervoordt, co-owners Robert De Niro and Ira Drukier created something quite unusual with the newly opened penthouse suite in the Greenwich Hotel. Designed in the wabi spirit, it " invokes a feeling of silence and space in the middle of New York". The elements of a wabi-sabi space often appear simple or rustic and show signs of age; a reminder of the transience and imperfection of all things. Each piece, from a wooden door frame to a ceramic vase, must be carefully selected and artfully arranged in the wabi spirit.

The costs of achieving this kind of minimalism are eye-watering, and seemingly inconsistent with its mission of aesthetic humility. At $15,000 per night, I would have to agree.