A treehouse stands nestled between two firs on Mark and Michelle's private property in Redmond, Washington. Two elegant staircases lead you to the 280 square foot home that somehow feels larger than life, making you forget that you're only 30 minutes away from the city.

Mark Banks designed and built The Squirrel's Nest as a project with his daughter over a decade ago, and the home stands complete with modern appliances, quick wifi, a hanging loft, and two massive balconies. Mark and Michelle greeted me warmly with a tour of the space and a couple of hours later, my friend Julie joined me in the trees.

We were lulled to sleep by the sound of the wind, and then complete silence (the sort you forget even exists living in the city). We slept remarkably well. The following day took us all around the eastside as we stopped for a delicious wild orange latte at Aroma Cafe, went antiquing in nearby Fall City and then headed to Snoqualmie Falls.

But returning to the treehouse was just as exciting as our outing; we chose to savour the remaining time we had in the Nest, getting lost in the unique tranquillity of the space and the sounds of woods.