When dealing with something as intrinsically gleeful as houses inside of larger houses, or in this case, a cabin and a 'treehouse' built inside of a Brooklyn loft, the question isn't "why," but rather, "why not?" As artist Terry Chiao, the builder of these fine specimens, recently told Co.Exist, coming to that conclusion was "a chance to fulfill a simple childhood ambition," that of the fully realized, definitely-not-just-a-blanket-fort, honest-to-gosh treehouse. Of course, it helps when such deep-seated dreams align with a chance to turn your nest into a nest egg. While initially Chiao rented out the cabin, the space is now an Airbnb offering for travelers willing to pay $118 a night to stay in Bushwick while away from the Bushwick of their own city. Chiao and her partner live in the 'treehouse,' which, when it comes to dividing up a loftspace, sure beats the heck out of curtains.
The inside of the plywood cabin has just enough room for a full-size bed and a night stand, with a reading nook equipped with a table and chair parked outside. Together, Chiao and her partner have extended their building habits to site-specific installations with a similar vibe, including an indoor garden in the Bronx and an open-air platform in the Catskills. Of her ongoing engagement with tiny shelters, Chiao finds them "particularly interesting because they are simple experiments in building that you can inhabit." But more to the point: "We'd love to keep building."
· Why This Artist Built A Treehouse In Her Brooklyn Loft [Co.Exist]