Tour 8 stunning homes hidden away in the forest

Terrific homes concealed among the trees

Around 30% of the Earth is covered in trees, but these tranquil wilderness landscapes aren't just home to ecosystems; sheltering beneath the tree canopies, you'll find a whole host of incredible properties, designed to blend in with their serene surroundings seamlessly.

From sprawling luxury estates to stylish A-frame cabins, we've uncovered some of the world's most amazing forest homes. 

Click or scroll to step off the beaten path and take a tour...

Açucena House, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Effortlessly floating among the tree canopy inside a dense Brazilian rainforest in the state of Minas Gerais, Açucena House seems like a mirage at first glance. 

The architects, Brazil-based firm TETRO, were posed with the challenge of creating a home in the middle of nature without harming the surrounding landscape.

Açucena House: modern modules

In keeping with its forest environment, the property was designed to sit within the empty spaces between trees, resulting in a cubic structure.

Photographed here by Jomar Bragança, the home rises around 49 feet above ground level on black column supports that resemble the surrounding tree trunks. Remarkably, not a single tree was felled in the construction.

Açucena House: real-life forest bathing

There's 5,382 square feet of modern living space contained in modules that stack and radiate out from each other. 

This image captures the view from one of the bathrooms, demonstrating the density of the surrounding rainforest. The luxurious space features floor-to-ceiling slabs of marble.

Glass forest home, Minnesota, USA

In a forest just outside of Minneapolis, Minnesota, you’ll find the Woodland House by ALTUS Architecture + Design.

The lush scenery, which includes woodlands, wetlands and a stunning lake, largely dictated the design choices on this unique project to a striking effect.

Glass forest home: wood-clad wings

This remarkable home in Minneapolis consists of three wood-clad wings connected by glass entry links across a single level. There is also a storage shed covered with panels of polished and mirrored stainless steel.

The "shiny shed" was mainly built to blend the home's architecture with the surrounding woodland landscape.

Glass forest home: natural color palette

The center of the house offers a spacious open-plan living area, dining room and kitchen with modern furnishings, pared-back décor and floor-to-ceiling windows.

The fireplace was created out of bluestone and blackened steel, using local materials to lend cosiness to the minimalist lounge. Walnut finishes and wooden beams add texture, while reinforcing the property’s connection to nature.

Tent House, Waiheke Island, New Zealand

Would you love camping if it didn't involve sleeping in a tent? Well, this innovative property could be just the answer. 

Designed by Chris Tate Architecture, the contemporary residence was shortlisted for the World Architecture Festival Award in 2017 and is formed from sheets of corrugated steel that meet in a dramatic point. It overhangs a triangular wooden deck below, connecting any occupant with their surroundings.

Tent House: minimal A-frame design

The 753-square-foot structure is situated in the rainforest of Waiheke Island, just off the coast of Auckland in New Zealand. Surrounded by thousands of native plants and trees that attract all manner of birdlife, the incredible house doubles as a personal retreat and a studio.

Inside, a white spiral staircase forms the core of the house and connects its two levels. There's a kitchen, a living space, a bathroom and a mezzanine bedroom. In short, it's got everything you'd need for a weekend break – or full-time living.

Tent House: monochrome interiors

Architect Chris Tate tackled a lot of the construction himself, with help from his students, including the foundations, floors and framing. Professionals worked on installing the home's cladding and essential services.

With soaring ceilings, extensive windows and crisp white walls, every single room is bright and inviting. A monochrome palette is used throughout the interior and this stripped-back look helps keep the focus on the great outdoors.

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House in the Woods, West Sussex, UK

Nestled within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in South Downs National Park, House in the Woods was designed by architecture studio, alma-nac. It replaced a bungalow, which had been in the family for over 60 years. To pay homage to its predecessor, it retains some of the previous structure's character and the new home was even built over the original footprint.

Outside, a combination of natural materials, like hand-cut bricks, timber and slate was used to help the home slot into its rural surroundings. To maximize light in this densely forested area, large triangular windows are set beneath the home's pitched roof.

House in the Woods: indoor-outdoor living

Inside, the 2,500-square-foot house has a flexible internal floorplan that can transform it from a normal one-bedroom configuration, to accommodate up to 10 people, thanks to clever sliding partitions.

The homeowners also wanted the interior to have a strong connection with the great outdoors, something that was achieved through large glazed openings that blur the line between the living spaces and the outside terrace.

House in the Woods: light and spacious

The living room spans the full width of the building, while the bedrooms are all located in the more private northern end of the house.

At the southern side of the property, the roof features a gable and a large clerestory window, both of which flood the interior with natural light. The elevated glazing also draws vistas of the forest inside, creating a visual connection with the wood paneling that frames the kitchen appliances.

Cantilevered cabin, Quebec, Canada

While some forest homes are designed to subtly integrate with the natural landscape, this innovative cabin was designed to stand out. The team at Kariouk Architects argues that a separation between architecture and the organic environment can offer a more sustainable blueprint for the construction of wilderness homes.

In keeping with this ethos, the house floats above the treetops and is supported in the air by a single steel mast and a small concrete footing. Thanks to these minimal points of contact with the landscape, the home protects the site and helps prevent the erosion of the hillside.

Cantilevered cabin: gravity-defying architecture

While the house is bold and stark against its woodland setting, it sits in harmony with it, too. Elevated some 65 feet (20m) above the ground, the cabin was formed from low-waste cross-laminated timber panels and glulam beams.

Amazingly, it was prefabricated off-site and then transported to the plot on the back of a lorry. It was then lifted into place with large construction machinery to avoid damaging the surrounding environment.

Cantilevered cabin: warm and cozy interior

Featuring vaulted 12-foot-high ceilings clad in exposed timber, the home feels airy and spacious. Floor-to-ceiling glass envelops the south and east walls, bathing the interior in natural light and framing magnificent views. 

The floor plan is open, designed as a corridor that gets increasingly more private as you move from the living area to the bedroom at the rear. In the summer months, the tree canopy shades the home from the sun, while in winter, the bare branches allow sunlight to stream through and warm the interior.

Planchonella House, Queensland, Australia

Tucked away in the treetops of tropical north Queensland, Australia, this remarkable home was designed in 2014 by Jessie Bennett Studio.

The concealed crib has been awarded numerous accolades for its innovative concrete design, including the Australian House of the Year at the 2015 Houses Awards and the Robin Boyd Award for Residential Architecture at the 2015 National Architecture Awards. 

Planchonella House: contemporary concrete

The distinctive home is perched on a ridge in a lush rainforest and is flanked by a swimming pool for cooling off in the humid summer heat.

An array of eco-friendly features has been incorporated into the design, such as passive cooling systems, deep eaves that shield the interior from the sun and cross ventilation, to cool the property during the warmest days of the year.

Planchonella House: walls of glass

The home's wings stretch out on stilts, forming curved, open-plan living spaces. The kitchen features floating wooden counters and a wall of glass, while the dining space and lounge feel cocooned and cozy.

Every space in Planchonella House is oriented to make the most of the property's beautiful location. In the bathroom, swathes of floor-to-ceiling glass frame phenomenal treetop vistas, drawing the rainforest inside the dramatic home. 

Casteel Creek Retreat, Colorado, USA

When it comes to privacy, this secluded 439-acre estate takes the top spot. Surrounded by a dense forest stretching as far as the eye can see, the home lies in the heart of the Rocky Mountains and borders National Forest land, allowing for complete tranquillity.

Despite being down the road from some of America’s best ski slopes, you wouldn't need to leave the estate to indulge in outdoor pursuits. There are endless woodland trails and slopes for cross-country skiing, mountain biking and hiking. But that's not all...

Casteel Creek Retreat: ultimate remote mansion

In addition to the main home, the property comes with everything from its own ice cream parlour to a movie theater, a cowboy saloon, a spa and a gym.

The grounds feature a 28,000-square-foot entertainment venue, with a climbing wall, pool, shooting range, catering kitchen, Teppanyaki restaurant and games room. There's also a stocked fishing pond, a soccer field and even a fake Wild West town with a sheriff's office and gas station.

Casteel Creek Retreat: panoramic views

The metal, stone and glass mansion spans a staggering 40,348 square feet and is accessed by a million-dollar bridge, which is an architectural wonder in itself. Inside, you'll find eight bedrooms, 16 bathrooms, a dramatic kitchen and numerous lounges with panoramic windows, which frame 360-degree mountain views.

The sumptuous primary suite includes a bathroom, a dressing room, a wet bar and a private deck with a hot tub. It's no wonder Casteel Creek Retreat was previously for sale for a cool $78m. However, it most recently went to auction in March 2024 with Concierge Auctions and LIV Sotheby’s International Realty, closing at $22.4m.

Minimalist A-frame, Upper Austria, Austria

Where nature meets design, this contemporary A-frame cabin lies directly inside Kalkalpen National Park, one of the last wilderness areas in Austria.

Described as a “unique retreat in the midst of untouched nature,” the minimalist chalet is enclosed by towering trees, with nothing but mountain views for miles around.

Minimalist A-frame: timber and metal construction

Crafted from timber and metal, the A-frame features a bright and spacious interior, with a soaring pitched ceiling, sloping walls and large panoramic windows that bring nature directly into the living room.

The interior space is arranged into numerous sections, with a lounge, kitchen and bathroom on the main floor. 

Minimalist A-frame: mezzanine bedroom

Up in the home's loft, you'll find a cozy bedroom with a glazed wall that allows for views of the forest while you snooze. Exposed wood walls and simple Scandinavian furnishings allow the scenery outside to take center stage.

Outside, there’s a terrace and a hot tub, for really getting acquainted with your surroundings. Available to rent on Airbnb, the property is the perfect place to switch off, unwind and reconnect with nature.

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