Staff Photo Nick Brothers
The Natural State Treehouses crew (from left to right) Conner Smith, Joshua Walters, Jake Bon Trager, Josh Hart and Nick Serra sit atop their current treehouse project in Harrison, Ark.
Josh Hart is living his dream job. His company, Natural State Treehouses, works exclusively with its clients’ dreams of treehouses and builds them into reality. If it can be imagined, odds are Hart and his team of craftsmen can build it, with all locally sourced woods and materials, too.
Such is the case of their current — and biggest — project in Harrison, Ark. The structure, or rather the clubhouse, is set about 15 feet off the ground on a 28 by 22 feet platform with a smaller top level observation deck planned in the tree canopy. The treehouse will even be insulated and equipped with electricity, featuring a bedroom big enough for a queen bed, dining area and a back porch overlook. Windows surround the building, and an elegant, handcrafted railing system will surround the deck. It was something to behold even three weeks in, with two more expected to finish the project.
Not only does the company build treehouses, they also build play structures.
For example, they’re responsible for the sprawling outdoor playscape at the Scott Family Amazeum in Bentonville as well as the natural themed playscape for The New School in Fayetteville.
Staff Photo Nick Brothers
This panoramic photo shows the interior of the treehouse in progress. On the left will be a bedroom with sliding doors that will lead into the main area to be used as an entertaining and dining space.
“Josh saw our vision, understood it and added to it,” said Karen Beaton, head of preschool for The New School. “We wanted wood and planters for gardening. He just really understood and made it wonderful with covered bridges and playhouses made of logs.
Staff Photo Nick Brothers
Jake Bontrager installs the wooden siding to the treehouse in the back porch area.
Once the kids got out there, it was like they were in wonderland or something. They kept saying ‘I can’t believe it!’”
So let’s say you want a treehouse in your backyard. Here’s what happens.
Hart will come out to inspect the site of the future treehouse. He’ll call in his “guy,” an expert arborist. If the trees are approved and healthy, then comes the creative brainstorming of ideas. The kids usually make for the best source of inspiration, Hart said. Once the ideas are agreed on, Hart begins making 3D virtual designs and makes revisions as necessary to each client’s specifications and last minute inspirations.
“A lot of times we’ll start talking about designs with customers and they’ll have ideas for themes. I almost always steer away from that,” Hart said. “We go with typically more plain spaces where the kids’ imagination fills in all the details. It’s just a space to let their imagination flow.”
Next, the building starts with about three or five craftsmen. The company works exclusively with local cypress and juniper wood sawmills and most all stains used are non-toxic. The insect and water resistant cypress makes for high quality, long lasting structures, and it’s Hart’s favorite. Construction can take as long as one day to a month, and pricing can range from $1,000 to $6,000 or more depending on the size of the project.
Staff Photo Nick Brothers
The treehouse in Harrison, Ark. is Natural State Treehouses’ biggest project yet. Pictured here, it is three weeks into the project and another two are expected to be needed. The final phase of the treehouse will include a top story platform in the trees.
Whether the treehouse requires a suspended bridge to another structure, a zip line, climbing wall or a bucket and pulley system, that can be added, too.
Hart developed this process throughout the course of five years after starting Natural State Treehouses this month in 2011. When Hart started the company, he had just finished eight years working an assortment of jobs for the Walton Arts Center.
The seed of the treehouse idea came to him when he wanted to surprise his two kids with a swing set for Christmas. He found that many of the play sets were unattractive, poor quality or weren’t made with natural materials.
Having been a trained carpenter since his childhood, he got an idea.
“Over the course of the next couple months, that concept of ‘Somebody should start making better natural play structures for kids,’ turned into ‘I should start making them,’” Hart said. “Natural play areas are something kids need, and that’s where the idea was born.”
Of course, Hart’s kids wouldn’t allow him to build other people’s treehouses until he built one for them first.
With enough word of mouth and social media exposure in the early stages, Natural State Treehouses now operates year-round to meet the increasing demand. New clients are requested to book two to four months out, and can email josh@naturalstatetreehouses.com. They are currently booked through mid-October with projects.
Hart also offers consulting services for out-of-area jobs. He’s gotten requests for work from Las Vegas, Israel and Sweden before.
Staff Photo Nick Brothers
Nick Serra works to install windows on the treehouse.
One of Hart’s employed craftsmen, Joshua Walters, has built treehouses with Hart for more than three years now; work Walters said he finds fulfilling.
“I can’t say enough about Josh. He’s honestly the best boss I’ve ever had,” Walters said. “He’s phenomenal. I never feel like I’m working for him, I feel like I’m working with him. I like the aspect overall of building something different that isn’t cookie cutter. It’s custom. I really like that.” Above all else, the most fulfilling thing to Hart about his work is providing outdoor activities for families to enjoy, and building them to last for the future. In effect, he said he hopes the children will grow up as adults that will protect nature.
“I think the things that are the most important to us is giving families a way to get kids back outside,” Hart said. “A lot of times people will call us and they will say, ‘I remember being a kid and all the great hours I spent playing outside and it’s harder for our family these days.’ After the treehouse is built, they will call me back and tell me they can’t get their kids inside, regardless of the weather.”
