Through the Moongate

To reach the treehouse, walk through the moon gate

Follow the forest path to the ascent over the ancient lave flow, up the lava tube. Hold tight to the bamboo rails and climb to the first level.

The moongate is the answer to our vision of a portal to a magical place. The treehouse in Pele's forest is built in the trees growing out of a lavatube. It began as our fantasy, and then grew into the expression of the designer and architect, Roderick Romero.

Roderick incorporated the elements we brought over to the project - the stained glass windows, the carved doors. The builders adapted his design to fit the trees, and what was to have been two rooms connected by an outdoor stairway became two stories of the same structure with an interior ladder.

Bamboo entered the picture. We were excited to use a sustainable material, in addition to the recycled lumber that eventually became the floors and siding. Bamboo is time consuming to work with, due to its curvy irregularities.

Once the structure itself was in place, we took over the project and its thousand and one finish necessities. Although we are here in Hawaii, we are at significant elevation, in the forest, and it can be chilly. It was when we finally put in the heating stove that the little house in the trees really felt like a cozy sweet place.

E komo mai, we invite you through the portal of the moongate, into the treehouse, available for romance!