The Treehouse Studio

The Studio Story

In 2019, A fallen ash tree did a remarkable job in its final act to clear a last remaining stand of invasive honeysuckle on a hillside in the backyard. We used this as an opportunity to build a small but functional cabin in the woods for art, music and remote work.

With a hand drawn sketch of our ideal space, Charlie Terrell, a local carpenter extraordinaire, brought this 240 square foot studio to life. Featuring a 6’, engineered cantilevered deck, wood burning stove and wall-to-wall wifi, the structure overlooks the creek below and served as a refuge during the tough years of 2020 and 2021.

The Backyard - A Native Space

In 1996, when we purchased the house, we knew we had work to do. Little did we know how long it would take… and we’re still not done.

Beginning with a small retaining wall built by our kids with stones from the creek below, the process of reclamation started in earnest. Keith Myers, close friend and accomplished landscape architect, sketched an initial path forward on a napkin…literally (we still have it).

Another, larger dry-stack wall was constructed at the top of the hill, featuring “steps to nowhere” (at the time). Fast forward 18 years and this space now is home to a newly installed recirculating waterfall and stream by Meyer Aquascapes.

Guided solely by Myers’ drawing, Gilb Landscaping installed a series of stone steppers leading to a large firepit, open patio spaces and a 4,000 pound single-stone bridge. Dry-stack retaining walls have been added to the front and side yards to help control and direct hillside water runoff.

Honeysuckle removal continued. Jennie Markel of Cloud Landscape Design, LLC created an overall Landscape Master Plan to complete the final conversion into a native garden. Madison Tree Care & Landscaping, Inc. executed trail construction, invasive species removals and native plantings.

Our Partners

Jennie Markel - Cloud Landscape Design, LLC

Residential projects evolve because of the client. Jennie believes resolving the needs and dreams for residential spaces are the basis of good design.

They are grounded in a passion for plants, spatial aesthetics, and drawing document quality, making them ideal partners for landscape companies. Their projects include residential landscape design, adult education centers, senior care facilities, as well as multi-family/commercial buildings.

Madison Tree Care and Landscaping, Inc. - Celebrating 77 Years!

Madison Tree Care and Landscaping, Inc.takes pride in providing the Cincinnati community with excellent and innovative arboricultural and horticultural services. They are committed to cultivating relations with their clients based on trust, and creating a company atmosphere that attracts and retains outstanding employees.

They are very proud to be a third generation family owned and operated business, celebrating their 77th year in 2023.

Meyer Aquascapes

Meyer Aquascapes provides professional water garden design and installation services as well as water garden products. Our products range from water garden water treatments, to waterfall pumps, filter media, skimmers, biofalls and much more. Pond installation is a popular landscaping feature in the Midwest, and especially in Ohio.