Nelson Treehouse company is famous for going “to the trees.” Now, they’re going to the Douglas fir tree that stands tall behind Fall City’s Aroma Coffee Co.

Fall City/Preston locals Emily Ridout, Kelsey Wilson and Sara Cox opened Aroma in 2020. The shop resides in the historic Prescott-Harshman House, purchased in 2018 by the Nelson family.

Soon after the opening, Nelson Treehouse founder Pete Nelson approached the Aroma team, asking what they thought about a treehouse on the property. The project is now on track to be completed by Fall City’s Festival of Lights in early December.

The Nelson family’s treehouse bed and breakfast, Treehouse Point on Preston-Fall City Road, sparks a lot of curiosity, but they want to keep it private for paying customers. The Aroma treehouse will be special, Ridout said, because it will be the only public Nelson treehouse in Washington.

“Finally, this is a place that people can touch and feel and be in the trees,” Nelson said. “Our mission is to remind people that we have this incredible nature around us … Connecting with trees is what it’s all about.”

The treehouse is being funded by Nelson Treehouse, but will be operated by Aroma. The plan, Ridout said, is to have set hours for the treehouse to be open to the public, as well as time for private reservations and possibly events.

The tree itself is a multi-stemmed Douglas fir that Nelson estimates is 60-80 years old — just a teenager, Nelson said. Douglas firs are his favorite treehouse trees because they’re long-living and grow consistently.

“In the right conditions, they can live to 800 or 1,000 years. Those are the trees you want to invest your efforts into,” he said. “Your treehouse should last as long as you take care of it.”

Nelson got the building permits from King County in September, and the project is now in the pre-fabrication stage. His son, Henry Nelson, is building the treehouse and will have a team joining him throughout the month, including his twin brother, Charlie Nelson. Almost all of the wood for the build will be local, salvaged and sustainably used, Nelson said.

“These guys are so incredible with their skills, but then the materials themselves are going to be breathtaking,” he said. “I’ve got my very finest of materials going into this, and I’m so pumped about it.”

The design, done by Nelson, is inspired by stave churches — medieval wooden churches popular in Norway — which are tall and narrow. On the back of the treehouse, there will be gothic doors that open to a viewing deck. The interior of the treehouse is small — 5.5 feet by 5.5 feet — and will mainly be something to visit rather than spend time in.

“We’re calling it a sculpture treehouse,” Ridout said. “It’s more like a piece of art than it is like a formal treehouse.”

The purpose of the treehouse is twofold, Nelson said: it’s a place for the community to enjoy nature, and it’s a marketing tactic — perhaps an Instagram spot where tourists can stop on their way to Snoqualmie Falls.

“I do absolutely and firmly say that it’s about connecting with our beautiful trees and being among them and in them,” he said, “and yet, we sure want people to know that Aroma Coffee is the best place to come to.”

A drawing of Pete Nelson’s treehouse design for Aroma Coffee Co. Courtesy of Nelson Treehouse

Drawings of Pete Nelson’s treehouse design for Aroma Coffee Co. Courtesy of Nelson Treehouse