Travel and design
Can you spot the hotel room in this picture?
What do you do when the woods behind your guest house are being sold off and in danger of becoming so much paper and bags? If you are Britta and Kent Lindvall you buy them and build the very wonderful Tree House Hotel. And, if you are Britta and Kent, you get the most fantastic designs for your tree houses by calling up your fishing buddies, who just happen to be architects, and set them free. If you want to see the results for yourself then you need to find Harads, Sweden, which is less than fifty miles south of the arctic circle.
Another thought, what do you do, if you are a bird, flying full-tilt through the woods and you come across this marvel, the Mirror Cube? If you are Sven the Sparrow, don’t worry, there is an invisible to human infra red cloak to warn you of its presence. By now you are probably getting the impression that the Kents are people who care about the environment. Don’t expect snow-mobile tours here. Do expect to walk. 
The insides of the tree houses, there are five of them, are compact and distinctly Scandinavian. The Mirror cube measures just four meters in every direction. Don’t expect all mod cons, not more than a kettle, a sink and an eco-friendly toilet. If you want to eat, or shower, you need to get down the lader and walk to the the main guest house. You will, however, get a lot closer to Sven the Sparrow and his feathered friends.
This isn’t Sven’s home. It is the Birds Nest, what else could they have called it? It was inspired by a sea eagle’s domicile seen, no doubt, on one of those fishing trips. While the Mirror Cube sleeps two, the Birds Nest is designed for four. There are tiny portholes to peer out of and this could be one of the most romantic getaways ever. Well, maybe not if you are sharing it with three friends. Well, probably, not.
The cabin has, as you can see a huge viewing platform and ceiling to floor windows. If you are lucky and brave the winter cold you may see the Northern Lights. In summer you are guaranteed the midnight sun. At upwards of $500 per night the Tree House is far from cheap, or as Swen would say, ‘cheep’. It is, however, unlike anywhere else you are likely to find yourself, and totally unforgettable.
