As a child, Karen built camp after camp. First in the garden, later as a moni at adventurous youth camps at home and abroad. So that one day a patch of forest, tree houses and a fire shed would pop up in her life did not surprise her mum Gerda. “With Bram by her side - who is at least as adventurous and creative - that childhood dream just became a reality”she says. “They have created something with Treelodge that many people only dream of.”
The start was anything but straightforward. Before the first board was bolted down, Bram and Karen had already spent two years dealing with permits, regulations, talks with an architect and the search for financing. “Convincing the bank for such’an uncommon plan was not easy. But they kept going,”says Gerda. “I mainly tried to listen, let them tell their story, think along and ask the right questions at the same time. Especially around feasibility. I have been working in tax for almost my entire career, so I was a bit of a sounding board in that respect. Not to slow them down, but to watch over them: what does this mean now, later, later?”
Today, Gerda sees what Treelodge does to people. “From the moment you drive onto the grounds, you feel the hustle and bustle slip away from you. You don't even have to be in your treehouse before a kind of zen sinks over you. That forest, that silence… And then that Fire Barn. That really is a place where people find each other.”
What she perhaps admires most? That is how Bram and Karen as a young family, with a thousand balls in the air, tóch realised their dream. “And it never stops. One idea follows another. Sometimes I have to gulp. But when I see what they realise, I am especially proud.”
Gerda: “I personally love baking bread in the oven at the Fire Barn. When the grandchildren's classes come to visit and I can let them taste… those are blissful moments. If I had all the time in the world, I would bake bread for guests here every day. But those are dreams for after I retire!”
A favourite treehouse she does not have. “The first one, the Chiffchaff, remains special though. I helped make the curtains. That was puzzling: sloping walls, calculating fabrics, making everything fall parallel&hellquo;I also helped sew the Spotted Woodpecker. But actually I like them all equally: the terraces where you look through the treetops, the hot tub where you can completely unwind.”
I like them all equally.
For Gerda, the magic of Treelodge is in the little things: leisurely walks or bike rides in the beautiful surroundings, preparing something on the barbecue together, children racing around laughing all afternoon on their bicycles, or cooking or drinking something tasty in the Fire Shed while spontaneous conversations with other guests arise.
Meanwhile, Bram and Karen's parents each have a job to do at Treelodge:“That creates togetherness. In the beginning it is exciting - you wéét what could go wrong, but look… now they mostly reap beautiful moments with their guests.”
And what else does a mother wish for her children? “That they stay so busy. That they continue to be creative and find energy to try new things. They sometimes travel to the other side of the world, see all sorts of things there and then bring back ideasën which they bring to life here in their own way. Above all, I wish them much future and much happiness.”
Another tip for those who want to come and stay themselves: “Immerse yourself completely in Treelodge when you are here. Use the pizza oven. Bake a sandwich. And don't forget the hot tub: it will warm you up inside and out.”
