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In 1985, interior designer Kathy Speas and her contractor husband, Andy Sikora, built their ranch house in the foothills of Colorado Springs, and later added a custom backyard treehouse for their children. Years later, after the kids moved into homes of their own and the treehouse was removed, the duo designed and built a new deck that provides the same immersive feel the treehouse once had.
“We wanted to create a level where you felt like you were floating in the trees,” Speas says of the 16-by-16-foot deck that’s surrounded by ponderosa pines and offers views of Cheyenne Mountain, Pikes Peak, and, at night, twinkling city lights 1,000 feet below.
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Speas chose rounded furnishings, including Grandin Road chairs, glowing LED planters, and a Frontgate fire pit, for a soft contrast to the deck’s sharp lines. The result? An inviting alfresco space where Speas and Sikora enjoy their morning coffees and gather with family and friends—a grown-up retreat in the trees.
