The Commoner

The couple and their friends spent hours clearing brush and felling at-risk oak and madrone trees. “There was no view at all,” Molly says. “You had to duck and peek through thick oak brush just to see that there was anything on the horizon.”

An upcoming visit from a friend who needed a break from wedding planning gave the couple the incentive to finish the tree deck, which has a wood-fired hot tub on the lower level.

Molly and Jeff wanted their guests to have creature comforts, so early on they built an outdoor shower that’s illuminated by string lights at night.

"The first time we flipped a switch and a light came on, Molly and I marveled. It was mind-blowing,

I’ve been in places where it didn’t feel like I could try and fail. Here, you can bring over a friend and say, ‘Take a hammer and nail. No one’s around. Give it a go,'