Above the Rhododendrons. Below the Storm Clouds. Exactly Where You Need to Be | The Tree House

This Rent In Highlands vacation rental home is pet friendly for one small dog, under 20 pounds. Pets must be pre-approved. An additional non-refundable pet fee is required and is not included in the rental fee. Please call our office for approval and to pay the pet fee. Failure to adhere to this policy will result in a $1000.00 fine.

Only adults (25 years old and older) may reserve this property and an adult must occupy the property at all times.

Click HERE to see a virtual tour of the guest cottage.

STARLINK INTERNET

There's a particular kind of house that stops feeling like a rental within the first hour and starts feeling like somewhere you actually live — where the kitchen makes you want to cook a real meal, the bedroom makes you want to take a real nap, and the deck makes you want to do absolutely nothing for longer than you've done nothing in years.

The Tree House is that kind of house.

A fully renovated mid-century modern gem tucked into a rhododendron oasis less than three miles from downtown Highlands, this property — main house plus a private guest house with its own hot tub and mountain view — was designed with the kind of deliberate care that shows up in 600-thread-count sheets and Italian-tiled bathrooms and a chef's kitchen outfitted with Vietri dinnerware and an ice cream maker. It was furnished by Switch Modern, Baker, and Design Within Reach, accented with carefully curated vintage pieces, and finished with the original mid-century crank windows that open to let the mountain air move through the house like it always has.

Open those windows at night and you will sleep better than you have in months. That is not an exaggeration.

A Kitchen Serious Cooks Will Actually Appreciate The chef's kitchen doesn't gesture at cooking — it enables it. Six-burner stove with grill. Dual ovens. A large island that seats six comfortably, designed for the practical reality of family trips where kids eat first and adults eat after. Instapot, Dutch oven, iron skillets, ice cream maker, Vietri Incanto dinner sets, platters and bowls for entertaining at any scale. This is a kitchen assembled by someone who actually cooks and wanted guests who actually cook to feel completely at home. It delivers.

The Main House: Every Detail Considered. The open family room with its wall of windows pulls the rhododendron canopy inside and keeps the mountain views in constant rotation. A wood-burning fireplace anchors one end. Mechanical window shades handle the rare moments when the light needs managing. The furniture — Switch Modern, Baker, Design Within Reach — is the kind of thing you photograph and then spend months trying to identify when you get home.

The primary bedroom runs on the same philosophy: Williams Sonoma Home furnishings, Simmons pillow-top mattress, 600-thread-count sheets, heated floors in the Italian-tiled bath, and those original crank windows positioned for the kind of cross breeze that makes afternoon naps genuinely transformative. The guest room continues the standard with Lilly Pulitzer décor and an Italian-tiled bath with refinished original fixtures that somehow manage to feel both vintage and completely current.

Large smart TVs in every bedroom and the family room. High-speed internet throughout. Apple and YouTube TV. Every bedroom with a world-class mattress. The Tree House understands that a true retreat doesn't make you suffer for the privilege.

The Guest House: Privacy Elevated Separate, private, and exceptional in its own right — the guest house offers a king bed, its own heating and air, an exercise bike, and a large terraced deck with a hot tub surrounded by rhododendrons facing an entirely different mountain range than the main house. Different view. Different sunset. Same level of thought and care. Whoever stays in the guest house will not feel like they drew the short straw. They will feel like they got away with something.

Outside: Where the Tree House Earns Its Name The expansive back deck runs the full length of the main house — partly covered and screenable for weather protection, partly open to the sky — furnished with comfortable couches, rocking chairs, iron and glass dining tables, and seating for eight. Do yoga above the tree canopy on this deck and watch the afternoon storms roll in across the ridgeline. It is, as the owners suggest, exactly as spectacular as it sounds.

A firepit for evening fires. A charcoal grill for real outdoor cooking. A fenced area off the kitchen for dogs who came along. A slack line outside for kids visible from the kitchen window so nobody loses track of anyone. And a vintage ten-foot dinner bell — an actual dinner bell — for calling the family in from wherever they've scattered across the property. Walking paths wind around the house and connect to Owl Gap Road, a hilly four-mile loop back to Dillard Road for anyone who wants to earn the ice cream maker. Glen Falls trails and waterfalls are one mile away. Old Edwards Inn is three miles down the road.

Three yoga mats provided. Storms optional but highly recommended.

Less Than Three Miles From Highlands Old Edwards Inn and Spa. Acclaimed restaurants. Boutique shopping. Art galleries. The Highlands Playhouse. All of it within a few minutes of the rhododendron oasis where this house sits above the trees, windows cranked open, dinner bell waiting.

Come to disconnect. Stay because everything here makes disconnecting feel like exactly the right decision.

What our guests are saying…

"The property is amazing. Super private. The patio and the porch are showstoppers. THE VIEW! Wait until you get to watch the sunrise in the morning. It's worth waking up early! We loved the upgraded kitchen and fireplace. It's first class. Fully stocked kitchen - double oven is a BONUS! The shower in the master bathroom is next level. We used the hot tub a lot more than we thought we would because it's that nice. The photos on the website don't do this place justice -- I cried tears of JOY when we walked inside the door the first time -- I couldn't believe this is where we were going to spend our holidays! And loved the Christmas tree too!" - Rent In Highlands Vacation Rental Guest, Michelle

Rent In Highlands Vacation Rental Cancellation Policy

Policy (A) for reservations less than 20 days:
A reservation canceled between 0-45 days prior to arrival is not eligible to receive a refund. If more than 45 days notice is given, the renter shall receive a refund of all payments made, less a cancellation fee of 10% of the Total Cost of the Reservation.

Policy (B) for reservations of 20 days or more and reservations made 6 months in advance:
NO refund is given unless the property is re-rented under the same terms (Trip insurance is available and recommended to help protect your trip).

Special Amenities:

Starlink Internet
Hot Tub
Wood Burning Fireplace
Guest Cottage

Please note: The "swimming pool" amenity refers to access to the Highlands Recreation Center pool, a short drive from the property — not a private pool on-site.

This home is professionally managed by Rent in Highlands, a division of Country Club Properties. Your premier source for Vacation Rentals in Highlands NC.