Modern Treehouse

A 1970s hillside home in Millcreek is reimagined as a richly layered retreat designed for entertaining, escape and everyday magic

Photos by Lindsay Salazar

For interior designer Danielle Domichel Hickman, it felt like discovering a hidden treehouse in the woods. Tucked into a Millcreek hillside and reached by a 74-step descent, her clients’ 1970s home cascades toward the creek below, its levels unfolding like platforms in the trees. “The setting is pure fairytale,” she gushes. But inside, the spell had worn off. Decades of dated finishes and features dulled the home’s charm.

That disconnect between wondrous and worn led to an ambitious renovation. “The owners wanted the house to feel like a true retreat, a place that could instantly transport them away from daily demands and into something calmer, lighter and more restorative,” Domichel Hickman explains.

Approached by 74 greenery-shrouded steps and the sound of the creek below, the 1975 John Hampshire–designed Millcreek residence feels like a modern-day treehouse. A new shake shingle roof and nature-blending exterior updates, along with a full interior remodel, were completed through a close collaboration between the owners, designer Danielle Domichel Hickman and contractor Solid Renovation Company.

Rich stone surrounds, fresh finishes and thoughtfully updated designs transformed fireplaces throughout the home.

Working within architect John Hampshire’s 1975 design, Domichel Hickman collaborated with contractor Solid Renovation Company to treat the 16-month remodel as both reset and refinement, preserving the treehouse spirit while elevating its 4,500 square feet with a bold, contemporary sensibility. “This was a full gut remodel,” she explains. Some rooms, like the kitchen, bathrooms and primary suite, were taken down to the studs, while others, including the living and dining areas, were dramatically overhauled, replacing heavy finishes and features with light, expressive design inspired by the owners’ travels and love of color.

A fresh coat of paint and a custom Calacatta Black marble surround by European Marble & Granite transformed the great room’s original wood-paneled fireplace into a striking centerpiece of timeless elegance.

The home unfolds across four levels. From the garage and gate at the top, a descent leads to the main entry, where an office and laundry room sit just inside. Below, the primary living spaces—kitchen, dining, den, powder and living room—stretch toward the creek, connecting daily life to the landscape. Bedrooms occupy the level above the entry, offering privacy among the treetops, while an unexpected theater crowns the house with north and south views. True to its 1970s roots, the layout favors defined rooms over an open-concept plan—a quality the homeowners embraced. “The way the spaces are configured is very much of the era, and that’s what makes this house special,” Domichel Hickman says.

The dark and dramatic kitchen features walnut cabinetry by Forever Furniture with Rocky Mountain Hardware, a leathered quartzite slab from Venetian Tile & Stone Gallery, a Roll & Hill chandelier, Urban Electric sconce and Waterworks fixtures. The adjacent breakfast nook boasts a matching stone table, green Lee caster chairs and a built-in storage bench.

On the main living level, Domichel Hickman set out to bring to life the homeowners’ vision of a retreat—a space for quiet escape as well as for entertaining family and friends. She reimagined the great room’s living area as a tranquil, light-filled spot for reading, piano playing and relaxed conversations. She painted the original tongue-and-groove ceiling white, refurnished the space and transformed the wood-paneled fireplace with fresh paint and a dramatic Calacatta Black marble surround. To create “a striking and inviting focal point,” Domichel Hickman outfitted the open dining area with a round, ebony-finished dining table crowned by an ethereal smoked-glass chandelier.

Nearby, the reimagined kitchen has its own version of drama. With a moody, material-rich palette, Domichel Hickman layered depth, texture and tonal warmth to make the space feel sophisticated yet inviting. Dark, leathered quartzite slabs pair with dark-stained walnut cabinetry that conceals integrated appliances. An unlacquered brass hood, a modern two-armed pendant and a ceramic flower sconce add moments of unexpected delight. The adjacent breakfast nook features a table topped in matching quartzite, along with a built-in storage bench and mossy green caster chairs that easily shift from daily use to casual entertaining.

A Patagonia quartzite vanity with stone from European Marble & Granite, Gucci Glade wallcovering and a Roll & Hill pendant turned this compact powder bath into a sculptural, jewel-box moment.

Elsewhere on the same level, Domichel Hickman transformed the den into a moody, New York–inspired lounge anchored by a red stone fireplace surrounded by black-painted cabinetry. Gucci Glade wallpaper, a monolithic stone vanity and a shimmering pendant turn the compact powder room into a jewel-box moment all its own. “I wanted every space to feel fresh, surprising and completely distinct,” she explains.

Exuding hotel-like luxury, the primary bathroom features Calacatta Gold tile by Artistic Tile and a coordinating slab from Venetian Tile & Stone Gallery, fabricated by European Marble & Granite; the cabinetry is by Forever Furniture.

The bathroom’s Maroon Gucci Heron wallcovering visually links to painted cabinetry in the primary closet, where Calacatta stone surfaces and a rich blue carpet shape a chic palette.

Upstairs, Domichel Hickman envisioned the primary suite as a sanctuary. Textured wallcovering, brown velvet and an uncluttered decor serve a restorative role. Cloaked in Calacatta Gold, the primary bathroom evokes a luxury hotel. Its maroon Gucci Heron wallcovering animates the space and offers a jumping-off point for the reimagined closet’s crimson cabinetry. Matching Calacatta surfaces and blue antelope-patterned carpet add to the exuberant mix. “We wanted the bathroom to feel sophisticated and intimate and the closet playful, elevated and functional all at once,” the designer explains.

A petite Calacatta Black marble fireplace creates an intimate, unexpected focal point in the kitchen while echoing the home’s material palette.

A skylight floods the refreshed central stairwell with light, where Holly Hunt pendants, a Stark Carpet runner and curated art by Lizzy Wenger and William Krastover deliver striking, personalized style.

Designed to feel like a moody New York lounge, the den features original cabinetry painted deep black and a custom red stone fireplace surround fabricated by European Marble & Granite. A curved Holly Hunt sofa in emerald alpaca wool is paired with swivel chairs upholstered in whimsical Romo fabric.

“My clients tell me they now love the house so much they hate to leave it,” Domichel Hickman says. In the end, that was always the goal—not just to update the home, but to create a fairytale-like retreat that restores, inspires and feels pleasantly removed from the rest of the world.

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