TreeHouse

Awesome place. Super crunchy. Great products with a focus on sustainability and quality. This isn’t a discount shop. Plus, they have a whole section on home keeping that includes all the necessary equipment to ferment anything you’d like, raise chickens, keep bees and garden to your heart’s content. I make it a point to visit each time I am in Austin. You won’t be disappointed.

Met yesterday with Meghan at Treehouse regarding non-​toxic paints and wood flooring. She was amazingly well informed and answered all of my questions. I was impressed with her knowledge, ease of explaining the technical terms to me and the inventory and displays in the store as well. I’m remodeling a house and ensuring I’m using only non-​toxic materials for the painting and bamboo floors. Many thanks for the excellent consultation, plus the $ 50 Treehouse Gift card. I’ll be back!

We are renovating our home in South Austin and Treehouse has helped us with our flooring and kitchen design over the past several months.
PRO: Betsy helped us choose an engineered hard wood for the entire house and it turned out beautifully. I was contemplating using my contractor to complete the install in an effort to save money, however Betsy talked me out of it. I’m glad she did, because the flooring installers they work with (a crew of brothers) did such a great job. They were easy to work with, professional, reliable, and I 100% trusted them in my home. In fact, by the end of the install, my toddler was jumping into the arms of the one of the installers. The floors look great, and we get compliments on them by everyone who walks on them.
CON: We were under a tight deadline to get the flooring installed before we moved in to our home. Being pregnant and having a toddler, it was not ideal to occupy our home while the flooring was being installed. After we ordered our flooring, we found out that not all the boxes we needed for the job were going to be available when they said they would be. There was a breakdown in communication between Treehouse and the supplier/​distributor, so it wasn’t 100% the fault of TH. We came up with a solution to get as much of the flooring installed as possible, and continue with the rest of it as the new boxes arrived. Luckily, it was enough to cover the house, and not the kitchen (which was still under construction). Crisis averted, but still stressful.
PRO: Allen helped us design our new kitchen. During the design process, he was always accessible to help make decisions and had really great ideas. It’s obvious that he knows what he’s doing and loves doing it. I never knew how many decisions and details went into designing a kitchen, and Allen was patient and insightful throughout the process. He was an absolute pleasure to work with.
CON: My beautiful white inset Crystal Cabinets were installed over 6 weeks ago and there are a lot of problems with them. One of my pantry doors was painted a different white than all the other cabinets (the installer told me with 100% certainty that this was not possible, but my painter confirmed I was indeed not imagining things. Allen also confirmed it was obviously a different color). A base cabinet was completely cracked during the shipping process. The majority of my cabinets have knicks and dings in them and for the amount of money I spent on them, it’s not acceptable. Allen worked with the manufacturer to get a new door and base cabinet shipped within a reasonable amount of time, however the install crew at Treehouse could not line up the original installer to come back out to my house to fix these issues. Treehouse lined up another installer, but only after several weeks has passed.
IN SUMMARY, I highly recommend the products Treehouse offers (yes, they are expensive, but you get what you pay for, in most cases). Use their flooring installers if you purchase their hard wood flooring, and definitely utilize Allen’s expertise for your next kitchen or bathroom renovation. Do NOT use their kitchen install crew, and if you must, keep the Treehouse install team in check.

Im very disappointed with this store. I don’t ever review places under 3 stars, I prefer to review the places that I like.
I have a builder who wanted stain from East Side Lumber but they were out till the next truck. After a little research I found that Tree House stocked it as well.
I called to confirm that they had some in stock and they did. When I came in to the store I find that its $ 20 per gallon more than the local competitors. I went ahead and purchased it and passed on the cost to my builder but wow $ 20 over per gallon.
I cant trust this store and Ill try my hardest to never come back even if I have customers who request it, I will attempt to sell them other products from other stores.

Treehouse designed and installed all my custom cabinetry in my newly constructed home. I worked with Nathan and the experience was truly outstanding. From the beginning of the design phase I knew I was in good hands as Nathan is very detail oriented and was able to integrate the choice of cabinets into the overall design of my home. Nathan takes a lot of pride in his work and it is reflected in his product. He made a number of trips to my home during the construction process and even gave me ideas with regards to the choice of my countertops and other design elements of my home that he felt would work best with the cabinets. His responsiveness to all my questions and concerns were above expectations and I could not be happier with my cabinets. I would also like to mention in this review that Neil, who is the person who installed the cabinets did a phenomenal job. His company (which Treehouse uses) did the entire installation and everything was done perfectly.

I have very mixed feelings about this place. I love supporting local businesses and appreciate the eco focus of the store, but be careful what you purchase as their products are not all carefully selected. My husband and I went in looking for some unique hardwood floors. TreeHouse has some really beautiful options to choose from. Unfortunately, we fell in love with a floor that was made in China and then rebranded by a distributer (aka some dude who goes by Luma) here in Austin. TreeHouse would not disclose the manufacturer or installer for this floor we would be spending $ 10,000+ on. They also couldn’t explain how the warranty would be honored by a company we didn’t know about and apparently has no US presence. On top of that, they aren’t very good about returning phone calls and the installers aren’t either. We ended up canceling our measurement appointment. At least they refunded the $ 45 fee. They still have some neat products, but I’ll never try their installation services again.

So far I am a fan. Betsy has been wonderful to work with. My floor is not in yet. Will update later.
One thing is they are backed up for an entire month in putting down tile. So if you sign that contract expect them to not be able to install for a month afterwards, at least that is how it is in my case.

We are renovating our kitchen and bath, and I ordered our kitchen countertops through TreeHouse. I will preface this review by saying that the countertops are gorgeous, and that TreeHouse’s customer service has been stellar. However, TreeHouse’s installer — Alpha Granite — was not as exceptional, hence the 2-​star deduction.
Our experience leading up to the install was perfect. We were told that we needed to have our old formica countertops removed prior to installation. No problem. We had our contractor remove them. Upon arrival, Alpha Granite assessed the situation and informed us that whoever removed our countertops should have installed some additional framing in preparation for the quartz countertops. Nobody had told me this, hence it not being done. The installers grabbed some wood scraps they had in their truck and added some framing where they believed the countertops needed additional support. Everything then went smoothly until the last quartz piece needed to go in. When they attached it, it was ever-​so-​slightly crooked (not noticeable unless pointed out). The installers told me this is because my cabinets are slightly crooked, and that there’s nothing they can do. That didn’t make much sense to me, but I am no expert in cabinetry. Plus, I was sort of in a bind, given that our kitchen backsplash would be going in shortly after. Unfortunately, had I rejected the install because of the imperfect piece, it would have delayed the rest of my renovation and cost me more money than it was worth.
Again, the countertops are beautiful — and TreeHouse was a pleasure to deal with. We are ultimately pleased with our purchase. I feel bad marking them down because of somebody they contract with, but that’s the way it goes. The imperfection in our countertops is incredibly slight, but for the price we paid, I expected them to be flawless.

TreeHouse sells windows (and installation)! After six months of window shopping, we finally found this place to buy windows. We got quotes from two local businesses and Home Depot. None of those came even close to our budget. Everyone else was over one thousand dollars more than TreeHouse. With TreeHouse, we were able to afford Milgard brand windows and installation. Working with Travis Young is very pleasant. He is very knowledgable and helpful. He was quick to reply with accurate information. We provided TreeHouse with our most competitive window quote from other dealers and they were happy to match it, however the installation cost was really what made the difference! We are still in the process to have our windows manufactured. We can’t wait for our new windows!
05/​05/​2015
After today’s window installation, heavy rainfall came right in time to test the installation. One big sliding window in the dinning room was leaking like crazy. When we made the phone call and email to the installer and the salesman, they couldn’t come up with any better solution to stop the leak but told us «nothing can be done in the rain». My husband used a tarp to cover the outside of the window while «standing in the rain».
I’m very disappointed at their post-​installation service.

Treehouse is store filled with some of the world’s most amazing, helpful, knowledgeable and patient employees!
We have been coming here since shortly after they opened. As apartment dwellers, our first experiences with Treehouse were to pick up some green shopping bags, cleaning items and a christmas tree.
When we started looking at houses, we came here to get ideas and to see what things would cost to do in the houses we were looking at. We checked in to solar — we picked up ideas on how to do a green-​friendly makeover of some places we were looking at — we looked in to paint. etc. Coming here made us more confident in knowing what we were ready to tackle, and what we wanted to already have done as first time home buyers.
We purchased a great house, that was totally not in our color palette. We attempted to jump in and find colors that we wanted. We showed up one day, stayed for like 2 hours, had a little fight, went to do some more research, then came back and picked up a gallon of paint to cover our bedroom. It was a good paint (paint and primer in one with 0 VOC) but it was a little bluer and darker than we had expected.
We would have continued this way for each room in our house and the process probably would have been a tedious and painful one — but then Meghan walked in to our lives.
Meghan is a paint rock-​star!
They offer paint consultations. I made an appointment online and we left with a general idea of what color we wanted in every room of our house. Within a few days of our meeting, we had color renditions of our house, which helped us seal the deal. We now own enough paint to re-​do our whole interior — which is definitely needed!
Our house is soon to become our home — thanks to Treehouse!

The people who work here are really helpful. They might not have everything that Home depot or Lowes has but what they do have all seems like quality stuff that is environmently friendly.

I have always had a fantastic experience with everyone & everything at Treehouse. This is a wonderful company that very genuinely cares about their mission and doesn’t stray away from their values to save an extra buck. They do significant research about the sourcing of all of the products they offer before putting them on their shelves. I can honestly say I trust this company, which is a rare, wonderful thing.
I’ve worked closely with Betsy and Allen, and both of them have exceeded my expectations. The people here are obviously passionate about their jobs and are excited to talk about the products they offer. Betsy had great insight about tiling options for my new kitchen. She spent significant time doing outside research searching for particular tiles I was looking for, and she found some great environmentally friendly products. Allen did a great job educating me about countertop options, patiently answering all of my questions, and was very responsive over email, even when he wasn’t working.
Treehouse’s quartz countertop prices were very competitive– they were less expensive than granite, better quality, and environmentally friendly. Also, the store is a pleasure to walk around. The displays are gorgeous and you can learn about all sorts of new advances in environmentally-​friendly home improvement. I love Treehouse!

Since we bought our house last winter, I have had my fair share of paint buying experiences in Austin with the usual suspects– Home Depot, Lowe’s, Benjamin Moore. All have been experiences that are somewhat positive, but not exactly good.
For my most recent project, I was having difficulty finding the right color. Finally, I decided I would check out the Jeff Lewis paint line, which led me to TreeHouse. I was greeted in their paint dept. by Meghan. She was awesome. She encouraged me to go to different areas of the store to see the paint chips in different light, she humored me talking through my paint woes– and she actually seemed interested. I left that day with 3 samples and some paint chips she recommended.
I returned the next day and she immediately recognized me. She remembered the 3 samples she gave me and was happy one of them worked. She was great at recommending a sheen and mixed the paints right up for me. I honestly never thought I would gush about a shopping experience in a store like this, but my experience at TreeHouse was awesome. I will definitely be back for future paint and home project needs. Thanks Meghan!

First, just going to the Tree House causes one to feel good about saving our planet. They have all the right stuff. But that isn’t enough for me to write a review. I need over-​the-​top service.
Visit to store. They informed me about the best products to filter water for chloromine. Upon reflection later, I realized that I wanted to start with a water pitcher. Seriously, have you tried to find a water pitcher to filter out chloromine? We’re talking catalytic carbon, Bituminous coal. More water. More time. More carbon. Finally found ONE.
Called Tree House to see if they had this product and spoke to Rechelle. Didn’t. But it didn’t stop there. She called me back to say the buyer had been considering this purchase for their store, would order one for me with no deposit and would honor the on-​line price. Service! I like to buy local and this makes me happy.
Tree House. Visit. it will make you happy. Buy. Your life will be healthier. The planet will be more likely to survive us.

Been in a few times, but today was my first purchase. Over 10 minutes and three people trying to figure out how to ring up bamboo stakes, It’ll be my last. They were very earnest, but good grief. And another WTH kind of Go Local Austin deal. If I spent $ 2,000, I could get a discount using a Go Local Card. I had a trying enough experience spending less than $ 5, so no, thank you.

TreeHouse gets an extra star for bothering to follow up. Kane called me one afternoon (I suppose after reading my Unilocal review), listened patiently to my story, and profusely apologized for my experience.
Maybe they’re working on their shortcomings. It’s never too late for customer service.

Bar none the best place to buy DIY. If Lowes and Whole Foods had a baby, it would be TreeHouse. If you care about the environment, your family, or home improvement then you should consider stopping by.
Don’t trust me; come and see for yourself. You won’t be disappointed.

Fun store, great for ideas and you always leave with your head spinning with too many home improvement projects. I can’t wait to get started on my new house, I’ll definitely be coming here. Everything is green and eco friendly and there are a ton of options for everything. Staff is super friendly (sometimes a little over eager, but we’re introverts and easily frightened). Definitely worth a look if you’re doing any home improvement!

I went in to check out what TreeHouse sold and was amazed once I walked in. This place is a hardware store for eco-​friendly consumers. They cover all the basis for all the items for your home. The staff is friendly and helpful, and there are numerous product demonstrations. However the prices for some if the items may be high, but good quality and helping save our environment is worth it. Exploring the store was fun and like your chain stores you start dreaming up ideas for your home and yard. This store even has its own dog you visit. And they do carry a few products for your pet. They just have a little of everything. Will definitely be back.

As I’ve said before, we’re building a house. This accounts for the expression of eye bulging, jaw cracking rage that writhes across my face like an angry snake at the mention of subcontractors. Or delivery delays. Or anything that refers, however remotely, to the building disciplines. We love our builder, but the process of building a home is by definition rage inducing.
A big part of this impotent rage is directed at the green community. We’re trying to be as environmentally responsible as possible in the construction of this house, and that’s about as pleasant a process as tongue kissing a cornered badger. You can never be sure of the green pedigree. ‘It’s either locally grown Mesquite or some Argentinean knock off, but nobody will know the difference.’ Low VOC glue that is made in China smells like bitter almonds to me. Recycled countertops look great until you see that unused raw material from one batch is counted as pre consumer recycled material in the next. It makes you want to gouge your eyes out with an FSC certified bamboo spork.
That’s why I love TreeHouse like I love fast loading internet porn. It does exactly what I want.
We were first introduced to TreeHouse just before it opened when our genius architect friend took us along for a private tour. We met Jason, one of the managers, who explained that every item in TreeHouse has been vetted for its sustainability or environmentally friendly aspect. This doesn’t mean that everything in TreeHouse is 100% recycled and zero net impact, it means that everything has some sustainability cred or environmental positive aspect. Most of their stuff rates very high on this scale. And it is essentially a big box store, sort of an Earth Friendly Home Depot or Lowes. Actually it is more than that, since it carries kitchenwares, books, and even gifts as well. This means it can be just about a one stop shop for us, or anyone looking for environmentally responsible products who doesn’t have the time or facilities to research every component they are looking for.
They carry everything from gadgets to actual buildings. Flooring, lighting, insulation, countertops, tools, even electronics like whole house automation, or solar panels are all on the shelf. They even stock Kanga modular buildings that are perfect for offices, studios, workspaces, or even bedrooms. All these items have been researched and investigated to verify that they are in reality green.
And to top it off, they have a very talented team of professionals who can help you with the design aspect. We used them for our paint, tile, lighting, and clay finishes. Katherine was with us every step of the way making sure our picks didn’t get lost and that we had the correct amounts of everything. Kane took down all our info and came up with some truly innovative lighting solutions (so far the Plumens are our favorite) and Jessie and Michael mixed batch after batch of paint until we found the exact color we liked.
They are still working on pricing on some items, and green items can have a higher upfront cost that is balanced by its life cycle, so be prepared for that. But honestly, you can’t go wrong if you choose to bypass HD or Lowes next time and give TreeHouse a shot instead.