“Living here feels a lot like living in a tree house,” says Barbara Jones as she starts up the stairs of her spacious Town Creek tri-level.

Upon reaching the top of the staircase, it’s easy to see why she feels that way – the entire back wall of her living room is glass, and the tops of the trees seem close enough to reach out and touch.

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“When we first looked at the house, there were shades pulled down on all the windows and heavy drapes in the kitchen,” she says.

“When I walked in, I couldn’t see any of the trees in the backyard. You don’t see any of the trees from the front of the home. I just couldn’t believe how beautiful it was.”

The Jones purchased the house 20 years ago. They had three young children and were looking for good schools, along with a peaceful and pretty place to raise a family.

“Trees were on our list. We had a written list of things we wanted, and we wanted trees like this,” she says. “We also wanted decks, and we have four decks.”

The Jones family made a few changes early on, and one in particular has stood the test of time – bookshelves.

“They’re 15 feet high with a 10-foot ladder,” Barbara says. “It was really hard to find someone willing to build it. It ended up a group effort.

“One person built them in their garage and brought them over in sections and another person came in and stained them. We ordered the ladder from a ladder company in New York.”

The last major renovation came three years ago.

“There used to be a wall where the kitchen and the living room come together,” Barbara says. “Only a narrow door allowed access, so the kitchen was very separated from the rest of the house. It was a real bottleneck, especially when we had company over.”

When the renovation plans were drawn up, the kitchen was not slated for any drastic changes. About a third of the way into the project, the couple realized that removing the wall between kitchen and living room would open the combined area considerably.

The contractor was quickly consulted and the change was made. All new appliances and countertops were installed, completing the updated look in the kitchen.