Joel Allen has secretly built an egg-shaped treehouse in the forest around Whistler, B.C. using mostly materials salvaged on Craigslist. Allen was a software developer but quit his job in 2006 and started work on the Hemloft, as the treehouse is known. Finished four years later, Allen has been telling others about the Hemloft.

The treehouse is not only cool, but also stylish. Allen only used premium materials and hunted for good deals obsessively on Craigslist. The most important part, the floor, was a chance acquisition that would have cost him upward of $2,000 had he not taken the hardwood off the hands of someone moving homes and desperate to get rid of it. The Hemloft also has glass windows, a small kitchen and custom furniture.

The only problem, however, is that Allen built his hideaway on Crown lands, so the whole thing is pretty illegal and might have to be disassembled. For the moment, he has left it intact for others to discover and enjoy.

Allen is already considering a new project. He doesn’t know what, exactly, but it’s going to be similarly remote and similarly eco-friendly. He’s seeking donations on his website.

The Hemloft // Business InsiderJoel Allen/Flickr