Building a Dream, Finding Peace, and Giving Back
I never imagined I would be running a company with my husband, and that together we would design and build luxury treehouses in some of the most beautiful, tranquil places in nature, hosting travelers from across the country. As a girl who grew up in Southern California pursuing a career in journalism, I never imagined that I would find myself living in a camper off the grid on raw land with my husband while we were building our dream. But now that we’re here, the blood sweat, tears, and sacrifices we made along the way were well worth it, and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. Bolt Farm Treehouse is more than just a luxury accommodations small business, we’re a purpose-based company that is committed to making a lasting impact in the lives of others.
God put this passion in my heart and I’m so grateful that He entrusted me to carry out this purpose of helping busy, hard working people reconnect with nature, their purpose and their person, and helping our guests experience heavenly peace while spending time at our nature retreats.
ABOUT BOLT FARM TREEHOUSE
Our company is Bolt Farm Treehouse and we build luxury nature retreats. Our treehouses have been praised by Architectural Digest, Good Morning America, Conde Nast Traveler, and I’m still freaking out that we are the #1 Airbnb in South Carolina with locations in Walhalla and Charleston.
In 2015, my husband, Seth, built a treehouse with his dad for our wedding day. It was the sweetest gift that we would later share with the world on Airbnb, drawing travelers from across the country. During our second year of marriage, we embarked on a journey that would lead us to build four more luxury treehouses just outside Charleston, South Carolina in the rural community of Wadmalaw Island.
We dreamed up and then carefully crafted these unique environments where our guests could find peace, refuge, inspiration, and experience true soul rest all while creating memories that they’ll cherish for a lifetime. Our treehouses facilitate reconnection and are aimed at helping couples experience breakthroughs in their relationships and lives as they spend uninterrupted quality time together in a beautiful, tranquil setting.
All of our treehouses have a long list of amenities including clawfoot tubs, custom outdoor hanging beds, two-person outdoor showers, private fire pits, and creative spaces crafted with intentionality to encourage them to slow down and to be present as they soak in the beauty of creation. They also have pizza ovens, BBQ grills, and kitchenettes with everything you need to cook, encouraging our guests to prepare and enjoy slow meals together.
OUR PURPOSE
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” – Matthew 11:28-29
Our desire is that each guest we host experiences that deep soul rest described in Matthew 11 when they stay at one of our treehouses. We try to help them quiet the noise of this busy, crazy world so they can experience the peace of God in the stillness of nature.
We believe quality time in nature with the people you love reduces stress, fortifies relationships, and allows people the opportunity to zoom out so they know where to zoom back in. We are advocates for nature, conservation, mental health, digital detox, rest, relationships, and intentional living.
Intentionality is the heartbeat behind Bolt Farm Treehouse and we encourage our guests to be intentional with their time here by turning their phones on airplane mode and by losing track of time enjoying life’s simple pleasures. Life is so busy, and it seems that time is flying faster with each day that passes. If we’re not intentional about our lives and our days, they will quickly pass us by. In a world where uncertainty, anxiety, and chaos abound, it’s essential to find refuge in a place where you can experience uninterrupted quality time with the people in your life who matter most.
One thing we do to help our guests embrace this is by leaving them ‘Recipes for Rest’ to follow. If you’re thinking ‘What the heck is a Recipe for Rest?’ Think of it as an itinerary for rest for those who need a little help embracing the art of slow living.
Here’s an example of one of our Recipes for Rest:
- Sleep in and wake up with no alarm
- Make a big breakfast and french press coffee
- Play music on the vintage record player
- Take a nap on the outdoor hanging bed
- Stay in robes all day
- Take a walk on the nature trails
- Dream together about your goals, plans, and hope for the year ahead
- Make a pizza together
GIVING BACK
Fast forward to 2020- a global pandemic hits. People around the world are suddenly required to stay in their homes and shift their “normal way of living.” While we were trying to navigate through this new reality as a small hospitality business, we quickly realized that the things many couples were seeking more than ever (refuge, peace, comfort, space) were part of Bolt Farm Treehouse’s DNA all along.
With four treehouses spread out on 30-acres, and now shifting our offering to Monthly Stays, our guests could quarantine in place and adhere to social distancing without being cooped up indoors.
Our romantic treehouses draw couples celebrating special milestones like anniversaries, birthdays, and especially honeymoons. Honeymooners are our peeps and our largest customer sector. When we kept hearing about more and more couples whose honeymoon plans were suddenly ruined by COVID-19, our hearts broke and we asked ourselves, ‘How can we help?’
While we realize we couldn’t help everyone, we wanted to use our nature retreats to give these couples a safe place to honeymoon. We also wanted to use our voice to be a beacon of light and hope, spreading joy and good news during these trying times.
We did three big giveaways over the course of about a month, and we’re SO thankful for the opportunity to have teamed up with Sadie and the Live Original fam, whom we admire greatly! Together with Sadie & LO, we were able to bless one sweet couple with a free month-long honeymoon at one of our treehouses. Our giveaway winners, Kiana and Jose not only had their wedding and honeymoon plans shifted as a result of the pandemic, they also experienced several other trials including enduring a long-distance relationship while Jose served in the military, and previously having their hometown in Puerto Rico destroyed by a hurricane and being without power and water for days. We are thrilled that they’ll get to celebrate their love and kick their feet up in the treehouse for a whole month later this year!
Watch Sadie completely SURPRISE Kiana in this video, telling her she’s the winner! Warning- it’s a tear-jerker!
Acts 20:35 says ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ And while that verse may be easy to shrug off since it is sometimes overused, it’s 100% true and I’ve experienced the blessing of blessing others first-hand.
We are currently planning our next location (which I’m so excited to share details about super soon!) where we are multiplying our offerings and hopefully, our impact.
Tori Bolt owns and operates Bolt Farm Treehouse alongside her husband, Seth. They are passionate about helping people slow down and reconnect with nature and each other. She loves being an entrepreneur, chasing God-sized dreams, traveling and exercising. Follow Tori on Instagram @toribolt and check out all things treehouse @boltfarmtreehouse.
