When you first get here it's hard to believe that there's going to be enough room inside because it looks so small from the outside but it actually has a pretty comfortable setup with a kitchen and a full living room with a wood stove.
On the main floor and a sliding staircase ladder that leads to a super roomy loft that you can walk around in thanks to the big dormers. When you first walk into the main doors of the cabin here the first thing you see are the exposed beams and rafters and those really showcase the a-frame shape of the cabin.
On one side of thendoor you have a big wood stove and an elevated rack to store some firewood this is also the main source of heat for the whole space. The kitchenette there's some space to prepare food there's also a sink and a simple foot pump to bring in water for water they're currently bringing it in as needed but they will be setting upa rain water collection system soon.
For electricity the cabin runs off a homemade solar power setup with three 100 watt solar panels and a 230 amp hour battery bank the whole space is wired like an extension cord so it can easilybe plugged or unplugged from the power source.
The owners are also planning to double the size of the solar power setup to provide a bit more power what's great about having simple systems like this is that they're more affordable to put together and easier to maintain and repair they also force you to consume a lot less energy and water which is important when you're off grid with limited resources.
The living room and since this is supposed to be a retreat it was important to have a nice cozy place to sit around the fire so there's a nice big three seater sofa that also converts into a bed and there's also a comfy lounging chair next to the wood stove.
The outdoor shower it's surrounded by wood slat walls to give a bit of privacy and it's nice that it's attached to the cabin so you don't have to go too far if it's cold outside.
It also leads to the outhouse a little further behind the cabin not everyone likes an outhouse but they are super simple and in a small cabin like this it is kind of nice to be able to do your business in a separate space.
The outhouse behind the cabin is not loved by everyone, but it is practical in a small cabin like this. If living in the cabin is long-term, an addition with an indoor shower and a composting toilet could be built.
This cabin was finished in 2021 and it cost approximately 20 thousand dollars canadian and a bit more than half of that was the cost of the materials.
The family constructed most of the project themselves, cutting costs, but they hired professional help for some parts. The main floor of the cabin is about 16 feet wide and 12 feet deep and it sits on a poured concrete pier foundation the a-frame itself is built with two by sixes and the front and back.
Walls are built with two by fours the walls and the floor are insulated with a mix of rigid foam pink bats and rock saw a lot of the materials were salvaged or reclaimed with some of the wooden windows coming from 150 year old building nearby the front and back steps.
The fire pit were made from stone that was salvaged from an old barn foundation, the shape of an a-frame building naturally reduces the indoor space quite a bit which isn't always practical for storage and efficiency but they can be more cost effective and
simple to build they also have a very nostalgic aesthetic because they were
quite popular back in the day and they seem to be making a bit of a comeback.