House Plan Spotlight: Mountain and Cabins
When you think of a cabin, there are many images that come to mind. For some, it is a log cabin in the woods with tall trees surrounding it and smoke creeping from the chimney. For others, it’s a fishing cabin on the shores of a lake with the sound of birds rustling and fog coming off the water. For many, it’s the image of a getaway home on a river with the white water rushing past wearing the rocks along the way. Whatever your definition of cabin is, we have the perfect plans for you.
The plan featured above is our Brushy Creek (NDG 1110).
The cabin is a mixture of the Rustic and Mountain styles of homes. It has its roots in the very beginning of our nation’s history. The cabin is what most settlers lived in until they were touched by civilization and technology.
The cabin is a study in simplicity. The earliest forms of the cabin were made of trees that had been felled and then cut into a shape that would allow them to be stacked one on top of the other. This was the first cabins, the log cabins.
Many of the early settlers didn’t have sophisticated tools. They had hand tools such as axes and hammers. They would use the axes to not only cut down the tree that was being used, but to also cut notches into each side so that they would fit together and not roll off the house. Many times there wasn’t a blacksmith available to make nails, so they used carved wooden pegs to fit into the logs and hold them in place.
After the logs were put into place and secured, the gaps in between the logs were filled in with a mixture of clay, mud and straw called chink. This kept drafts from moving in between the logs. Log cabins were ideal for the early settlers. They were easy to keep warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The trees were naturally weather resistant and so rot wasn’t a prevalent problem.
The earliest forms of log cabins were one room affairs and often didn’t have any openings except for a door and maybe a window or two. They often had dirt floors and a central hearth where food was prepared and it provided them warmth for the entire cabin.
After civilization reached many of these outlying communities, the log cabin seemed to have a decrease in popularity. They were replaced with homes made from wood that came from sawmills and was flat and level. These homes were the ancestors of the homes we have today.
SophisticatedThere were still pockets of places that had log cabins, and they found resurgence in the western expansion in the mid 1800’s. People fell back on what could be made with simple tools and without lumber from a lumber yard. At the same time, there was a new middle class that arose. These new rich wanted places to escape from their hectic lives.
They built fishing and hunting camps on the beaches and in the woods of upper New York State. These Adirondack Great Camps catered to the rich and bored. They held all the amenities of the time but were simplistic in design with an emphasis on the views. That called for more windows, something the traditional cabins lacked.
Instead of an entirely rustic home with very little in the way of luxury, these Great Camps were like mini mansions with servants and private rooms and fireplaces.
The modern cabin is sort of a cross between the simplistic and the sophisticated. In our plans you can have a permanent home or simply a home away from home. The Riverbend collection gives you many choices for a cabin whether that is on a mountain, by a lake, on the river or simply just down the street.
Brushy Creek (NDG 1110)
This cabin plan features just less than 1,500 square feet of living space with 3 bedrooms and 2 full baths. As you walk up to the home, the first thing you notice is the large covered front porch. Ideal for relaxing on those hot summer days, this porch is a perfect oasis from the midday heat. As you enter the home you find yourself in an open floor plan with a Den, Dining Area and Kitchen.
The Den features a large stonework fireplace while the kitchen gives you plenty of counter space and bar seating for 4. The Kitchen also features a built in pantry right beside the refrigerator. No extra steps getting the ingredients for dinner! The Dining Area features a large window that leads out into the rear of the home for optimal natural lighting as well as spectacular views.
There is a door from the Dining Area that leads out onto a grilling porch at the rear of the home. The grilling porch has a door for the storage room that gives you space for your hot water heater and important outdoor equipment.
The Dining Area also opens up to a supply closet as well as a small laundry area with room for a stacked washer and dryer combo. From the laundry area you find yourself in the first of the two bathrooms. The laundry area also leads to the first bedroom with a large closet area.
From the Den you can make your way up the stairs to the second floor. There is storage under the stairs as well. I know we had an apartment that had storage under the stairs and it was the most convenient place to keep the vacuum cleaner.
The second floor holds Bedrooms 2 and 3 each with their own window overlooking the porch. The second bathroom is also on the second floor to share. This home is the perfect little cabin!
White Bluffs Cabin (NDG 1404)
This lovely plan gives you 1,800 square feet of living space with 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. Entering the home through the large covered Front Porch, you find yourself in an open floor plan with a Great Room, Kitchen and Breakfast Room. The Great Room features vaulted ceilings and a stonework fireplace to enjoy on those cozy winter nights.
From the Great Room you can access the Master Suite. The Master Bedroom features vaulted ceilings and a gorgeous picture window. The Master Bath gives you space for both a shower and a whirlpool tub with an entry into the walk-in closet.
Returning to the Great Room you make your way to the Kitchen which features a high bar with seating for 6 and a Breakfast Room. The Breakfast Room features a large picture window that overlooks the Grilling Porch on the rear of the home and gives you plenty of natural light. The Kitchen also has a window right above the sink. My grandmother loved watching the birds while she was washing dishes. It’s just a simple pleasure in life.
The Breakfast Room gives you access to the downstairs half bath, Laundry Room and Storage Room with built in shelving. It also allows you to go out onto the Grilling Porch. Cup of coffee and watching the sunrise, anyone?
From the Great Room you find the stairs and the access door giving you storage under the stairs. Again, I’m so jealous of having a storage cubby under the stairs. I can see my kiddos pretending to be Harry Potter under there.
The second floor features Bedrooms 2 and 3 and the bathroom they share. This little cabin is large in potential. It would make a perfect getaway for any family!
Stone Brook (NDG 422)
This rustic little beauty features 1,400 square feet of living space with 2 bedrooms and 2 full baths. As you come into the home from the covered front porch you find yourself in a large Great Room which features a stonework fireplace.
From the Great Room you can walk immediately into one of the bedrooms which has its own bathroom and access to the large Grilling Porch on the rear of the home. The Grilling Porch features a cleaning table with its own sink. These make this plan perfect for those who love to fish and hunt.
Moving from the Grilling Porch, you find your way in the Kitchen. The Kitchen features room for a pantry as well as for a small laundry area with a stacked washer and dryer. I had an apartment once that had the laundry area set up like that. It was incredibly convenient to be able to gather the laundry and throw it in and keep it running while I was cooking. (I spend a LOT of time cooking, FYI.)
The kitchen features lots of counter space with a bar area for seating 4. The Breakfast Room butts up against the Kitchen and has a lovely window seat giving you a place to sit and look out on your property out of three windows.
Moving upstairs, you find Bedroom number 2 with sloped ceilings. I used to have dreams as a kid of having a room with sloped ceilings. It just seemed so cool to me to be that close to the roof when it rained. This bedroom features a window that has its own dormer. Can you just imagine having a small writing desk there?
The second floor also features a sleeping loft/office area with built in bookshelves and window seat facing a large picture window. The Sleeping Loft is open to the Great Room below so even if you are working on something, you can still keep an eye on what’s going on in the main portion of the house. This plan gives you plenty of windows to enjoy the beauty of the land around you.
Mosspoint Creek (NDG 837)
This lovely cabin gives you nearly 1,000 square feet of living space with 2 bedrooms and 1 bath. The first thing you notice about this plan is that lovely shed roof. It gives you such a feeling of getting away from the hustle and bustle of the modern world. Then you mount the stairs on the covered porch and enter the Great Room. This is an open floor plan of the Great Room and Dining/Kitchen Area. This space gives you a warm and cozy feeling.
From the Great Room you find a short hallway that leads to both the Bath and the Master Bedroom with its bay window. Think of sitting there watching snow fall and just being all nestled and warm with a cup of hot chocolate. This Bedroom also has a walk in closet.
From the Great Room you can make your way either upstairs or downstairs to the optional basement. Moving upstairs, you will find the second bedroom and a loft overlooking the Great Room below. This would make an amazing retirement home or getaway home!
If you love these plans, please check out our Riverbend Collection of Cabin and Mountain house plans.