In Texas, where everything is bigger, Ryan McLaughlin is placing his bets on something small. Specifically, a simple 160-square-foot cabin that he hopes city-dwellers will book to get away, find some focus, and reconnect with nature. The result is a laidback, pitched-roof cabin in which every inch of space is thoughtfully allotted so that guests can spend the maximum amount of time outdoors.
The kitchen and lofted guest bedroom take cues from urban living—including an apartment-size Summit refrigerator. The cabinets are IKEA and the tile is by Heath Ceramics.
“There’s that iteration you go through, trying to both maximize space and the feeling of space,so that it doesn’t feel cramped.”—Andrew Simpson
The design of the roofline matches the slope of the site.
Dubbed Small But Fine, a student-built 280-square-foot cabin in Finland connects with the outdoors and features a minimal footprint. Not pictured is a detached outhouse with a composting toilet.
San Francisco–based Studio PLOW brought its sleek aesthetic from the big city to the redwood forest, transforming this weekend retreat from dark and dated to bright and modern.
Designed to sleep eight, the flexible cabin can be used as a quiet retreat for the couple or a gathering place for family and friends.
The bed is custom-made by a local designer according to a brief by the client. It offers ample storage below to make the most of the small space.
The house is oriented north-south, with the broad side of the structure facing east-west. This guarantees not only gorgeous views of the sunset, but also minimizes wind exposure.