When Chad and Courtney Ludeman, the husband-and-wife team behind Philadelphia's design-driven Lokal Hotel, started searching for a property in New Jersey, they were looking for something between Philly and the shore towns to the south. They wanted a property that would be convenient for a quick escape from the city—and close enough to the shore for day trips to the beach. When they came across a classic 1960s A-frame cabin on the Maurice River in Dorchester, they knew it was the one.

“We’ve always had a soft spot for A-frames,” says Chad, “and even though this one hadn’t been updated since it was built, the bones were great, and the property was just what we were looking for.”

Working with a limited budget, the Ludemans designed the property themselves, and built much of it with their two boys and an in-house crew over the summer. While the location is rustic, the interiors are anything but. For the renovation, the Lokal team decided on a modern, Scandinavian aesthetic and collaborated with Article on the interior furnishings.

The renovation team’s proudest accomplishment was all of the custom concrete work that they did themselves. The poured-in-place concrete work consisted of two bathroom vanities, one custom Jacuzzi bathtub top, two shower wall surrounds, one outdoor countertop, and the 44-foot-long countertop that stretches from the front door to the back.

The modernized cabin now contains three bedrooms and two bathrooms, and can sleep up to eight guests. It also features a chef's kitchen, a fire pit, a wood-fired hot tub, and a Big Green Egg grill. The bedding consists of high-quality linens and robes from Parachute Home.

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As seasoned boutique hotel owners, the Ludemans have thought of everything you might need for a short stay. “We accumulated notes from what was lacking from every vacation home rental we’d been to in our lives. We didn’t want people worrying about what they needed to bring,” says Courtney.

Rates for the A-frame cabin start at $150 a night. Lokal accepts reservations via their website.

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