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Small Cabin Forum / Cabin Construction / What Do You Use Your Kitchen For?
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NorthwoodsGuy
Member
# Posted: 24 May 2019 19:39
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We don't have much of a kitchen inside our tiny 12x16. We have a six foot counter with cabinets beneath it. We have an outdoor kitchen, and for the three seasons it is temperate, we do most of our cooking outside on the grill and smoker. We have an outdoor kitchen counter made with treated lumber that's worked pretty well. Looking forward to having a woodstove this winter to do stews and chili on. Right now, my wife is making chicken soup on a propane stove inside: perfect for a rainy day! Firing up the grill tomorrow and smoking ribs on Sunday!

Atlincabin
Member
# Posted: 25 May 2019 19:31
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Yes, we have CO detector. I see what you mean about the shelves. We had considered that but at this point the placement of the island would make such shelves impossible, except if they were pretty narrow.

Cheers,

rockies
Member
# Posted: 28 May 2019 19:41 - Edited by: rockies
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A revelation!

I was thinking last night about all the small cabin plans I've seen over the years and what it is that makes some of their layouts work and some of them fail and I realized that there is one common problem that never seems to get mentioned when it comes to designing a cabin.

Where do you get naked? (You don't have to personally reply to this question).

I'm serious. If you have quite a small cabin you're probably trying to conserve space as much as possible. You want the smallest possible foot print so that you don't have to build a large foundation.

That means you probably put the bedroom up in a loft. And that means typically a low overhead ceiling, maybe so low that you can't stand up. So where do you get dressed and undressed? Probably in the bathroom, if you have one.

I was having this problem when I redesigned my cabin and moved the clothes closets out of the main space and into the bathroom. I mean, who really feels comfortable undressing in the middle of a large room that also has living room furniture in it, a kitchen and dining area? You're too exposed. So I decided to partition off a small area in the bathroom to accommodate a changing area.

Another reason I wanted to have a private changing area is the issue of guests. They may be off in a bunkhouse somewhere but who wants to be standing in their underwear in the middle of the main room and look up to see their guest standing in the doorway asking if you have any coffee?

I'm convinced that the designers of most small cabins never consider the privacy needed when a person wants to change their clothes or get ready for bed.

How do you manage this issue?

Gary O
Member
# Posted: 29 May 2019 08:38
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Quoting: rockies
My cabin design has a 7x10' mudroom leading from the front door to the bathroom (with a left turn into the main room. It has a bench, shoe storage, shelves for hats and scarves, a coat closet, broom closet and linen closet, a shelf for mail, keys and loose change, a mail sorting center, a garbage can and an umbrella stand.

An ‘umbrella stand’ (BRUUUHAAAAAHAAAAHAAA……ahem…sorry)
Your cabin gonna be in London?
We put our ‘umbrellas’ (rain ponchos) on the inside front door peg
Rockies, seriously, you gonna ever actually build the darn thing?
Sorry, my patience ain’t what it used to be…I’ve only been on here ten years

Just
Member
# Posted: 29 May 2019 08:58
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rockies
Member
# Posted: 29 May 2019 19:19 - Edited by: rockies
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Gary O: Will I actually get around to building it? Yes. I kind of got distracted designing and building other peoples homes over the last few years. That's the trouble with being an architect, you're constantly seeing ideas and methods used in other peoples places and want to incorporate them into your own plans.

This has resulted in about a dozen different cabin concepts over the last few years, ranging in size from 370 sq' to 980 sq'. Each one was "nice for a while" but then I began to notice flaws so it's a good thing I have taken my time. The last thing I want to do is spend the money to build something and then not like it.

My cabin is going to be a four season, permanent retirement home. I want spaces for everything, ponchos AND umbrellas. So many cabins seem to get built without considering ANY interior needs, just slap up the shell and then try to figure out a way to cram everything inside. I just hate piles of stuff all over the floor and counters, mechanical equipment out in plain sight and cramped rooms that are barely functional. Take your time and plan it out. Then it all fits.

Hopefully I'll get started this year. If not, then next year. Please try to be patient.

Gary O
Member
# Posted: 29 May 2019 20:23 - Edited by: Gary O
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Quoting: rockies
Hopefully I'll get started this year. If not, then next year. Please try to be patient.

I know. I was jus' funnin' ya.
But.....
If anybody paraded around my area with an umbrella, they'd be laughed outa the county

darz5150
Member
# Posted: 30 May 2019 00:28 - Edited by: darz5150
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WHAT DO YOU USE YOUR KITCHEN FOR?
When it all started. The original box (cabin) had to be like a Swiss Army Knife. Many uses in a small package.
Our kitchen is/has been used for....
Living Room
Bedroom
Family room
Utility room
Laundry room
Washroom
Emergency room
Storage room
Mudroom
Grandkids nursery
Workshop
We even have a place to cook food and there's another box that keeps food frozen/cold.
Rockies. I look forward to seeing you finally build your cabin. There is no perfect cabin. No matter how many times you revise the layout on a computer. It might be time to unplug the computer, and grab the tool belt and a box of Band Aids.
Once you start building, and your back hurts so bad you can't bend over, you've smashed your thumb countless times with a hammer, you're so tired you bend the last 16d nail your trying to drive in. That's when you hang your tool belt on that nail. Crawl into a sleeping bag on a sawdust covered floor, and when you pass out from exhaustion, you can sleep with a smile. Because you have a cabin. Then when its finally finished, and you left that bent nail sticking out of the wall. You can hang your coat (or umbrella) on it. And tell all your friends. " I designed that coat rack!"

Gary O
Member
# Posted: 30 May 2019 00:56
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Quoting: darz5150
Then when its finally finished, and you left that bent nail sticking out of the wall. You can hang your coat (or umbrella) on it. And tell all your friends. " I designed that coat rack!"

I so love this post

silverwaterlady
Member
# Posted: 30 May 2019 01:04
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We have all our clothing in our bathroom. It's probably bigger than your bathroom is going to be.
So I have more room for clothing.
I have a sink with storage for my towels and grooming items, a matching cabinet that has two doors with three shelves for extra bath towels, paper products and grooming products. It also has four drawers we get two each. Our underwear and socks are in these drawers.
I have a metal hanging closet. Than I also have my Moms double dresser ( three deep drawers each), it is solid cherry. There is a makeup table in the center.
We needed a lot of clothing some bulky because of the weather changes on the lake.
I also wanted to make sure I have full loads of dirty laundry before I go to the laundry mat since it costs $6 to do one load of laundry.
It does look like I have a mode podge of stuff in that room but I don't care. It's not fancy. It's a cabin and it works.
This is a seasonal cabin so I do not have a bathtub or shower. That's outside with a beautiful lake view.
This cabin was built for me and my husband. I wasn't thinking about resale value or the comfort of guests. So we built it the way we wanted it built.
I do have a mud room. I cannot imagine a cabin without one.

Scott G
Member
# Posted: 30 May 2019 20:12
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Our little kitchen cooks and bakes just fine. Summers have been BBQ mainly but now in the process of almost starting to build an outdoor kitchen area to accommodate full time living tasks like pressure canning and garden related veggy cleanup etc...
IMG_2816.JPG
IMG_2816.JPG


silverwaterlady
Member
# Posted: 30 May 2019 20:21
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^^I like your kitchen. It looks very functional. I love having a table in the kitchen. It's a great gathering spot. ^^

Scott G
Member
# Posted: 31 May 2019 06:50
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Thanks. It's a tiny cabin but works well for us.

rockies
Member
# Posted: 31 May 2019 19:11
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I like his kitchen too. It's properly designed in that consideration has been given to all the functional needs. There's open shelving for easy access to items, the sink is under the window, there's a light over the sink, the stove has proper shields for heat and fire, there's a hearth pad, counter space next to the stove, sink and fridge. All in all a very nicely designed kitchen.

I don't know if you have them, but you might consider adding a couple of LED puck lights under your lowest shelf to add illumination to your prep surface. They also eliminate shadows from a light behind you.

Scott G
Member
# Posted: 31 May 2019 21:13
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Thanks rockies. Pucks under the shelf would be nice.

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