Part 4

A number of cabins of this type have been built on the Pacific coast in recent years. One of the first, and probably the original one, was constructed by Fred B. Stephen, Seattle architect, for his family’s use on a site in the Cascade mountains, 85 miles from Seattle.

a CLUB HOUSE for TWENTY

Sun Terrace Wood Stove Bench Tack Rm. Living Area Seat Wood 2 Beds Bunk Dormitory—18 bunks SH Bath Bath SH Kitchen Dining Area Car Shelter—6 Cars Porch

Here’s a good answer to the problem of a low-cost club house for a hiking or snow-sports group. Since much of the work on such a cabin might be done by the members, construction is as simple as possible. The exterior may be anything from rough tongue-and-grooved boards, the cheapest, to real logs, the most expensive. Interior walls are sheathed with plywood, stained or painted, and the roof covered with composition roofing. The long bunk room, partitioned off for privacy, holds nine double-deck bunks, and has separate bathrooms adjoining for men and women. A stove should be included in this room, for extra warmth.

One may drive to the front door, unload passengers or supplies, and proceed to a stall in the car shelter conveniently. The kitchen is just inside the front door, making trips through or around the house with supplies unnecessary.

The living room, spacious enough to seat twenty for meals, contains two built-in bunks. Off it is a tack room for storing skis and other equipment, which can also be used as a work shop. A large dining table might be used for ping-pong and other games. Both the woodbox by the fireplace and in the bunkroom may be stocked from the outside, a great convenience in winter when fires burn constantly.

Note that the car shelter has space for six machines.

for BATHING and BASKING

Just because a summer cabin is small and inexpensive is no reason why it cannot be smart and distinctive in appearance. The little house shown here could probably be built for less than $1000, yet it has many features worthy of a vacation home costing many times that.

Construction is entirely of wood, in a fashion reminiscent of Japanese houses, with wide doors and a broad, low roof. The easiest and most pleasing finish, both outside and inside would be plywood. The waterproof variety is durable and not costly, and it is so easy to apply that any amateur can turn out a pleasing job. Plywood is adaptable to any of the regulation wood-finish treatments from oiling or staining to painting, and will last indefinitely.

The roof would be attractive if covered with a brightly colored composition roofing, or with stained shingles or shakes.

The house consists of one large room, with alcoves for dining and sleeping. The Pullman-type kitchen, which means that everything is compact and within easy reach, connects both with the dining area and the barbecue patio at the rear of the house—a convenience if meals are to be served outside.

The same thoughtfulness has gone into planning of the bath. It has one door into the bunk-alcove and another opening on the pier, so that swimmers may go to the shower without tracking up the rest of the house.

A curtain shuts off the bunk alcove at night, and pulls back to make this part of the main room by day. Two double bunks provide beds for four persons.

Large folding doors at each end of the house open on the pier and the patio, giving an unusual sense of roominess.

The fireplace arrangement is also quite unusual, having a single chimney which serves three purposes. It carries flues from the fireplace, the kitchen stove and the barbecue grill in the patio. The woodbox is just inside the door for convenient filling.

for SUMMER or WINTER FUN

One of the principal drawbacks to a real log cabin is the amount of work involved, as well as the expense. On the other hand, the cabin shown here is an example of what can be done with “imitation logs” that give the effect of real ones, while the task of building with them is no more difficult than with any finished lumber. In another part of this book will be found illustrations of the various ways this log siding may be applied to obtain rustic effects.

If this cabin is to be left unpainted, it would be wise to apply a coat of silver stain. This gives the illusion of weathering and does away with the “raw” look of a new house. The roof, of shakes, should be treated the same way.

To avoid cluttering up the living room, the designer has provided a separate room for bunks. This one holds two double-deckers and a large clothes closet. A short hall connects with the bathroom. A really novel feature is the pair of small windows which light the “upper” and “lower” of each set of bunks.

The kitchen is well lighted with three windows and a door, and has ample space for roomy cupboards and a work table. The stove can be placed so that the flue connects with the fireplace chimney.

The living room is large enough to hold a fairly large fireplace. It has windows on three sides, in addition to a pair of French doors opening on a rustic terrace.

One of the advantages of this kind of cabin over a real log one, is the ease with which the interior can be finished. Perhaps the most suitable finish would be natural-color oiled plywood panels. Knotty pine or redwood paneling would also be attractive.

CABIN for FOUR is EASY to BUILD

For the amateur builder who wants to try his hand at a cabin, this attractive design presents a minimum of construction problems and calls for only a very modest outlay for materials. At the same time, if the work is well done, this cabin can be made as smart and attractive as one costing twice as much.

The most satisfactory, as well as the easiest way to build this cabin, would be with a frame of redwood timbers covered with half-round imitation log siding. Another finish that is not difficult to work out is with a combination of vertical and horizontal board and batten, running the boards vertically for the walls and horizontally at the gable ends.

Since this is first of all a rustic cabin, it should by all means have a roof of redwood shakes. The manner in which these are laid is responsible for lending interest and claim to an otherwise rather plain roof-line.

The front porch may be either flagstones or heavy planks, although the latter would, of course, call for a foundation. The two seats make an inviting place to rest, but as will be seen from an inspection of the floor plan, they serve for more than ordinary seats. They have corresponding seats inside the living room, and beneath them are concealed two roll-away double beds. Such construction for the beds is a great advantage in a small cabin, since they can be pulled out or put away as needed. This leaves the whole living room, which is 12½ × 20 feet, for any style of decoration you like.

The fireplace parallels the 20-foot dimensions of the room and may therefore be fairly large. A general rule is to make it one-third as wide as the longest dimension of the room.

The kitchen is very conveniently arranged. It has three windows, affording ample light. A dinette, which could be made with a drop table and folding seats if necessary, occupies one side of the room. The stove can be placed so that the flue can go up the fireplace chimney.

This plan was furnished through the courtesy of the California Redwood Association.

COUNTRY PLACE of CHARM

Four walls, a roof and a floor, will make a cabin after a fashion. But a glance at the illustration above will show what a little thought, care and imagination on the part of a good architect will do to those same four walls.

This simple, inexpensive country cottage, sleeping four comfortably, has all the little touches that distinguish a house of real charm. Because of its simplicity, this cabin is adaptable to almost any site. The original was designed by Angelo Hewetson, San Francisco architect, to fit between four huge redwood trees, and to be in keeping with the natural beauty of the location.

The exterior is of heavy sawed siding, although board and batten would also be effective. The roof, stained a rich brown, is of shingles laid irregularly. The siding is stained pearl gray, for a weathered effect, with trim to match, and the doors are painted a soft rose. Inside, this cabin is equally charming. The living room is broad and comfortable, and features a massive fireplace. A “waterback” may be installed in the back of the fireplace, connected with a storage boiler to furnish hot water whenever the fireplace is in use. At other times a water heater, burning liquid gas or oil, would heat the same tank.

The interior finish used by Mr. Hewetson is about as attractive as can be devised, and it’s inexpensive, too. Walls and ceilings in the living room and alcoves are sheathed in knotty pine boards of random widths from 4 to 10 inches, and the doors are all of planks of similar material. All is stained driftwood gray with a touch of rose for warmth. The kitchen and bath are in cream with soft green trim.

The porch, open to the sky, offers an ideal place for basking in the sun without shutting off any light from the interior. In good weather it can be used as a sleeping porch to accommodate an extra guest.

PLANNED for LAZY COMFORT

1^st Floor 2^nd Floor

Just at a glance, would you think it possible for eleven persons to be accommodated in the cabin illustrated here? It is only 20 × 28 feet in inside area, yet such a feat is possible by intelligent use of every bit of floor space. The real secret lies in utilization of the loft formed by the high roof. This is transformed into a balcony-bedroom, with space enough for two double beds and a single cot. Curtains or screens give the necessary privacy. That takes care of five persons.

Downstairs, the living room is furnished with a long refectory table and benches, several easy chairs and a day-bed that opens into a double bed at night. That’s two more. Then, in the alcove off the living room, are two double-deck bunks—and there’s your accommodations for a total of eleven!

As in the case of most of these cabins, this one is adaptable to a number of exterior treatments. Real logs or frame construction with siding and boards and batten are indicated in the drawing. The porches provide two more suitable rooms, where meals may be served in good weather.

John Rattray, of Marysville, built the original of this cabin at Lake Madrone, Butte County, California.

WEEK-END CABIN in the REDWOODS

After the noise and confusion of city life, what more enjoyable change could one find than to spend a quiet week-end in a restful, unpretentious cabin such as this? Because it has such regular, unbroken walls, it would be a fairly easy job to build out of real logs, just as the designer has illustrated it. In many parts of the West, the entire structure could be erected from materials provided by Nature right on the site.

Since this is intended for week-end use, it is not quite such an elaborate cabin as some, but none of the conveniences have been omitted. The big fireplace, built on rugged lines, would provide ample heat for the whole house. Note that a second _stone_ chimney serves the kitchen—don’t ruin the picture by sticking a metal stovepipe through the roof.

The interior walls would look well if the logs were stained or varnished, but for added warmth it might be wise to cover them with wallboard. Inexpensive tongue-and-grooved Oregon pine would be good for the floors, as they would not be subject to much foot traffic. If the floors are to be left unvarnished, rub them with linseed oil as a preservative.

The use of casement-type windows is another good idea, instead of the ordinary kind. They are much more decorative, and there’s none of the bother of stringing sash-cords and weights.

THREE PLANS for GUEST COTTAGES

This trio of little guest cabins will probably be welcomed by those families who have had the problem of entertaining frequent visitors in their vacation home, but who like to maintain a certain amount of privacy that is almost impossible when a group of people have to eat and sleep and play in a summer cabin of limited size.

The guest cabin at the top of the page is one made of real logs. Visitors will enjoy the chance to live in a log cabin, and this one is particularly attractive because its six windows provide what amounts to a sun room. Such a cabin would lend a rustic atmosphere to the grounds of any summer home, even if the main cabin is built of some other material.

The second cabin, at the right, is a simple affair built on a wooden frame with a covering of board and batten. The extension of the roof to include the porch makes this look like a much larger structure than it really is. Note also the treatment of the side windows which carries out this illusion.

The third little cabin is quite unique, since it is built of common, ordinary railroad ties! This is not such a far-fetched idea, either, because many railroads are willing to sell used ties, and sometimes even new ones—and they can be used to make a most effective log cabin with only about half the labor required to hew ordinary logs. Railroads ties are particularly well suited to a small house, since it is not so necessary to splice timbers to gain needed length.

All of these guest cabins consist of a living room containing either a bunk or double bed, and a bathroom. No kitchen is provided, since it is assumed that guests will take their meals at the main house. However, it is a gracious gesture—and one that will be appreciated—to provide a single-burner oil stove or an electric plate, so that breakfast or a late snack may be prepared without invading the main kitchen.

WHERE SKY and WATER MEET

You’d expect to find just such a simple, homey kind of cabin out “back of beyond” where the sky and water meet, because it’s the sort of place just meant for the shores of some quiet lake or stream. It isn’t designed for show, but for comfort-loving people on vacation.

The artist has given us this cabin with an exterior finish of redwood boards and battens, combined with a small amount of stone for added interest, but the same plan would be adaptable to almost any treatment—logs, for example, laid up in stockade fashion, or milled redwood siding or even an all-over covering of hand-split shakes. The roof, by all means, should be of shakes, stained brown or just left to the weather.

A stone terrace and a landing stage for boats is shown in the illustration, but these features are, of course, optional.

Inside you’ll find a 12½ × 18½ foot living room, dominated by a fireplace that takes up most of one wall, but well lighted by windows and doors at each end. The fireplace chimney, incidentally, also serves the kitchen stove.

The two bunk rooms offer ample quarters for four persons even if twin beds are used, but in this, as in many modern cabins, it would be wise to conserve space by using double-deck bunks. There’s plenty of closet space, too—one of them even has a window in it.

There are a number of other points of convenience about this cabin that may not meet the eye, at first glance. Note the kitchen has its door opening onto the terrace, making meals outside much simpler to serve. The bathroom is far more convenient than some found in urban homes. Just to keep the whole family happy, the shower has been placed in a separate enclosure from the main bathroom.

VACATION HOME in SOUTHLAND

Another of those rather streamlined summer homes which some people call “functional” style is shown here. Actually, the word simply means useful, and that is one of the aims of all good architecture. The effort here has been to get away from the frills and gingerbread that make “horrors” of so many older houses. Although this was designed for a beach house, it would do as well in almost any type of location except a forest site. Streamlines don’t seem quite suitable for a woods home. If built away from water, the boat shelter would make an ideal workshop, laundry or storehouse.

Construction is of stucco over wood frame, with a broad, flat roof extended several feet for added shade. Naturally, this flat roof would be unsuitable for snow country, but it is quite effective in other sections. The over-hang, by the way, might be stained green. Foundations should all be of reinforced concrete block, which is strong and cool. The porch rails may be either pipe or stained wood.

Inside, the arrangement is extremely simple, yet interesting. The living and dining areas, connected with the porch by sliding or folding doors, can be made into one very large room for entertaining. On the north side, a long hall connects the bedroom and bath with other parts of the house. A slight rearrangement of part of this hall would make the living room even larger.

The bedroom has accommodations for two single beds or bunks, and there are two built-in bunks or divans in the living room.

a CABIN for TWENTY GUESTS

Not many families would require as spacious a cabin as this, but the plan can be altered in various ways to expand or eliminate the accommodations as needed. As it is, this would make a splendid club for an outdoor group, since it can be built for a fairly reasonable sum and is not a complicated construction problem.

The long bunk room, divided by a hall, has partitioned enclosures which will hold either a single bed, double bunk or even a two-deck double bunk, thus providing accommodations for either four, eight or sixteen persons. Beyond the bunk room are two dressing rooms and two baths, making it possible to care for guests of both sexes conveniently. If additional beds are necessary, several folding beds could be installed in the big living room.

The screened porch is a feature that is a good addition to any cabin. It gives an extra room—an ideal place for meals—and by the installation of inexpensive hinged windows, the porch can be used regardless of the weather.

Preparation of meals for as large a group as may occupy this cabin presents somewhat of a problem, so the designer has made the kitchen unusually spacious. Work-tables are shown along each wall, but these can be reduced to allow for a refrigerator, large range, etc.

As in the case of the other club house presented in this book, construction can be as simple or elaborate as the owners desire. If amateur labor is going to be used, the wisest choice of materials would be those requiring the least technical knowledge. As shown here, the cabin is wood frame, covered with imitation log siding combined with flush siding above the level of the porch railing. The roof is of shakes.

MOUNTAIN HOME at ARROWHEAD

1^st Floor 2^nd Floor

Inspired by a Normandy-French house built on the shore of Lake Arrowhead, the plan illustrated here presents a spacious summer home for a large family or one which does much entertaining. An idea of the size is indicated by the fireplace, which has an opening of 9½ × 5½ feet, topped by a huge oak beam.

The exterior is pleasingly finished in board and batten with gable-ends of siding, and a slate or shake roof. The porch is flagstone with rustic rail.

The first floor, besides a magnificent living room, contains a master bedroom and bath, maid’s quarters and the kitchen. Upstairs are five minimum-size guest rooms and a bath. Four of the bedrooms are lighted by charming dormer windows.

An attractive way to finish the interior, to keep it in the provincial spirit, would be to use rough plaster walls with exposed ceiling beams and a plank floor in random widths pinned with wooden dowels. The furniture should be hand made, patterned after simple French peasant styles.

When the owners built the original of this home they salvaged old hand-wrought iron pieces from an abandoned construction camp to make much of the hardware, and for the rest, they used modern lacquered iron hardware, with the finish burned off. It was tempered in hot oil and then hand-hammered to give the proper look of age.

the BIGGEST LITTLE CABIN

BIG ROOM 16′-0″ × 23′-6″ Kitch. 6′-5″ × 8′-6″ Ba. C. SH.

Some people would be cramped for space in a ten-room house, while others live with perfect freedom in a pup-tent. It’s all a matter of adapting oneself to the situation.

Here, for example, is a cabin that might be too small for two persons, while as a matter of fact it will sleep six without crowding at all. That’s not just a theory, because a similar cabin has been used for several years up in the Mt. Rainier country with great success. It’s just the easy-going, unpretentious sort of place a man would love, where he can wear old clothes and let his whiskers grow, and the odors of coffee and sizzling bacon are sweeter than the most exotic perfume.

As illustrated this cabin has an exterior of wide planks and a roof of shakes. It would make an ideal log cabin, or take any one of a number of finishes. If any kind of siding is used, a beautiful effect could be obtained by use of silver-gray stain. It makes a new cabin look as if it had stood through many winters. If shakes or shingles are used for roofing, be sure to include about 10 per cent of dark-stained ones with the lighter colors, to give a dappled look like sunshine through the trees.

The real secret of this little cabin lies in the use of three folding double beds instead of the regular kind or bunks. They are hinged at one end and can be put up out of the way, concealed behind curtains or cupboard doors. Built-in double-deck bunks are, of course, a fine addition to any cabin, but they do cut down the space even in a 23-foot living room.

The little flagstone entry may seem like a fancy addition to such a cabin, but it is decorative—and insures against mud puddles at the front door.

The kitchen is particularly well arranged, with lots of work table space and room for storage shelves above. The bath, although not large, contains all the comforts of home.

BEACH HOUSE on a BLUFF

Any family fortunate enough to live near the ocean will find this house, although primarily a vacation home, is well suited to a year-round residence. Along the southern coast especially there are many such beach houses whose owners wouldn’t think of living in town.

A number of very pleasing ideas have been included here by the designer. Although this appears to be just a two-room house, there are features which make it as commodious as a four-room one at practically no additional cost. For example, the living room and bedroom are the principal parts of the house, but the terrace provides an ideal outdoor dining room, and the sun deck is just the place for sleeping out when the weather is clear.

Stucco on a wood frame sheathed with insulating board forms the outer walls, and plywood is used inside. These interior walls could be plastered, but this would cost slightly more. All windows, as well as the sliding and folding doors, have steel frames. Floors are of colored and polished concrete.