5 TIPS TO BUILDING THE PERFECT CABIN
The cabin serves as a perfect getaway for whenever you need a break from the busyness and stress that life can bring. It can become a home away from home, a place to unplug and connect with nature, and it can also become a valuable piece of equity.
"A log cabin symbolized the embrace between civilization and nature, humans literally wrapping the trees around them as they might draw on a coat and hat." - Gene Logsdon
In this article, we will go over five quick tips to consider when building a cabin perfect for you and your family.
#1 - Find the right location
Location, location, location.
Before you begin building or even designing the cabin, you should determine where you want to build your cabin. Since spending time at your cabin will likely involve a lot of time in nature, you need to make sure the ambiance surrounding your cabin excites you! What aspects of nature do you like most? A beautiful sunrise? Maybe a pond you can fish in? Perhaps a clear, flat valley perfect for snowmobiling or cross country skiing? Do you mind having neighbors? Whatever it may be, search for the perfect property, and when you find it, we can design the home according to the location.
Once you find a location, think about which direction you want your home to face. Do you want your front porch to open up to the sunrise? (Having your cabin facing east to west is often considered the best option.) Also consider what accommodations your cabin will need. For example, will you need a garage to store all of your lake toys? As you consider how the cabin can best connect with its surroundings, you will enjoy your cabin more.
There are other important building factors that relate to the location. For example, how deep is the water table? Or are there rotting trees that could potentially fall onto your cabin that should be removed? Center Point Construction can help you with these factors during the planning, pre-construction, and site preparation construction phases.
#2 - Determine your style
Everyone has their own sense of style, so determining what home and decor style you have is important while designing your home.
The common cabin style has many rustic characteristics with lots of wooden features, along with occasional stone accents. Cabins also typically have areas that interact with the outdoors, such as large decks and covered eating areas. Since cabins are commonly places of family gathering, central living areas tend to be the largest focal point of the home.
If you are designing your own cabin, you are also free to branch away from the typical cabin design. You can add modern touches to your cabin by integrating larger windows, flatter roofs, and sharper angles. For more modern cabin inspiration, check out this Homedit post. "Small cabins" is a trending style where cabins try to maximize on minimal spaces. To see more examples of small cabin styles, check out this Archdaily post. In Utah, the most common architectural style is more traditional, with a log exterior and a metal, gable-styled roof.
At Center Point Construction, we are happy to help you find your style and design your cabin. Many of our projects are design-build homes, where we work with you on designing your home. Because we know the construction process, we are able to work through the design process with you and make sure we are able to turn your vision into a reality.
#3 - Know your budget
Building a cabin costs money.
As you are detemining where you want to build your cabin and what you want it to look like, consider your budget. A large portion of that budget will likely go into purchasing the property itself. Also "remember that you are building a home, not just a log shell," so budget not just to build the cabin, but to decorate, stylize, and make it turnkey (Stephanie Johnson).
If you have any questions about your designed cabin may cost, we have estimators that can give you a bid for your project and help you understand the cost breakdown for your individual project.
#4 - Use the right builder
Once you have an idea of what you want to build, find the right builder to help you turn your vision into a reality.
Find a builder that has experience building in the style you want and has a history of high integrity, safety, and being customer-focused.
Center Point Construction has been in the construction business since 2002, and our employees have 30+ year combined homebuilding experience. The foundation of all our construction work is solid relationships with clients and contractors. Exceptional people meeting exceptional challenges allows us to provide unmatched homebuilding services. Our projects are typically custom builds and we excel at building high-end, luxurious homes. Our company was built with the customer in mind and turning your vision into a reality - whatever that vision may be. Combining experience, quality and personal touch, we can achieve any of your construction needs.
#5 - Decorate
The interior design of the cabin is what gives life to your getaway. So once your cabin is built and ready to move in, give your cabin some fun decoration.
Your interior design and decor should match the location of the cabin and match the style of your home architecture. Traditional cabins feel cozy and commonly use warmer and natural colors, such as leather couches, fur rugs, or cedar wood tables. Antiques or vintage deocr can help maximize the rustic feel of any cabin. This could include old trunks, aged photography, vintage record players, or cast iron cookware. Cabins are also great place to hang your trophy buck mounts from your latest hunt!
Modern interior design is more minimalistic and utilitarian, so less decorations will be needed. Modern style also uses more neutral colors. Some ideas for effective decorations could include ceramic pottery, accent mirrors, and minimalistic abstract artwork.
Check out our cabin pinterest board, as well as our other pinterest boards for some cabin design and decor inspiration!
Let us help you!
As we've mentioned this a few times already in this article - we can help you build your dream cabin! If you are interested in building a cabin in the near future, give us a call. We could love to go over options with you and help you achieve your dream of owning a cabin getaway.