Off grid cabins..... (water, good, install, winter)
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My "mansion" blueprints are for a timber framed colonial style "hall and parlor"... in miniature. Only around 260 sq ft plus a small sleeping loft, or around 310 sq ft if I opt for the "additional floor space" option. Haven't decided on the "additional floor space" yet--it might be more than I need, which would mean wasted building cost and wasted space to heat and clean.
I built a two-bent timber frame 8x10, 6 ft. high at the sills and 11 feet high at the peak of the roof. Sounds small? It was a model of a full sized house that's purpose was to be burned for a music video my friends were producing back in the early 90s. We used 6x6 douglas fir from the local lumber yard. Sadly, I don't have any photos and I wonder if the video even exists anymore. Anyway, I am a BIG fan of timber-frames.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisC
Great link, by the way! Very nice cabins. I especially liked the timber framed structure. But I could throttle whoever painted all those timbers white! Can you imagine what that place would have looked like with linseed oil on the raw timbers? Grrrrrrr...
As much as I agree on the aesthetics, if you are living off grid, and have few windows for energy/heat conservation, and are using and wood for heat, white walls make a lot of sense. The increase in natural light is dramatic with white walls and when your walls turn grey or black from woodsmoke and kerosene, you can just paint them again.
We lived off-grid in our cabin for over 7 years, with indoor plumbing. Washer, dryer, bathroom, the whole nine yards. Now we're grid-tied but still use our solar and wind systems to generate most of the power we need.
Here is the view from our porch:
Last edited by mistyriver; 01-21-2012 at 12:00 PM..
There is really something alluring about having a small, comfy space that is away from all the hustle and bustle of the usual day to day living we all deal with.
When I was a kid we would take a yearly family vacation to a place called Lone Oak Point in the Ozarks. There were cabins to be rented and the place was not at all congested. This was my father's favorite place. He could fish all he wanted to and I was right there with him doing the same thing. We brought our own food and stayed there for a week at a time. It was not exactly a vacation for out mother because she did the cooking and straightening up but back in the 50s that is pretty much what mothers did.
I can still remember the quiet and the peace of that place. To have that year round would be so wonderful.
Looking at the cabins on this bodacious site reminds me of that time in my life and I find myself yearning for it again. I realize I have come full circle and it is not a bad thing at all.
I can still remember the quiet and the peace of that place. To have that year round would be so wonderful.
Looking at the cabins on this bodacious site reminds me of that time in my life and I find myself yearning for it again. I realize I have come full circle and it is not a bad thing at all.
It IS incredible. I'm a former suburban and city girl (as is my husband) and we came here to build a summer cabin 10 years ago. By the end of the summer, we knew we couldn't leave so we altered our lifestyle to be able to stay.
Now I can't imagine living with city lights and noise. Every time we go into the city, we can't wait to get back to the cozy cabin on the river with it's warm lamplight reflecting off the pine walls. No light pollution, no sounds other than the sound of the river, the howling of wolves, and the wind in the trees. It's pure heaven.
Edited to add: Husband is a former suburban GUY...not girl!
Last edited by mistyriver; 01-21-2012 at 12:51 PM..
It IS incredible. I'm a former suburban girl (as is my husband) and we came here to build a summer cabin 10 years ago. By the end of the summer, we knew we couldn't leave so we altered our lifestyle to be able to stay.
Now I can't imagine living with city lights and noise. Every time we go into the city, we can't wait to get back to the cozy cabin on the river with it's warm lamplight reflecting off the pine walls. No light pollution, no sounds other than the sound of the river, the howling of wolves, and the wind in the trees. It's pure heaven.
I will hazard a guess that off grid living such as you have speaks to soul in ways no other lifestyle can.
It IS incredible. I'm a former suburban girl (as is my husband) and we came here to build a summer cabin 10 years ago. By the end of the summer, we knew we couldn't leave so we altered our lifestyle to be able to stay.
Now I can't imagine living with city lights and noise. Every time we go into the city, we can't wait to get back to the cozy cabin on the river with it's warm lamplight reflecting off the pine walls. No light pollution, no sounds other than the sound of the river, the howling of wolves, and the wind in the trees. It's pure heaven.
The bug to live in a cabin and be somewhat remote gains more appeal as I go through life. If I could work from home and had access to get done what I need to get done I would be set.
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Can you imagine what that place would have looked like with linseed oil on the raw timbers? Grrrrrrr...
