Home & Garden Highlight: Cabins

Written by Rebekah Gonzalez

Have you ever imagined owning a hideaway in the woods or a place on the lake?  A place to unplug and appreciate nature, away from the hustle and bustle of your everyday life?  I know I have, and I aspire to one day own a home away from home.

Here are some recommended readings with information about constructing, maintaining, renovating, decorating, and preserving a cabin for yourself and future generations.

Recommended Reading

Cabin Living: Discovering the Simple American Getaway

Cabin Living is a collection of twenty-five of the best stories covering legacy cabins, dream cabins, as well as tiny cabins from across the United States. In addition, floor plans, hundreds of full-color photos, maintenance and decorating sidebars, outdoor living and recreation features, and anecdotes about family gatherings, traditions, all give expert advice about how to achieve the cabin state-of-mind. Cabin Living magazine provides stories and expert advice about cabin maintenance, decorating, DIY projects, remodeling, outdoor living and recreation, hosting and more.

The Family Cabin by Dale Mulfinger

Since the beginning of the 20th century, cabin retreats have held a unique place in the lives and lore of many American families. In The Family Cabin, author and "cabinologist" Dale Mulfinger expires the role that cabins have had and continue to have in family bonding and as a repository for family history, nostalgia, and cherished memories. This collection brings together 37 new and old cabins from across North America as inspiration for anyone who desires a peaceful retreat of their own. Within these pages, Mulfinger rekindles his love for this treasured American icon with fresh insights and seasoned strategies about the logic, utility, and beauty of cabin construction and with fascinating stories of the families that live in them.

How to Build Your Dream Cabin in the Woods by J. Wayne Fears

Here is the ultimate resource for finally turning your dream into reality. With photos, blueprints, and diagrams, Fears thoroughly covers the process of constructing the cabin you’ve always wanted. From buying land, construction materials, deciding on lighting, the water system, and on-site constructions—such as shooting ranges, an outhouse, or an outside fire ring—this is a book filled with nuggets of wisdom from a specialist in the field: J. Wayne Fears is a wildlife biologist by training who has organized big-game hunting camps, guided canoe trips, and run commercial getaway operations.

Cabins & Cottages

Cabins & Cottages takes you through the basics of constructing a sturdy retreat that will withstand the worst of Mother Nature can dish out. Learn the carpentry and building techniques for construction a cottage with : pre-fab walls; an A-frame cabin; a pole-frame cabin; and a log cabin with a framed roof.

Saving the Family Cottage by Stuart Hollander

This book discusses estate planning for family cottages and cabins. It includes advice on how to avoid disagreements among siblings over jointly-owned property, prevent a family member from forcing a sale of the cottage or cabin, keep the vacation home out of the hands of in-laws and creditors, and make a smooth transition from one generation's ownership to the next. This edition reflects current tax laws, including state property tax laws which affect choice of legal entity. It also includes an expanded discussion of legal issues when renting a family cottage or cabin on Airbnb, VRBO, or similar rental services.