Compact Cabins: Simple Living in 1000 Square Feet or Less

by Gerald Rowan

The setting might be a sparkling lakefront, a cool clearing in the woods, a breathtaking mountaintop, or an expansive beach, but the dream of a modest retreat from everyday life often includes a simple little cabin. In cabin getaways of the imagination, the cares of the world recede, time slows down, and the day's pace is set by leisure and quiet activities.

Compact Cabins presents 62 design interpretations of the getaway dream, with something to please every taste. Best of all, these small footprint designs are affordable and energy efficient without skimping on comfort and style. The cabins range in size from a cozy 100 square feet to a more spacious but still economical 1,000 square feet, and all include sleeping accommodations, kitchen and bath facilities, and a heat source. Complete chapters on low-maintenance building materials, utilities and appliances, and alternative energy sources supply readers with the options for living efficiently in small spaces.

For every design, readers will find floor plans with detailed suggestions for designing the space for optimal use. These plans are flexible; many feature modular elements that can be mixed and matched to accommodate a particular owner's needs or hobbies. Features such as an outdoor fireplace, covered porch, or external storage locker might work nicely in several cabin designs. It's all about enhancing and maximizing small spaces to suit individual needs and preferences.

Build small. In this time of uncertain energy costs, global warming, and tighter budgets, building small is a theme that resonates with second-home owners. Gerald Rowan shows readers how to achieve their cabin dreams on a small footprint.

Genres: Nonfiction, Architecture, Reference, Construction, Design, How To

315 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 30, 2009

Reviews

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a 5 star, a ranking I am stingy with, giving it to less than 10% of the books I read. Here is why: it is a simple book that makes good on its promise to deliver 62 plans for simple compact cabins of 1000 sq.feet or less. But it is more than a book of elevations and floor plans. It walks you through design considerations, the idea of building your cabin modularly - either onsite or off site in modules you can trailer in. It talks about materials, where to save and where to spend. The pros and cons of doing it yourself are discussed, along with the idea of doing some of it yourself. It offers off the grid options for many cabins, explaining some of the best ways to achieve this. Finally, it helps you to get the most out of every square inch of your cabin, while suggesting ways to make it feel bigger.
Whether you are thinking of building a weekend getaway, a summer cottage, or a place to retire and live the simple life, this book is an excellent resource and one that should be on your bookshelf.

[Jeb Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gerald has many great ideas for smaller living. Really liked his off-the-grid experiences.

[Caro · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was written well with plenty of pictures or drawings. Easy to understand, informative without feeling like a textbook, contains several ideas and/or ways that would lead you to ideas, creative and intriguing. I enjoyed reading this and it really got me thinking. It also shows you what you need to think of before starting this and gently pulls you into the shallows, more than a toe-dip but not thrown in the deep end. Great for beginners and more serious interests. Enjoy

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

The value in this book comes from the inspiration you can derive from the plans but more importantly from understanding and learning from the modular approach to designing a home and in particular how that can lend itself to reusability in a variety of plan styles. Unfortunately, this means the book is only a jumping-off point and not a comprehensive set of plans ready to begin construction with.

[KATHY FOWLER · Rating 5 out of 5]

👍

I cannot wait to build me a tiny house to prove to everyone i can do it. I just need to combine the 3 favorite one into one.

[Scott Andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. I want to build one of each.

[Nathan Albright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this book is aimed at endorsing and advocating for small vacation properties for people as a second home, there is a great deal of overlap between this book's material and the goals of those who advocate for tiny houses in the Portland area as a solution for the high prices of local property and the barriers to entry for those seeking to own their first homes in the area in the aftermath of the ratcheting effect of foreclosures and high rental and property value increases over the past decade and more.  Obviously, this is not only a problem for the Portland area but is a problem in many cases, and the author here advocates a solution to tiny houses that are extremely space efficient and in many ways extremely cost efficient as well, with a considerable amount of flexibility based on the site conditions at hand.  If you are looking for a small and cozy but comfortable vacation home or "tiny house," there will likely be designs in here that you will be very interested in seeing and that will spark one's thinking and planning accordingly.

This book is a bit more than 200 pages and organized quite straightforwardly.  The author begins by preaching how one can find good living in small spaces, which is something I have a fair amount of experience in, although not necessarily by my own design.  After that, the author provides 50 designs for compact cabins, which range from log cabins to Quonset cabins to yurts to designs based on shipping containers and many others, quite a few of which would strike me as appealing places to spend some time, if a bit too cozy for living on a regular basis for the most part.  The author discusses various design principles, promotes a sensible modular approach to cabin design that allows considerable flexibility for buyers, and points out ways that people an take advantage of manufactured structural components and make the most out of building materials.  There is also discussion of how to utilize compact and efficient utilities and appliances, achieve various levels of energy independence ranging from a limited dependence on the grid to total off the grid living or even active energy generation through wind and solar power.  Even if most of these housing options are more than a little bit rustic, they won't break the bank and will allow for a great deal of comfortable living.

There are at least a few ways in which this particular book serves the interest of those who want to endorse tiny homes or very efficient vacation building designs.  For one, the small sizes to be dealt with do not require the high energy usage of larger spaces.  For another, transoms, sleeping lofts over bookshelves and desks, and fold-up tables allow for efficient use of space if one is willing and able to handle the staging demands of such flexible space or one likes climbing ladders.  As someone who enjoys vacationing and camping from time to time, there is a lot here that strikes me as interesting and enjoyable and a productive and cost-effective use of space to provide comfortable short-term living.  And if someone wanted to live full-time in a tiny house, this book provides at least a few plans that should make that experience as comfortable as possible, making a virtue out of what may be a necessity.  It is easy to imagine having a large amount of space for one's own, but it is also worthwhile to research how one can make do with a little space and make life as enjoyable as possible in even confined circumstances.

[Carolyn Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and useful book for those planning a getaway or vacation home... Or maybe just for those willing to explore living large in a small space. From the truly tiny (but fully functional) mini cabins to the more luxurious and fanciful designs, each plan has plenty to fire up the imagination. The second part of the book is more text based, and outlines different materials you can use and how to most efficiently build your cabin to maximize the use of the elements for temperature and views, etc. Even has ideas for cabins made out of shipping containers, or RV-styled plans. Lots of fun to page through and imagine!

[Marjorie Meier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful ideas!

I bought this book because I am looking to renovate a small house (not a cabin) in the countryside and want to make good use of the space I have and want to have intelligent solutions to any changes I will have made. This has been so much more helpful than most of the “designing small spaces” things I’ve read - those seem to be geared more to homes larger than mine where there are many more options. I’m looking for a truly compact and yet comfortable living space and this book has given me great ideas about how to go about planning my future home. The floor plans are extremely helpful.

[The Reading Countess · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not necessarily looking for tiny house, but a cabin? Yes. Not in the near future, but in 2 years? Also yes. I’d like a metal roof, one story small-ish place not far from a lake, and also close enough to SA for work and health concerns. Am I trying to manifest this by reading all about it for the next few years? Double yes.

[Rev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting read with a lot of considerations that one should make when it comes to designing a cabin. I saw this book at work but didn't want to pay for it, so I was glad that the library had it so I could still give it a read. I think I might want my own copy in the future as well, just for reference sake.

[Sherri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tiny home living, not necessarily. It has most ranging from 500-1,000 sq ft. So if you're looking for less there's only a few designs included. Has drawings of model and floor plan. Only a few renderings of an inside look.

[Callista · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simplistic designs.

[Karen Sofarin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Practical and chock full of information.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish this included more pictures of inside the cabins! Lots of great ideas for living simply and using the most of your space!

[B Zimp · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like the drawings and images, but seemed very repetitive. Generally a little too small occupancy.

[Andee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been on a quest to downsize my life for over 2 years. My hope is to eventually fit myself and my most valued possessions into a small comfy space hopefully no larger than 300-400sqft. That was what prompted me to buy this book. While many of the plans are larger than I was looking for, even the larger ones (those closer to 1000 sqft) still offer ideas that could be utilized in a smaller home. Of the smaller home plans included, several had great appeal and could easily be altered to be perfect for my personal needs.

If you have no desire to live out your life in a hideous McMansion with a 50 year bloated mortgage and having no time to enjoy your life then this book is filled with wonderful floor plans that would give you hope for something better than most builders offer, and at a very affordable cost. Even if you never use one of the plans inside this book, it may very well include the one plan that inspires you to design the one you end up enjoying your life in.

[Salem · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Plan A is to buy an island, Plan B is to build a small off-the-grid cabin. (And Plan A may involve Plan B.) Fun read with several excellent ideas about living in a small space, and lots of tips on off-the-grid stuff.

Although this book has lots of ideas, it's not deep on details. Once you have your idea, you're going to have to spend some effort working with an architect and other professionals to turn your idea into reality.

[Anne]

I think this is a great resource if you're building a cabin but for a year round proper home, not so much. I'll have to look at his book on "compact houses."
Plus with this one, the typical heat sources he references are a fireplace or wood burning stove. I love the idea of each but neither are good for those with allergies like me.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall a good book if you're looking into building a small place. It has a lot of good information besides just floor plans -- tips on construction, important factors in building, etc, etc. I wish there were a bit more variety with the floor plans, but overall a good, solid book to give you an idea of what you can expect. I would recommend this book. 4 out of 5 stars.

[Donna Jo Atwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a true description. So often when people talk about small homes they mean something from 1,000 sq ft up. Most of these are in the 500-700 sq ft range. There is also some practical information about construction and materials.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Provides ideas for layouts. However, no schematic designs for plumbing or electricity, solar or wind panels. Some designs account for battery space needed for being off the grid. Most of the layouts are for less than 600sf interior space. Could probably get the same layouts using an RV catalog.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty much what the title suggests: plans for small cabins. Definitely better than throwing money into pre-fab blueprints from some log company. I can't get too excited, so 3 stars seems 'bout right.

[Elizabeth Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some read romances or sword & sorcery epics as an escape; I drift away in plans for off-grid cabins. This compendium of plans, ideas and resources is a delight, and would probably also be a practical guide, but that might be taking things a bit far...

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had a lot of great ideas, but few details. While it was fanatic food for thought and did a good job of getting me excited about the prospect of building a cabin, its technical follow through was lacking.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for another take on how to live frugally, this is a must see. Not practical for everyone, but fun to think about!

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is am wonderful book to have on your resource shelf. Gotta figure out a source for RV components in my area ...

[Shaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

For my future Shaunna-topia. I am fascinated with tiny homes, living in 300 square feet of space.

[Kara Wicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great for early planning and ideas for those who dream of living off the grid.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspiring with lots of good ideas on maximizing space and resources.