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The Tiny Home Movement

There’s a recent trend emergence in the world of architecture: The tiny home. Folks around the world are moving to more sustainable, smaller homes. They’re cheaper, easier to clean, and simpler. Plus they encourage the resident(s) to get outside and connect with nature. Tiny Homes are popping up across the nation, and it appears as though the tiny home trend may not be a trend at all; it may be here to stay.


Winterwoods Homes’ “Tiny-Home” Cabin Designs

Here at Winterwoods Homes, we provide home plans, including a litany of small cabin plans. Let’s take a look at a few of our favorite “tiny-home” cabin designs:

The Appleberry cottage home floorplanThe Appleberry Cabin

The Appleberry provides just over 700 square feet of living space, as well as plenty of deck space. The loft of the Appleberry provides space enough for a bed or two, yet it’s exposed to the first floor of the cabin, thus providing a feeling of openness. Equipped with a range, sink, and bathroom, you’ll have all of the amenities you need. The Appleberry features a fireplace at the center of the home.


The Forest Grove cottage home floorplanThe Forest Grove Cabin

Similar in size to the Appleberry, the Forest Grove Cabin offers a bit more versatility. With a dedicated bedroom, the loft is free to be utilized as you’d like. The Forest Grove Cabin can be outfitted with a full kitchen as well as a bathroom. Again, a fireplace draws the focus of the great room, and an exterior fireplace makes the deck a secondary outdoor living space.


The Hay Loft cottage home floorplanThe Hay Loft Cabin

Another cabin in our Antique Log Cabin Collection, the Hay Loft weighs in at just over 1,000 square feet of space. Outfitted with a large L-shaped loft on the second floor, the Hay Loft provides a surprising feel of openness for its size. The hearth is a central feature of the Hay Loft cabin, and it’s innovative kitchen “peninsula” provides a comfy, cozy dining nook that’s perfect for coffee in the morning and cocktails in the evening. The Hay Loft is also accented with a Lanai-style deck that’s ideal for the bird-watcher and outdoor enthusiast.


The Little Friar CabinThe Little Friar cottage home floorplan

At 800 square feet, it’s no wonder that “little” is in the name. The Little Friar features a very open layout with a loft hovering over less than half of the square footage of the first floor. This innovative layout provides space for beds in both the master bedroom and the loft. Yet, there’s still plenty of space for dining in the kitchen, and the great room is warm and cozy with a hearth ready for gatherings. The patio also provides plenty of space to enjoy the natural surroundings, and it features an exterior fireplace that’ll keep guests warm and entertained.


The Little Gobbler CabinThe Little Gobbler cottage home floorplan

Truly tiny, the Little Gobbler provides 600 square feet of living space. Equipped with two adjacent lofts, the Little Gobbler can house the family comfortably. To make the most of the space, the lofts are accessible by ladder, and the bathroom features a pocket door. Perfectly arranged, this tiny cabin is big on opportunity.


The Turkey Trot CabinThe Turkey Trot cottage home floorplan

Also tiny, the Turkey Trot cabin design makes the most of its 700 square foot layout. Enjoy all the amenities of a great room, bathroom, kitchen, dining room, and loft. Again, to use the space efficiently, the loft is accessed by a ladder. Like most of our tiny-home cabin designs, the great room is centered around the hearth.


The Tinker Creek CabinTinker Creek cabin floorplan

Suitable to house a small family, the Tinker Creek cabin provides a kitchen, dining area, great room, bathrooms, laundry, and living quarters. The Tinker Creek layout embraces the beauty of the fireplace with double hearth. Plus, Tinker Creek is surrounded on three sides by decks, offering unending outdoor views.


The Davy Crockett CabinThe Davy Crockett Cabin cottage home floorplan

Another of our smallest designs, the historical Davy Crockett cabin features an open first floor with a half bath, and a lofted master bedroom. Simple, yet effective, the Davy Crockett cabin provides the perfect amount of space, and it can serve as a permanent home, as well as a vacation home. Make this bit of history your own, and live in the simplicity of the 19th century.


The Davy Crockett TavernThe Davy Crocket Tavern cottage home plan

Weighing in at 900 square feet, this historical cabin offers the right amount of room for a small family. Outfitted with two adjacent hearths, the Davy Crockett tavern will provide constant entertainment and plenty of ways to utilize the space.


The Andrew Jackson Homestead cottage home floorplanThe President Andrew Jackson Homestead

Based, as you may have guessed, on the layout of the historical President Andrew Jackson Homestead, this cabin makes a small space feel spacious. With 1200 square feet of space, this two bedroom home is perfect for a small family. Keep the kids in the bunk room, and enjoy the privacy of the master bedroom. Equipped with three bathrooms, a central hearth, and an open kitchen, the President Andrew Jackson Homestead provides all the comforts you’d like in a home.


With a tiny home comes simple living. Live the simple life with a tiny-home cabin from Winterwood Homes. And don’t forget: We can provide custom log cabin designs if you’d like to modify our current models, or if you’d like a completely original architectural plan for your dream home. We specialize in designing log cabin homes, from tiny homes to multi-unit resort complexes. Check out our full catalog of pre-designed home plans here!

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Building Your Home Design Around Your Priorities

Detail of exterior wall on one of our log house plansYour home is more than just a roof over your head. It provides safety and security. It is your gathering place. It is your piece of the world. It is your domain. It’s where you sleep, where you dine. It offers a patio escape from the summer sun. And it’s your hearth in winter. It should reflect your values, your character, and the landscape in which you choose to live. Your home reflects your values; so, in order to build your dream home, it may be best to prioritize your values. Here are some priorities you can put in order:

 


Rendering of a cabin designProgramming

First and foremost, it’s prudent to determine the programming, or utility, of the spaces of your home. If, for instance, you’re building a home for yourself and your family, you’ll need to set aside space for bedrooms and bathrooms for all of the residents. Our Balsam Mountain collection of log cabin plans may be a great place to start. Or if you’re building a vacation home, you may dedicate more space to a living room or a wrap-around porch. Our Crooked Creek Cabin plan or our Rocky Creek Cabin plan may be suitable to your desires.


Sample of a Winterwoods home cabin planSquare Footage

Square footage coexists closely with the programming of your home. Again, you’ll have to place some weight in deciding on the square footage of your home. If you love open, well-lit space, consider designs like our Buffalo Creek Cabin plan. If you’re looking to live the simple life, and embrace your natural surroundings as they exist, you might want a smaller floorplan; perhaps a log cabin design from our Antique Cabin collection will do.


Long view of kitchen in a cabin designKitchen

Your kitchen is your where you cook, sure, but it’s also where everyone inevitably ends up during a gathering. If you’re the kind who caters to guests often, you’ll need an expansive kitchen. Consider opting for a design that features an island like our Meadow Creek cabin design. Make your kitchen the focus of your home with granite countertops, a tiled backsplash, an eight-burner range, and a sink that’s built to fit your biggest pots and pans. Make your kitchen yours, and make it an integral part of the spirit of your home.


Modern log cabin fireplace designFireplace

The hearth of your home may be the heart of your home. Some folks love to build their home around a fireplace. As a central fixture of the home, the fireplace draws the eye, it serves as a gathering place, and it provides warmth and character. Here at Winterwood Homes, we place value in the fireplace. That’s why all of our log cabin and home plans include a fireplace (and some plans include multiple fireplaces, including interior and exterior hearths). Winterwood Homes designs have a deep connection to nature, and the fireplace embodies mankind’s relationship with the environment.


Detail of railing in our log cabin designPatio/Deck

Do you spend half of the day outdoors enjoying the comfort of your patio or deck? If so, you’ll want to give your deck priority status in your home design. You can have it made in the shade with a lanai style patio like the simple patio design of The Appleberry. Or if you want a massive deck built to cater to the whole family at the next reunion, you might opt for the outdoor living porch of our Teaberry log cabin design. This design is complete with an exterior kitchen, making it the perfect place to host an open-air party.


Detail of timber members in our log cabin designBuilding Material

Contemporary, classic, or mixed? When it comes to the building materials of your home, taste is everything. You’ll have to take it upon yourself to decide what materials best suit your preference.

If you’re looking for a classic cabin look, you’ve come to the right place. Winterwood Homes specializes in log and rustic cabin designs. Take a look at our full catalog of cabin designs to get an overview of our most popular architectural styles.

Now, we’re partial to rock and timber here at Winterwood Homes, but our designs don’t stop at log cabins. We have a variety of more modern designs that feature stucco as well as stone. Check out our Mountain West collection of home plans if your tastes turn towards more modern designs. If you’re opting for a more modern design, you can integrate modern fixtures. Think stainless steel appliances, tiling, and sleek lighting implements.

You can also mix and match your architectural themes, melding contemporary and classic into a seamless, full-character home. Combine rough hewn logs with cut stone, ironwork railing, and copper fixtures. Or opt for a cobblestone hearth, wooden lap siding, and a grand chandelier in the living room. When working with both contemporary and classic building materials, the options become endless.


These certainly aren’t all of the priorities that you’ll need to weigh to find the perfect layout for your home, but it may help to consider them when addressing architectural design. Consider the programming, the square footage, the kitchen, deck, and fireplace features of your home, and assess how much value you place in each of these categories. Listing your priorities can help you in deciding on the ideal design for your next abode.