Porch Cabin Vacation Home

The Porch Cabin was inspired by cabins built in the early 1900's, and it features a screened porch that wraps around three sides of the house. It is reminiscent of the old–fashioned porch cabins that let weekenders visiting from the city sit outside and enjoy the fresh country air, even if it rained all weekend long. The Porch Cabin has a central fireplace that draws guests into the living room during the coolest weather, but the porch is where visitors spend most of their time, whether it's napping or watching the kids play outside.

Coming off the front porch, you enter a mudroom where there's room to sit on a bench and remove your shoes and coats. One door opens to a walk–in pantry, while another opens to the kitchen area. An opening between the pantry and the kitchen makes it possible to pass items straight through to a kitchen counter. The kitchen features a ceiling that rises from 8' to 12', a large center island, and four windows above the sink and oven for natural light and views.

Next to the kitchen is the dining area. It also features a sloped ceiling, and three large operable windows provide side views. A large opening handsomely framed in glass opens to the living room, while double doors open to the screened porch. The living room looks and feels rustic, with exposed wood beams in the ceiling and a central stone–veneered fireplace. The ceiling in this room is set at a lofty 10'. Its three outer walls are lined with windows and doors that look out to and open into the screened porch. The wrap–around screened porch is the largest space in the house, providing plenty of room for social gatherings.

To the right of the mudroom is a hallway that leads to two bedrooms (the original homeowners used the smaller one as a bunk room), a laundry closet, and a full bath. There is also a door in the mudroom that goes directly to this bathroom for easy access.

Stairs located behind the fireplace lead to a "garret" on the upper level. The original homeowners used this unique space as their master bedroom. The ceiling has a 3–foot–wide flat center section running front to back that's set at 10', sloping down to 7' along the dormer, and 5'6" on the opposite wall. A built–in bench sits below 5 windows facing to the side, and 3 other windows provide views to the front. A full bath is located on this level as well.

Similar Versions Available
There is a similar version of this plan – Porch Cabin 2 – available on this site. For easy access to this other version, click on the architect's name (in bold blue letters, on the left side of this page). Red links to each of his plans appear below his bio, in alphabetical order.