Compact Cabins: Simple Living in 1000 Square Feet or Less

As the title says, I own over twenty cabin books. This is by far my favorite design/floorplan book. It has 50+ different designs. The review about it simply being a series of identical designs with "expensive bump outs" and "no use of lofts" apparently didn't look at more than a few designs, nor read the actual text of the book. In the second half, the author addresses adding more floor-space cheaply by using lofts for sleeping areas. There are only a few designs with bump-outs, and if you don't like them, turn the page!My favorite thing is the way the book is organized, the cabins are arranged in sq/ft. order as you look through the first half of the book, going from just over a hundred feet to almost 1,000 (but most are 600 sq/ft or fewer). Each design gets a floor plan and an elevation (exterior drawing), covering two pages per cabin.The second half of the book gives excellent overview-level information about green building, energy efficiency, off-the-grid ideas, incorporating garages, RV-concepts, and even a few designs using shipping containers!There is a great chapter on using modular designed 12' x 12' sections to create a mobile living space, whereby you can truck in your cabin, add to it as you can afford to, and even design your own cabin using 20 or so "modules" that the author pre-designed and included in the book (i.e. 4 bedroom modules, 4 kitchen modules, 4 bathroom modules, living rooms, dining areas, etc.). It's a really fun addition to the book.This is not a book to go deep into any one subject, but it is an excellent overview for the new reader who wants a LOT of survey-level information on cabin concepts. And the 50 designs rank among my favorites for their creativity and individuality. How many round, half-round, quonset hut or yurt-style cabins have you seen in cabin books lately?Like I said earlier, best design book I own. Buy this book, you will NOT be disappointed.

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.

Paperback about 50/50 text and black and white photos-drawings. Recycled paper. Good general knowledge book discussing compact/small (not Tiny) cabin designs and layouts. This is not a book with building blue prints but rather a book to stimulate you into thinking about what you may want to build and how you want to layout the space. Book also has several info chapters logistics, modular, shipping containers, various materials, etc. I have around 20 specific residential construction books, this book is not about how to build a specific wall, roof, etc. This book centers on the overview of floor plans and many compact house designs with rough floor plans- not blueprints. It is a good tool for determining the style of house you want to build and may get you thinking about how you want to layout your rooms, doors, storage, etc. Good general resource book.

One of two books by the author covering Compact Cabins (this review) and Compact Houses (see separate review). Both well written and laid out. First half a both books cover 50 or more designs/concepts. The latter 100+ pages cover the author's suggests for considerations in putting any of his ideas/designs into practice.I preferred this book for Compact Cabins, mainly because many more of the designs had utility for my intent to put a small cabin/cottage on my property in the low Sierra Nevada Mountains just below the 4000' level, where "snow load" on the roof is a consideration. I expect it will be my source book for putting one of his designs on that property in the near future. It was a fun read & I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to build a small cabin/cottage as a DIY'er!

Ok well the illustrations are great, and vast rich full of information and resources and links some really good stuff and nice Eco cover and design. Lots of cute designs if you like tiny homes or even thow ideas and does offer a few container home designsSo what's wrong? The designer clearly was a designer in the 70's. Almost every design features a bathroom off of the kitchen!? Who travels through a kitchen to take a shower, then back out thru living room back to the bedroom. It's the layouts that seem like the have no rhyme or reason why they put things where they do. Bathrooms should be near or connected on suites to bedrooms not past a kitchen. None of the designs even have a tv. So these are all mainly off grid designs even though only a few show solar (most just say optional solar). Few show propane or water tanks or other needed items of a good design like storage. Two story designs with main bedrooms upstairs need the full/three quarter baths need to be with them upstairs not half baths.The whole book needs an upgrade for the 2000's with new appliances, tv's , solar, pocket/sliding doors, window options, etcAlso some actual building details would also be nice to see not just basic 2d sketches. The plans should/could even be offered for sale for full blueprints etcSo ya want some ideas and lots of pretty decent info on all sorts of things grab this up but the interiors need help bad

I bought this book 4 years ago and can’t find where it put it. So I’m ordering another one. I look at it so often. I just love this book and all the cute little plans .I have been built four houses with my husband owner builder.This is the ultimate book for somebody that has even a little bit of skills.Tiny houses are so important in today s world.To bad localGovernment won’t let you build tiny houses without first building a mansion on the same property.

No they aren't blueprints but if you were serious about it you could extrapolate the dimensions based on the outer dimensions.

Planning a vision! This is to help guide my daughter and husband in building a vacation cabin in the great north Michigan woods!

...zur architektonischen Gestaltung bietet dieses Buch! Über 200 Seiten in sehr angenehm einfacher Aufmachung, vollgepackt mit sehr vielen Ideen für die verschiedensten Haustypen. Auch schöne Schnittzeichnungen und Überlegungen zum Design mit Modulen, sowie alternativen Energien sind zu finden. Jeweils eine Ansicht mit einer Grundrisszeichnung für jedes Modell sind übersichtlich dargestellt, allerdings nur mit Außenmaßen und nur in der engl. Maßeinheiten ft und square ft. Die Inneneinrichtungsvorschläge könnten für meine Bedürfnisse teils etwas alltagstauglicher/praxisbewährter sein. Insgesamt ein tolles Arbeitsbuch auf dem Weg der eigenen Hausgestaltung.

Would have loved to see more standard houses in it

I like this book very much and look through it often