Nice 20x20 house

[Gardenarian]

I think this A-frame (http://www.motherearthnews.com/do-it-yourself/how-to-build-an-a-frame-ze0z1111zhir.aspx) would be more livable than a 12x12 cabin. I really like the looks of it.
My family spent a few weeks in a very similar cabin when I was a kid, and I have loved A-frames ever since. This one really looks buildable, DIY!

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75/readaboutit/a-frame-house_resized600X400.jpg

[Gardenarian]

Holy cow, I actually inserted a photo! Success!

[Simplicity]

That is really nice. I LOVE the deck!! We built a 24x28 home with a half loft a year ago. We downsized from a 5 bedroom split-entry! Talk about de-cluttering! lol

Let's see if I can insert a picture...

http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee479/Simplicity339/DSCI0233.jpg

http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee479/Simplicity339/DSCI0055.jpg

[Wildflower]

Oh, I love A-frame houses! We stayed in a tiny one by a lake last summer for our vacation. Now my dream is to downsize, get rid of most all of our stuff, and live in one fulltime. Just me, DH, our little dogs and cat would be quite happy I think, in a small A-frame.... add in garden, storage shed, and scenic view, and it would be just perfect! :)

[Zoebird]

very cool!

I love small living; i really do. :)

[happystuff]

I really, really like that! I so want to start living smaller - this is great motivation for me to continue with my personal downsizing and decluttering. Thanks!

[Float On]

We stayed in an A-Frame condo once and I always hit my head in the loft. We had friends that lived in one while running a local resort and they struggled with furniture placement.

I think what started my desire for 'small-living' was maybe 22 years ago in a Better Homes and Garden magazine (I think) was a barn style 20x24 kit garage that a family had turned into their weekend cabin. With the barn style roof they were able to put in an actual staircase and a bunk room and bedroom upstairs. I've mentioned before that I can't do spiral stairs without falling. I can still draw the floor plan and can see the magazine layout down to the colors and furniture placement in my mind. I kept that and other 'small' designs in a file for years and years. Not sure exactly when I 'decluttered' that file but kind of wish I'd kept it.

My husband thinks our cabin (cape cod with dormers and covered porch across the whole front) is too tiny at 1500 sq ft but I'd love to go smaller.

[Mrs-M]

Cabins and me go hand-in-hand, and A-frames are no exception to the rule.

Simplicity. Absolutely beautiful! So lucky you are.

[Float On]

Simplicity should put in more photos! Beautiful house and surroundings!

[Zoebird]

1500 sq ft was larger than the house we lived in in PA (it was 1300), and even then, that house was big for us! so, yeah, that's a big second home. :D

[Gregg]

I drew up plans years ago for a 20 x 32 'cabin'. Two bedrooms, one bath, a big open farmhouse style kitchen, big fireplace right in the middle, plenty of storage. All the comforts of home. We always thought it would make a nice weekend getaway kind of cabin. Now that my kids are almost all out on their own I think I could happily live in that space. Just need to find the perfect lot...by a lake....in the mountains....surrounded by big pines....

[Gardenarian]

"Just need to find the perfect lot...by a lake....in the mountains....surrounded by big pines.... "

oh, Gregg, I know that place - where the water is warm on cool summer evenings, and refreshingly brisk on hot days, and there are plenty of fish but they never nibble at your legs, and you can see the sunrise AND the sunset - and it's all a convenient 30 minutes drive away. In my dreams...>8)

[Float On]

http://aframetech.com/Home_Page.html
Found this while looking at Santa Fe, NM Craigslist. Steel-fram A-Frames.

[Gardenarian]

Zowie, float on! That's what we need in earthquake country. I'd like to see more of that steel frame tipi - seems kinda like overkill, but I like the idea of making a tipi out of scrap metal. There's a whole world of old galvanized pipe out there.

[Spartana]

Great photos Simplicity! I had a small chalet-style cabin (by a lake... in the mountains... surrounded by pine trees) that was 25 x 25. Too big for me alone but with 3 bedrooms (2 up with a half bath and one down with a full bath) it would have been great for a small family. I had posted a photo of it (as well as the surrounding area) on the "Cougar Annie" thread but accidently deleted them (DOH!). Just sold my place down in the flatlands and may end up back in the same mountains again (2 big ski resorts!!) for the winter - renting though as I don't plan to buy anytime soon.

[Joyous_5]

Love that A-frame. There's something about a natural wood home that's so beautiful. Here's a question about this style of home though--how do you cover the windows at night? I mean, if you're out in the country it wouldn't matter, but what if you're not? I love all those windows though--high ceilings and windows are two of my favorite house features.

[Float On]

I tried attaching a photo from my album on here but it didn't work. Oh well, I guess if you want to go to my album (you can click on albums under the community tab) I posted a photo of my little cabin in the woods. It's not in the mountains but in the Ozark hills, and it's not on water but on the back side of a cliff above one lake and 3 miles from a big lake, and the trees in the yard are either oak or tall, old cedars not pines but it is kind of a cute little cabin style house. The 40 acres of woods behind me I don't own but the owner is a friend and doesn't mind us hiking around back there, plus he has miniture horses which are fun to feed apples to at the fence row. I love my porch and dormers.

[Mrs-M]

What a gorgeous cabin, Float On! I'm so jealous... Ever since I was a young girl I have always loved dormers! Just before I got married I was babysitting for a family that lived in an older styled home, and the baby/kids room was upstairs (complete with dormers and a peaked ceiling). The room was enormous. They had twin babies and a toddler, and all three cribs were lined up just so, so that there was a dormer for each child's crib. Picture prefect.

[KayLR]

neat photos, Simplicity! Too bad your neighbor's hay didn't get put in before the snow, tho!