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Tiny A-frame Cabin in the Woods


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Here’s a simple and relatively tiny A-frame cabin in the woods. It was built in 1968 in the woods of Dorrington, California.

Once you go inside you’ll see it has a classic firewood stove made out of cast iron. A simple staircase system takes you upstairs to the bedroom and loft hangout with balcony.

Classic A-frame Cabin in the Woods

A Tiny A-frame Cabin Outdoors

Images: David Nichols

Living Area & Kitchen

Living Area & Kitchen

I really like the choice of the dining table.

Living Area & Kitchen with stairs

Kitchen

Kitchen Area Kitchen table and sink

Living Room

Living Room Living Room

Second Floor

Stairs

Scary staircase, I know! I wouldn’t mind adding some hand rails but I admit it looks pretty cool like this.

Study/Hobby Room in the Upstairs

Study/Hobby Room in the Second Floor

And of course, my favorite spot, the balcony. 🙂

Bedroom

Bedroom

Exterior

Exterior Exterior Porch View Exterior Exterior View Through The Trees

Images: David Nichols

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Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidnin/sets/72157636272703374

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Alex

Alex is a contributor and editor for TinyHouseTalk.com and the always free Tiny House Newsletter. He has a passion for exploring and sharing tiny homes (from yurts and RVs to tiny cabins and cottages) and inspiring simple living stories. We invite you to send in your story and tiny home photos too so we can re-share and inspire others towards a simple life too. Thank you!
{ 45 comments… add one }
  • RockyMissouri
    December 16, 2013, 4:10 pm

    Love it..! It reminds me of my OWN home. An A-frame, in the woods. Our staircase is a tiny spiral… Instead of a balcony, we have a screened-in porch. I will never leave it…. I love it that much..!!

  • Martha
    December 16, 2013, 4:29 pm

    It is sweet and I love it, but did I miss the bathroom? For as beautifully constructed and elaborate as it is, I can’t imagine no bathroom facilities.

    • nancy mccullough
      August 4, 2017, 7:26 pm

      Yes, did I miss the bathroom too???

    • sandy
      December 16, 2019, 11:20 am

      i believe the space across from the kitchen must have a bathroom.just guessing.

  • Ashley
    December 17, 2013, 7:59 am

    I just found this website and I am absolutely fascinated! I have always wanted to live in a small home, although I never thought about living in a home this small. My parents’ current home is 6500 square feet (I live in the casita when not at school). Lest that sound insane to you – our largest home was 10,000 square feet! I hate the wastefulness of it all and can’t wait to downsize. In our largest house, there was an entire floor we probably only used several times a month…and rooms we never went into.

    That said – when my dad was newly remarried, he had a condo and my younger brother and sister and I all shared a small room with a triple bunkbed! For privacy, he bought us each a bed tent and a flashlight. They were the coolest things EVER to us! I also have fond memories of setting up refrigerator boxes in his living room – and sleeping in them every time we stayed at his house. Kids don’t need as much space as you might think – and living small definitely encourages outside play.

    My best friend in high school lived in a (relatively) small house with her family of 6 and the small space worked to their advantage; they had no choice but to spend time with each other. The love was always evident in their home. I realized that I never wanted to be in a situation where I could go an entire day without seeing my kids because there were so many places to retreat to. 🙂 Thanks for the additional food for thought.

    • Alex Pino
      December 17, 2013, 1:37 pm

      Hey Ashley. That was really cool of you to share all that. Really enjoyed your comment. Thanks!

      • Debbie
        February 25, 2014, 11:26 am

        Any idea where you can find the Blue Prints for the A-Frame house?

        • Alex
          October 2, 2016, 11:02 am

          Sorry but we don’t have blueprints for this one.

    • RockyMissouri
      December 17, 2013, 1:48 pm

      So very true! Thank you for sharing that!

  • David Ridge
    December 17, 2013, 1:50 pm

    I agree, for safety, a fitting handrail would be required, I think, in some codes. In your Flikr photos I noticed that the fire wood was stacked right up against the house, be careful of this for the provides a bridge for termites. I like the slope of the roof. Most A Frames that I have noticed have the same slope of a pentagram. This one is the 60 degree slope and gives the illusion of being roomier.

    • Tena Northern
      February 16, 2014, 5:01 pm

      I also would find a different way to stack the fire wood, other than being stacked up against the house. I also like the slope of the roof, as it just really adds to the name A Frame. And YES handrails for those of us that are a bit shakey:-)

  • Sean MacKenzie
    December 31, 2013, 2:21 pm

    Hi, I love the idea of a-frame homes as small/tiny homes. We’re planning on downsizing in the future. Get some land in the country with a small house and then maybe build some other structures. I love this and wonder where I can see the floor plans and sqft for this.

  • Jeff McConnell
    January 22, 2014, 9:09 pm

    Cost to construct & I like layout with stove by staircase .
    Thanks, Jeff & Shortcake, w/ dog Katie the wondermutt.

  • Melissa
    January 24, 2014, 12:32 pm

    How much to build?
    Where can I get blue prints?

    • Debbie
      February 25, 2014, 11:23 am

      Did you ever get any blue prints for the A frame house? If so where and how can I also get a copy.

      Thank you and Have a Blessed Day!

      • David
        June 26, 2014, 12:03 pm

        Google for A frame plans. Dozens of them out there.

  • Holly Morrison Maryland
    January 26, 2014, 4:49 pm

    This is awesome. I love the built-in glass/cup rack which you could easily incorporate a wine-rack into. I also Like all the headroom above the bed which could have skylights installed around and above the loft giving a great open feeling to the space. Is there any chance of getting a floor plan or specs on this?

  • Mary
    January 31, 2014, 1:15 am

    Hi Alex,
    I’m sending you my warm greetings from Cyprus – The Island of Aphrodite, in the blue Mediterranean! I really love this tiny house – though small it has a sense of spaciousness and I think that the tilting roof (‘A line’) over the kitchen cabinets is what does the trick – it’s an ingenious idea, as you don’t need height overhead the cooking space… Is there a video tour on this design – I’d like to download it to add to my prospective designs!!

    • Alex Pino
      January 31, 2014, 9:23 am

      Hi Mary! Pleasure to have you here and glad you enjoyed this A-frame. It’s one of my favorites.. Unfortunately there’s no video of it that I know of right now that I could share.

  • Sandra Adams
    February 10, 2014, 5:15 pm

    what are the dimensions?

  • Tena Northern
    February 16, 2014, 4:54 pm

    I really like the A-Frame Cabin, I would also put in a indoor bathroom. How can we get plans to build this?

  • Paul from Noo Zilund
    February 24, 2014, 3:37 am

    The problem with A frames is the wasted space due to the angle of the roof/wall. Never seen one that addresses this problem

    • RockyMissouri
      February 25, 2014, 4:37 pm

      As a 30 year resident of an A- frame built in the 70s…(that has the original paneling…with a few additions!)….. Those sloping places are a perfect opportunity to place lovely storage baskets with lids…(for blankets.. clothes..games..extra bedding..pillows..) It’s a perfect, out of the way area for low things…. You also have more floor space…and it gives the illusion of larger rooms. After a time, you don’t even notice the baskets…they become a part of the wall.

  • Kcremeans
    February 25, 2014, 9:37 am

    So… Lets say the mini house is built .. Now how do you find a location to put it & then you’re talking a lot of $ for land ? Yes ? Or are there locations for tiny houses you can put them on say a property just like you would a mobile home & pay hook up fees ?

    • Rebecca
      July 26, 2014, 11:59 am

      A-frames are treated as standard construction in my area (mountains).

  • Lina
    March 20, 2014, 10:10 pm

    Hi Alex,
    I purchased a small, but beautifully located lot and this A-frame cabin would be in perfect harmony with the surrounding nature. It would also be something I could afford to build. Could you please let me know where can I buy the plans.
    I just subscribed to Tiny House Newsletter, but did not find anything related to this design. I would like to hear from you.
    Lina

    • Alex
      March 20, 2014, 11:19 pm

      Hi Lina, congratulations on purchasing your lot. Unfortunately I’m not able to help you get plans for this A-frame cabin but there are other A-frame plans out there available that are very similar. Wishing you the best, Alex

      • Holly Owen
        January 4, 2020, 11:39 pm

        Hello, Alex! Not sure if you are checking this regularly, but I like your design. I am thinking about something like that in an area in the Sierra east of Fresno-lots of snow load there, however. Looks like your plan is elevated-how much off the ground, and what is your snow load there in Dorrington? Thanks!

  • An Moore
    March 21, 2014, 6:42 pm

    In my vague memories when working as a Librarian, I seem to remember a book on A-frame cabins. Maybe published by Sunset?

  • Nerida
    April 9, 2014, 11:26 am

    OH yes please, this has my name on it.

  • Daniel
    April 9, 2014, 10:54 pm

    I totally love A Frame homes and wish they were being built in Australia like they were years ago.

  • Rebecca
    July 26, 2014, 11:47 am

    I love A-frame cabins, they seem like true shelter to me. Very inexpensive also. The mother earth news site is empowering. This style seems conducive to a barn-rsising-in-a-day party.

  • Bil
    October 30, 2014, 9:09 pm

    ‘A’ for Awesome!

  • Joe
    February 11, 2015, 10:58 pm

    How do I get blueprints for 14 by 14 a frame

  • Pam
    April 14, 2015, 8:55 pm

    My husband and I have lived in a tiny A-frame for the past 9 years. It’s very efficient and the space is well allocated for making the best use of every inch. We only have four windows so we miss having more natural light. We get lots of compliments on it and people marvel at how well it works. We are, however, looking forward to having straight walls again so we can enjoy our artwork that has been stored for all these years.

  • Rosalie Hagerty
    October 17, 2015, 2:09 pm

    lovely home. to Denise Miller you might want to check with Tuff Sheds for your barn type not too expensive. You can also get different highth , windows , doors ect. Great for your shell have to do inside yourself. Also be sure to check planning and zoning in your area. good luck.

  • Natalie
    May 9, 2017, 4:43 pm

    Any idea how the wood panels that are placed in between the exposed beams are held in? I see some of the walls look like they are behind beams, but other areas look paneled afterwards. It is done very well and looks great!

    • Natalie C. McKee
      May 10, 2017, 9:08 am

      I wish I knew, Natalie! I’m afraid I’ve never built an A-frame to know how they are usually constructed.

  • keepyourpower
    August 2, 2017, 2:42 pm

    Where is the bathroom?

  • Victoria
    August 2, 2017, 8:51 pm

    One of the best Aframe tiny houses I’ve seen.
    Good floor plan, a thoughtful layout. Love this one.

  • Chuck Behrens
    January 10, 2018, 9:06 am

    I would like to see this A-Frame. Would drive to Dorrington to see it if I knew the address.

  • Kurt
    April 28, 2018, 7:48 pm

    Love this A-frame. I especially love all the interior woodwork. I absolutely hate drywall; nail pops, cracks, easily damaged by leaks. The catwalk outside the bedroom is a nice touch. My only hesitation to live in an area like this would be all of the trees…one of those comes down on the house, it might be lights out.

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