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off-the-shelf. Fortunately, I didn’t have to make exhaustive
working drawings in this case because I have a history of
working with this carpenter—my favorite living carpenter.”
As they did before the renovation, the occupants
heat the house in the winter with a wood stove. They
somewhat reluctantly agreed to add central heat and
air-conditioning to make the property more attractive to
buyers, should they ever decide to sell it. Even so, as they
said to the architect regarding the mechanical heating
and cooling, “We’ll never use it.”
McInturff dubbed the project the “21st-Century
Cabin,” a name that might seem ironic given its modesty.
He explained that the name is a play on the fact that the
male client is a NASA engineer, but it is also a nod to
changing public attitudes about domestic life. “Many
people believe we should be living in smaller houses,”
he said. “Around the world, plenty of people live happily
with no more than this.”

Interior view toward
the new spiral staircase.

Oblique view of the renovated cabin.
Exterior view of the new stair tower.
Photo © Mark McInturff
24 LESS IS MORE REWARDING