From salvaged A-frames to revamped desert dwellings, these transformations will give you cabin fever—in a good way.



Searching for inspiration to modernize a rustic cabin? Let these projects be your guide.

A Couple Buy a Collapsing Cabin For $7K in Joshua Tree and Revamp it Into a Desert Oasis

Before: The 480-square-foot cabin was constructed in 1957 and had fallen into disrepair in later years.

We Are in Our Element

This Joshua Tree cabin only cost Kathrin and Brian Smirke $7,000—and there was a reason for its low price tag. The abandoned 1957 structure was in a decayed state and needed to be completely gutted. The couple took on all the work themselves, from demo to framing, plumbing, electrical, design, and interior build-out.


After: The Smirkes designed the kitchen cabinets and had the boxes and doors made at a small cabinet shop in L.A. They also formed and poured the concrete countertops themselves and constructed the floating shelves with leftover clear pine and plywood.

We Are in Our Element

In outfitting the 480-square-foot abode, they preserved a little bit of local history: the homestead cabin is one of many scattered throughout the area as a result of the Small Tract Act of 1938, wherein the government sold off small parcels of federal land.

A Riverside Cabin in Oregon Gets a Blindingly Bright Renovation 

Before: The previous owners had spruced up the cabin, so it was in fine condition—and the bones were there when the couple bought it.

Courtesy of Karie Higgins

See the full story on Dwell.com: 9 "Before & After" Cabin Renovations That Will Make You Look Twice