To the uninitiated, the term “cabin porn” might suggest that something risqué is going on in the woods, but actually, most people experience the phenomenon far from the wilderness, instead (like with most types of porn these days) stumbling across the cabins on a plethora of subreddits and tumblr blogs. In 2014, cabin porn has become the preferred mode of escapism for thousands of enthusiasts longing for that Scandinavian log aesthetic you just can’t quite recreate within the environs of a 14th-floor studio flat. And for those who do want to head into the forest, there are plenty of crash courses in DIY-ing it; head to Beaver Brook School (tagline: “Learn Wild”) in upstate New York and you can learn to make your own as part of its “rustic timber-framing” workshop.
Yet the desire to construct a cabin of one’s own predates both hipsters and newsfeeds. Behold The Douglas Fir Plywood Association Second Homes for Leisure Living catalogue, published in 1960. Presenting 18 new “leisure-time” homes for both “comfort and economy”, this relentlessly cheerful tome includes plans for models such as the “Intriguing Cabin in the Woods”, the “Two-Stage Expandable Vacationer”, and of course the “Up-in-a-Jiffy Vacation Cabin”.
With this wealth of pro-tips for the aspiring cabin-builder at your fingertips, such as “keep it simple”, “use a smooth, fused-resin overlay for better paint-ability”, and our favourite “warm natural tones of plywood create an atmosphere of relaxed informality”, why cling to a log-based fantasy when wood-veneered reality could be yours? After all, as the DFPA so enthusiastically points out, one million American cabin-owning families can’t be wrong: leisure living is twice the fun in a second home! (fs)
"Cross" shape of cabin permits proper orientation
of cabin to sun and breezes.
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