Real Estate

This unique retreat has a 1920s cabin at its core—literally

Sometimes you just want to get away from it all. Sometimes you want to relax. And sometimes, you want to live in style. Well, this tiny cabin in Calistoga, California, lets you do all three.

The restored 1920s cabin sits next to a creek, but until its redo, it didn’t have much of a view of the surroundings. Architect Amy A. Alper changed that with a redesign that included a new living room area wrapped around the original cabin, with window walls that give a picturesque view of the creek below. Now, the space is a great place to get away from the bustle of the city, and it’s also comfortable and beautiful. The redesign also melded the old materials with the new, using reclaimed beams to give a sense of continuity and connection to the cabin’s past.

The cabin is quite isolated, but it’s not primitive by any means. Its interior is extremely modern and spacious, with simple colours and lots of natural wood (not to mention a gorgeous bathroom). Storage space is elegantly hidden, and thanks to the new windows, there’s lots of beautiful light. It’s a lovely, contemplative space to return to after a day of exploring outdoors.