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PrintRemodeling (deconstructed)
A CABIN’S GREAT ROOM TAKES ON A COMPLETELY NEW LOOK
Photo By W. Garth Dowling
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Just east of the Teton River north of Victor, a 900-square foot cabin had, as Kurt Mitchell described it, “nothing
really wrong with it,” but was unkempt after years of neglect. Its new owners loved the location but wondered whether they should simply build from scratch, or polish and update what was already there.
They decided to go the latter route, using Mitchell and his company, With The Grain Custom Crafted Building.
“It was worth leaving it and not starting over because that kept a lot of the charm of the old log style,” Mitchell said. Even so, the place needed a full-on update.
He and his crew replaced just about everything, including the structure’s outdated chinking and its roof. The old metal roofing panels (which would have been thrown away otherwise) were moved down to the foundation area to prevent animals from crawling underneath the cabin. They restained the house completely for a fresh, unified appearance, modified an attached three-bed bunkroom to match, and added a walk-around porch (part is screened) for additional family living space.
Inside the almost-square living area, one small corner was already tucked away for a bathroom; it too was updated. In the rest of the great room, the propane heater and refrigerator were moved to improve functionality. In the process, space opened up for a small but efficient mechanical room; it doubles as a pantry and laundry, complete with a stackable washer and dryer.
The ceiling was completely revamped, too. It and new tongue-and-groove walls were painted a vanilla-ice-cream color to better reflect light streaming in from the cabin’s many windows. The remodel also did away with a narrow, steep stairway to an upstairs loft. A graceful circular stairway now opens up the space while at the same time visually uniting both floors.
Like much of the rest of the house, the kitchen cabinets were “so, very very tired” before the remodel, Mitchell recalled. Replacing them with a distressed but stylish design below and sparse, open shelving above, harmonizes with the look the owners wanted—a blend of contemporary finishes balancing an old-fashioned tone.
The entire cabin floor was replaced using reclaimed pine provided by the homeowner, the recycled wood burnished to gracefully hide its blemishes.
Mitchell, who caretakes the property, e-mailed digital photographs to update the owners as the renovation took place. “This was one of those rooms where we had to get creative to make it work,” he said. “It’s cozy, very comfortable for such a small space.”
Photo By Kisa Koenig
A CLOSET BECOMES A BATHROOM
A Teton Village slopeside home built in the 1970s had plenty of advantages as a ski-in, ski-out rental, but its new partnership of owners wanted to completely overhaul it for a luxury vacation home. They turned to architectural designer Tim Grimes of Houseplant and John McIntosh of Snake River Builders for the update.
The remodel involved major structural changes, and “every surface of the house was touched in some form,” according to McIntosh. They rotated the roof’s ridge by ninety degrees, added several decks, strengthened the existing foundation, and nearly doubled the structure’s size.
The junior master suite (so called since a late-’80s renovation) was just one room completely re-envisioned; a traditional closet was moved to create a new bathroom and the area where the bathroom had been was opened up for a walk-in closet.
The new tiny but fabulous bathroom takes up only ninety-three square feet but feels much larger due to its open design.
While it contains a toilet (expected) and double sinks (a nice convenience), this bathroom’s most innovative element is a Nagano soaking tub made by Neptune. The tub’s minimalist footprint saves space and provides an elegant touch. A bather can move directly from the built-in shower into the hexagonal fixture for a chest-high soak.
“I’d seen one of these used before,” Grimes said. Japanese architecture provides for individual bathrooms to be a focus in a home, he notes, as “this is a room you use a lot.”
“A Japanese tub might be a cultural leap for some of us, but it’s highly valued in Japan as well as all of Asia,” McIntosh explained.
A custom-made bench doubles as a step into the sit-down ceramic tub, while triangular wedges provide handy spots for soap and shampoo. A Euro-style glass shower door and oversized mirrors add to the room’s airy feeling.
In moving the bathroom, plumbing was placed directly over an open entry area rather than within interior walls, McIntosh said. “We had to have enough drop with the structural floor package to build in adequate insulation to protect the waste and supply lines under the floor” to help reduce their susceptibility to freezing.
As a part owner of the property, Grimes was on the job site nearly every day of the remodel. Everyone involved contributed practical solutions to tricky questions, he said, even in the small bathroom. “It was a good exercise in space planning,” Grimes said. “The tile setter came up with the sweet little step and bench.”
