This cabin has provided additional accommodation for a young family with big dreams.
When you move from hustle and bustle of East London to rural Devon, what you lose in convenient coffee shops, you gain in space and glorious tranquillity. That’s certainly the case for Anna and James Green, the delighted owners of a beautiful new woodland cabin from Life Space Cabins. The two teachers had long dreamed of moving to the countryside and regularly did the long drive to the South-West to house hunt. They knew they’d found “the one” when a converted barn on a former farm in Devon came on the market. The acres of land and beautiful woodland that came with the property sold it to them and although the barn itself had formerly been used as a pigsty, the aroma and mud were thankfully long departed…
With family and friends scattered far and wide, from Australia to London, the Greens needed a garden annexe to accommodate their many visitors. Having bought a property with a lot of land but a relatively small house, it wasn’t feasible to put guests up in the barn itself, so the idea for a beautiful cabin on the edge of their woodland was born.
Cabin Design Brief
After toying with the idea of a shepherd’s hut, the couple realised they could get more space with a modular self-contained cabin. Our clients needed a well-insulated cabin for year-round use. Christmas would be prime visiting time for their relatives. The Greens wanted a cosy, charming but practical space that could sleep 2-4 people. The woodland cabin needed to blend seamlessly into the rolling Devon countryside and feel separate from the barn, while still being conveniently close.
Why Life Space Cabins?
The Greens came across Life Space Cabins after joining the Small Woodland Owner’s Group and reading its blog about owning a piece of woodland. From their first look at
our website, they felt an affinity to our design style, ethos and sustainability goals.
As self-confessed building novices, Anna said the couple felt reassured by Jamie’s willingness to hold their hands and guide them through the process while also listening carefully to what they wanted to achieve.
A Beautiful Woodland Cabin
We decided on a large Dart cabin design with the Greens – the curved roof would give them the light, spacious feel they wanted and meant we could incorporate a mezzanine sleep deck making it possible for a family of 4 to stay in the cabin.
In the main part of the Dart cabin, there is a bespoke double bed with inbuilt pull-out storage underneath; a fully fitted kitchen and bathroom and a luxurious log burner for those cosy winter nights.
Cabin Access
The Green’s Dart is on top of a hill on the edge of woodland, next to a beautiful old oak tree with views down into the valley. The secluded, sloping site made access and delivery very tricky, especially as the property is down a mile-and-a-half long lane with restrictive tree canopy on either side.
Anna Green said “Not only are Life Space Cabins full of brilliant design ideas, they are also incredibly solutions-focused. Jamie and Jerry never seemed phased and they went out of their way to overcome the difficulties we faced in getting the cabin physically on to the site”
We had to rally the local community to get the cabin delivered – our local network and knowledge always helps in these situations. In the end, the Dart was built in our workshop, driven by us to a second yard, craned on to a local farmer’s tractor trailer and he drove it (under our supervision) across the fields to site! A true team effort with some incredible photo opportunities which is all part of the couple’s Devon adventure.
What’s next for the Greens?
Now The Dart is nestled in its fantastic new home, the Greens can’t wait to share the magical space they have created with friends and family. As well as having the occasional sleepover themselves, with their 8-year-old daughter.
They also have plans to rent their Dart cabin as an occasional holiday let in order to fund their commitment to a local rewilding project that they are hoping their woodland will be a part of. The project will create a ‘wildlife corridor’ to protect local species. In their idyllic location in-between Exeter and Dartmoor and near the local villages of Ide and Longdown, any guests to the holiday let cabin will be spoilt for choice with local walks, beauty spots and activities.
Client Feedback
The Greens say: “We really love our Dart cabin (now renamed by us as ‘The Kuhvee’)! It exceeded all of our expectations in terms of design, details and sustainability. It looks completely at home in its new setting, like it’s always been there. We’re very happy with it and look forward to sharing it with friends and family.”
Stay in the Kuhvee Cabin
