This southern California guest cabin is not actually a remodeled barn; there was an old barn here, and the property owner wanted to upgrade it, but architectural and design firm Dotter & Solfjeld found it had decayed too much to work with. As the next best thing, they created a new structure that has a similar feel and incorporates some of the lumber from the now-demolished barn as siding.
The interior wood is predominantly deodar cedar salvaged from other sources. Local woodworker Scott Constable made the cabinets and designed the built-in seats and storage space in the dining area.
The 714-square-foot cabin has a three-level stepped floor plan with the living room at the bottom, kitchen in the middle, and a bedroom and bathroom up top. The middle section also features an overhead sleeping loft where it’s actually possible to stand up thanks to a high ceiling and dormer windows.
A zoning requirement mandated two covered parking spaces, and Dotter & Solfjeld found a way to comply without departing from the rustic character of the site. The actual garage was designed to resemble a stable, while a trellis provides enough cover to qualify for the second space.