4 Pines Cabin – Tucked into Tahoe National Forest, CA

Follow along with us as we create the coziest remodel of our classic 60’s era A-Frame cabin tucked into Tahoe National Forest. We hope you enjoy the journey, find inspiration and maybe you’ll find the time to visit some day!

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• Our 5 favorite cabin must haves for winter
  When the weather starts to turn, we love to cozy up with our favorite cabin goodies. Here are 5 must haves we can’t live without. Spring is officially here in California but winter just won’t quit! Our historic snowfall and below record temperatures is keeping us on the slopes longer and snuggled in at night even tighter. Check out what we’re staying warm and cozy with during this long Sierra winter! Blankets, blankets and more blankets! Honestly you can’t have enough. Mix and match colors and textures throughout your home to create visual warmth and interest. A chunky throw is always a winner draped over your living room sofa or side chair. Keep a few extra blankets in a basket or slung over a ladder. We are big fans of Pendelton blankets. They are so warm and we love that most products are made in the USA. In the bedroom, I layer up the bed with my beloved Pendleton wool blankets. I’m never cold when I’m tucked in to my gorgeous favorites. Maybe you just want something that can be towed to the beach or used in the car, check out some of these blankets which offer much the same aesthetic but a fraction of the cost. Other brands are doing some amazing with using alpaca and other sustainable sources such as bamboo. Cozy house slippers When the temperature dips, there’s nothing worse than cold feet. I save my socks and choose to wear my favorite slippers. We have a small selection of slippers for each of our family members but my favorites are always lined with shearling and have a hard sole. Just in case I need to step out on the deck for more firewood. Bonus item – shearling shoe inserts could be a game changer if you have a favorite pair of slippers that just need an upgrade! Candles I love the warm glow of candles in the late afternoon and evening. Especially in the forest where the shadows tend to start mellowing the sunlight far before sunset. I like to have one on my mantle or somewhere in the living room and one on the dining table. I also like to keep a small, lightly scented candle lit in the bathroom. My favorite is Voluspa “Baltic Amber”. In the bedroom, I typically use a no flame candle, just in case I dose off. A good no flame candle will cast a similarly comforting warm light without the danger of a fire should you forget about it. If you have young children, you may consider those throughout your home. As far as cabin must haves, these are high on the list. We like Luminara the best, they are high quality and look so real. Luxurious towels We always keep our towel game high but it’s in the winter when it really counts for everything. There is nothing like getting out of a hot shower and wrapping yourself in a plush oversized towel. I like to go with a large spa towel, typically around 40″x60″ in size. Pair this with a towel warmer and you are in cabin heaven! Insulated mugs Mornings can be chilly. One thing I learned my first winter in the mountains is that you don’t use a standard ceramic mug for your coffee or tea in the morning. That is unless you like a lukewarm beverage in a few minutes. To keep your morning brew hot, use an insulated mug! Do yourself a favor and heat it up with some hot water before you pour in your favorite hot drink. You’ll be sipping on piping hot coffee all morning. Use them for oatmeal too! Everyone loves their Yeti but we are perfectly fine with our good ol’ Stanley thermos or Camelback mugs!
• What To Do When You have frozen pipes
  Take care of your pipes Making sure your pipes are insulated and ready for a cold snap is extremely important. Start early so you are prepared for an early arrival of winter and prevent frozen pipes. If you live in the home full time, when the temperatures are going to dip below freezing you can open your taps to allow a small flow of water through the faucet. Moving water does not freeze as fast. You will also want to protect the pipes with sufficient insulation. If your home or cabin is a vacation home, you will want to take some further steps. When your home is going to be empty, make sure to turn the water off and to drain all of the pipes. Some home owners will blow the excess water from their pipes using an air compressor. This is a step you can take if your cabin is a summer house and you won’t be there all winter. If you will be intermittently using the home, it is easier to put a cup or more of R.V. grade antifreeze down the drain. This type of antifreeze is generally considered safe for pipes and waste water systems. You may think about using a heat source on your hard to get to or basement pipes to prevent freezing. Products from companies like Omega have some interesting products. We haven’t tried this yet but are thinking about it! How to thaw your frozen pipes If you turn on a faucet and only a trickle comes out, suspect a frozen pipe. Likely places for frozen pipes include against exterior walls or where your water service enters your home through the foundation.Keep the faucet open. As you treat the frozen pipe and the frozen area begins to melt, water will begin to flow through the frozen area. Running water through the pipe will help melt ice in the pipe.Apply heat to the section of pipe using an electric heating pad wrapped around the pipe, an electric hair dryer, a portable space heater (kept away from flammable materials), or by wrapping pipes with towels soaked in hot water. Do not use a blowtorch, kerosene or propane heater, charcoal stove, or other open flame device.Apply heat until full water pressure is restored. If you are unable to locate the frozen area, if the frozen area is not accessible, or if you can not thaw the pipe, call a licensed plumber.Check all other faucets in your home to find out if you have additional frozen pipes. If one pipe freezes, others may freeze, too. Learn more about winterizing your home HERE.
• How To Winterize Your home or Cabin
  Knowing how to winterize your home or cabin is extremely important in maintaining your home and preventing expense mishaps. Frozen pipes can cause more damage than you can imagine. Here are some important steps to winterizing your home. Take care of your pipes Making sure your pipes are insulated and ready for a cold snap is extremely important. Start early so you are prepared for an early arrival of winter. If you live in the home full time, when the temperatures are going to dip below freezing you can open your taps to allow a small flow of water through the faucet. Moving water does not freeze as fast. You will also want to protect the pipes with sufficient insulation. If your home or cabin is a vacation home, you will want to take some further steps. When your home is going to be empty, make sure to turn the water off and to drain all of the pipes. Some home owners will blow the excess water from their pipes using an air compressor. This is a step you can take if your cabin is a summer house and you won’t be there all winter. If you will be intermittently using the home, it is easier to put a cup or more of R.V. grade antifreeze down the drain. This type of antifreeze is generally considered safe for pipes and waste water systems. You may think about using a heat source on your hard to get to or basement pipes to prevent freezing. Products from companies like Omega have some interesting products. We haven’t tried this yet but are thinking about it! How to thaw your pipes if they do freeze If you turn on a faucet and only a trickle comes out, suspect a frozen pipe. Likely places for frozen pipes include against exterior walls or where your water service enters your home through the foundation.Keep the faucet open. As you treat the frozen pipe and the frozen area begins to melt, water will begin to flow through the frozen area. Running water through the pipe will help melt ice in the pipe.Apply heat to the section of pipe using an electric heating pad wrapped around the pipe, an electric hair dryer, a portable space heater (kept away from flammable materials), or by wrapping pipes with towels soaked in hot water. Do not use a blowtorch, kerosene or propane heater, charcoal stove, or other open flame device.Apply heat until full water pressure is restored. If you are unable to locate the frozen area, if the frozen area is not accessible, or if you can not thaw the pipe, call a licensed plumber.Check all other faucets in your home to find out if you have additional frozen pipes. If one pipe freezes, others may freeze, too. Clean your gutters and check to make sure they don’t need repair If your gutters don’t drain well they will accumulate water. During a cold spell this water will freeze and damage your gutters. You may also have a dangerous situation on your hands if the gutter breaks and the ice falls. Seal all the gaps Seal all gaps in your doors and windows. Check on your basement or crawlspace vents to make sure there are no holes that critters can get into. You may also want to put a piece of aluminum foil over the vents. Don’t restrict the airflow but aim to prevent snow blowing into your basement or crawlspace. Clean your chimney If you have a wood burning stove or fireplace, make sure you are maintaining your chimney with regular cleaning and checks. Without proper air flow, dangerous smoke can fill your house causing a potentially life threatening condition. Fire danger is also a concern if your chimney is dirty. Test your smoke and CO2 monitors It goes without saying that even if you don’t have a fire place, the danger of a house fire or CO2 buildup is very real. Especially if you hear your home or cook with natural gas or propane, you NEED a CO2 monitor. Typically, you will need a CO2 monitor on every floor and smoke detectors in each bedroom as well as on each floor. Check your local codes to find out the specific requirements for your area. Winterize the exterior of your home Remove and store any hoses and gardening equipment. Homeowners should also clean up debris and items that may cause trips or accidents during the winter. You wouldn’t want to trip or drive over something that is buried under the snow. Lot’s of homeowners forget this when they winterize their home! Prepare your driveway If you live in an area that experiences heave snow, you will want to put up a way for plows to know where your driveway is. Usually homeowners opt for a very easy and affordable options such as a 5 gallon bucket with a long pole balance in either cement or stones to keep it upright. But there are really nice ones you can buy most hardware stores or online! Prepare ahead of time Having salt/ice melt available when the first snow falls is handy. When you winterize your home, don’t wait to buy it afterwards, have it ready by the door in a small aluminum trashcan or similar will save you time and anguish. And possibly slips and falls. Get your snow shovel out of storage and ready the sleds! Being prepared to Winterize your home early and thoroughly will ease your mind.
• 10 A-Frame Kit Homes You Can Buy Online
  Affordable and Stylish! These homes are delivered ready to build! In the early part of the 19th century, kit homes were very popular. They were advertised in newspapers and magazines by companies such as Sears and Aladdin Homes. If you’d like to learn more about the history of Kit Homes, check out THIS post. Kit homes are once again gaining popularity for many reasons, affordability, reduced construction time and great designs are a few of them. Here are 10 A-Frame kit homes you can buy online: Backcountry Hut Company A Kit House for the back country or back yard! “We specialize in compact modernist recreational structures, crafted to rigorous standards, designed to leave a minimal impact on our environment. Our collection of prefabricated, flat-packed building systems help individuals and organizations turn dreams into destinations, and can be configured to meet a variety of uses, landscapes, and lifestyle needs.” Den “We offer a remarkably easy way to approach building beautiful custom architecture, with a delightful all online process that starts with purchasing a DEN plan and ends with your dream home, cabin, or ADU.” Avrame “Avrames can be built anywhere you want and on any style of foundation, existing or new. They’re great for off-grid applications because of their roof angle, which is perfect for installing solar panels. Your house shouldn’t be a burden on your time or finances. Avrame houses are for people who value their freedom but still want a place to call home.” Lushna “Our distinctive wooden Eco lodging solutions are as big as the view. They come with everything you need – nothing more, nothing less – but give the most space to glamorous experience of nature.” Klien A45 Tiny House “Designed by world-renowned architect Bjarke Ingels and winner of the American Institute of Architects Small Projects Awards 2019 the Klein A45 is a tiny house with a focus on form, function and freedom. Give yourself all the space you need and enjoy an infinity of possibilities.” Bivvi We are a collective of architects, builders and creatives, passionate about good design for the great outdoors. Our goal is to connect as many people to the outdoors as possible. Bivvi Camp began in 2019 in the Pacific Northwest when two friends sought out to build a wilderness retreat inspired by the backcountry huts, fire towers, and yurts throughout the Northwest. From Mt. Hood’s Tilly Jane A-Frame to the Black Butte fire watch tower, these simple, purpose-built structures each relate to their own unique landscapes. MadiHome “Invented by the Italian architect Renato Vidal and developed with Modula-re and Palladino Architects SA based in Switzerland, MADI is a foldable modular living unit which is easy and fast to build. Speed is not synonymous with an absence of attention to detail. MADI houses are in fact designed to be equipped with every comfort.” Mighty Small Homes “We created Mighty Small Homes for a world in need of sustainable, strong, and highly-efficient home solutions that allow buyers to reduce their carbon footprint without sacrificing quality. Our premium small homes are designed to last for generations.” With lots of options to choose from, Might Small Homes is a great resource for all types of applications and designs. Star Energy “Star Energy SIP Panels, LLC is a manufacturer of structural insulated panels, used in building walls, roofs, and floors, made by sandwiching a core of polystyrene foam (EPS) between two oriented strand boards (OSB).  The result is a sustainable building with better indoor air quality.  The structural properties share the same superior strength as a steel I-Beam, making this framing system stronger than “stick built” construction” Q-haus: Cliff “Cliff is a modular house perfect for accommodation for friends and family members overnight. It also can successfully be used to accommodate larger groups of people in ski-resorts or rent the units out in Airbnb, or as a private lake-house for a romantic weekends. These modular houses are suitable in different climate areas all around the world. The idea of a Cliff is to offer more space with smaller measurements of the building with taking advantage of a smart-home technology for a more eco-friendly approach.” If you’d like to experience a CLASSIC A-Frame kit house, come stay at the 4 Pines Cabin for your next getaway! Follow us on Instagram or our news feed to stay up to date.
• New Floors in the A-Frame Cabin
  This past weekend we started our first project at the cabin. Seeing as everything else rests on the floors it made sense to start with our cabin flooring. We spent a lot of time looking at different options before finally deciding on luxury vinyl plank (LVP) flooring. Although we love the look and feel of real hardwood it wasn’t the right choice for this project. First, we have plenty of real wood around the A-Frame. More importantly, we need floors that will hold up to anything we throw at them. The 4 Pines Cabin is five minutes away from some of the best skiing in California as well as close proximity to Donner Lake, Lake Tahoe and some epic rivers, streams and ponds. Safe to say there’s going to be a lot of snow, mud and water on these floors. After pouring over just about 30 samples from various companies we decided to go with Rosun Flooring sold by our local flooring distributer The Wholesale House in Aptos, CA. The best thing about these floors (besides the fact that they are virtually indestructible) is the high quality look and feel. Despite being vinyl, they feel so warm like real wood, just like cabin flooring should! The color was tough, we didn’t want to be too matchy, not too dark, not too light, not too busy.. etc, etc. In the end, Maple Pecan was the best choice. The warmer tones matched the pine on the walls while the lighter hue helped to brighten the place up even more. The next challenge is getting these floors down. The planks are snap together floating floor, which is supposed to be easy but was more challenging than we thought. Our house is a “kit house” from Sears and Roebuck. So although our home is built solid as a rock, the paneling in the front of the house was slightly off. But once we spent some time getting that first row down just right, the rest ended up being as easy as we thought. There’s still a lot of work to be done at the 4 Pines Cabin, but we’re working hard and excited to show you our progress. Stayed tuned for before and after pictures on our Instagram page! Follow us so you don’t miss them. Next up is our kitchen remodel. Read more about that process and watch for our before and after photos.