Deluxe Lofted Barn Cabin

There's a little place that sells Derksen portable buildings in Dayton and I always have a hard time passing it by, without stopping to roam thru the cabins and sheds, whenever I venture to town. Last week we stopped by again and got more information about the options and pricing of these little darlings.

This is a Derksen Deluxe Lofted Barn Cabin. This one is 12'x30', the smallest of their 'Deluxe Lofted Barn Cabin' style which come as large as 16'x32'. It's the most expensive style with the unique corner porch and bumped out windows, but also eats up more interior square footage than the others.

The price is $7,925 before tax, free delivery within 50 miles. It comes standard with 2 lofts, but the lofts are high and have little headroom above them. Optional extras to make the lofts more usable would cost extra. 8' walls are $500, lower loft (which come standard at wall height) $100 each. You can add more windows, 2x3's are $75 and 3x3' windows $100, a 2nd door is $200. So there's lots of options.
I was asked to check the 'rent-to-own' deal, so here's how it works. Monthly payments would be apx $360 for 36 months. Each month $260 of the payment goes to pay down the principle and $100 goes to 'rent'. I believe the down payment was one month's rent, and there is no penalty for early pay-off.

I found it difficult to arrange an interior lay-out that functioned well for us. It's hard to use that bumped out space. Possibly a kitchen/eating area, maybe a large built in window seat and extra bed. You'll notice I don't have ladders or stairs figured out. The door being so far into the cabin is awkward as well, in my opinion at least. 

 These are photos of the same style cabin only 4 feet longer at 12x34. They can be finished out really nice. The bathroom is behind the kitchen, and bedroom beyond at the end of the back of the cabin.

Nook in the front of cabin

Designs for a Loophole Cabin - 1

If you have Google's free SketchUp program
you can download this 3D file for a virtual 'walk-thru' here:

Loopholer Cabin - Tin Gables

The idea behind this design is it allows the option to build this house in 3 phases, but livable once the center unit with sleeping loft is complete. The bedroom and living room units could be added later.

I designed these with SketchUp and 'skinned' it with the very rustic materials I have available here now, rusty tin and salvaged barnwood. I should have stopped and got a screenshot of the basic floor plan before I got this far but no doubt this is just the first of many arrangements, styles, and materials. Next time I'll get a screenshot of the floor-plan.

Three rooms with a loft in the middle. NO, those are not skylights! Lol. I cut panels out to see inside. 

I added a false 'western' style front to the top mostly because I'm a pioneer at heart, and I struggled to get a rounded roof to overhang properly.... . I gave it a name and added a Texas star just because it needed something. I should have called it Rusty Ranch, maybe the next one.

My 'Hide A Camper' Cabin

I've been toying with the idea of building a false front to disguise a camper trailer to look more like a cabin. I see cheap campers I could gut and remodel if necessary, but they are usually really ugly outside as well. My thinking is a deck and false front would hide the ugly exterior and a covering over the whole thing would resolve any future leaky roof issues and serve as additional 'living' area if I screen it in. I did these drawings using SketchUp from Google, it's free and easier to use than expensive cad programs. 

I'm sure there are ways to build something like this to fit most any camper, maybe larger screened windows on the false front? If this were on a vacation property somewhere I could imagine adding a bedroom, maybe even a funky semi-outdoor shower. We could pull a small camper up and basically 'dock' to our little cabin in the woods. Just thinking out loud..... 

The Hayloft - Guest Apt Over The Barn

My father helped me build this little guest apt over the barn, that he also helped us build. It's still needs some details finished. 

I tiled the counter-top need to finish trimming it out.

I turned this box found discarded on the side of the road into a vanity.

I cut out the doors, stained the top, set a sink in it.

The bathroom still needs paint or wall treatment, and I like the vanity and will find some doors or maybe I'll make curtains. I think it'll look pretty good. The mirror is from a vintage dresser owned by my late father-in-law.

The windows need sills and trim. 
I don't want to talk about the color.... but it's not quite what I had imagined....

 I just painted the plywood floors for now. Good enough.

 The back of the barn - upstairs entrance to loft. Need to get those 4x4's leaning on the landing moved.

This is from the barn looking back at toward my house.

Lol.  Barn Art from lawnmower blades!

View of the front of the barn. I'll add a pulley and rope system just like a real hayloft would have, and use it to haul up groceries!

Hammock and a fire pit

View from my house, of the barn in the back.