Less than 1,000 square feet, and every inch counts

Sunset, June, 1991

Less than 1,000 square feet, and every inch counts This weekend retreat on Whidbey Island, Washington, packs all the comforts of home into less than 1,000 square feet. To accomplish this, architect-owner Don Greve made every inch of the basically 24-foot-square cabin count--reaching up inside the roof for a sleeping loft, and going down for a carport and storage room into what otherwise would have been jus a crawl space.

Open trusses give the small cabin a surprisingly spacious quality; you feel it the moment you open the door. And cantilevered alcoves off the main room add more floor space and widen the view.

Some spaces are multipurpose: the pantry off the kitchen is also a clothes closet, and the washer and dryer occupy part of the split bathroom. Across the hall from the bath is a small alcove that houses the cabin's one nod to luxury: a hydro-massage tub.

Outside, the 13-foot-wide front steps lead to a big triangular deck. Together, these areas expand the cabin's living space, and their form balances the strong shape of the hip-roofed building.

Although this shingle-clad, natural-wood structure presents a rustic face to the woods, white paint and bold black-and-white checkered flooring creat a bright, contemporary look inside.