Home > Resort Residences > Coburn Design Build creates the rustic inspired Fishing Cabin as a multi-generational holiday retreat

Coburn Design Build creates the rustic inspired Fishing Cabin as a multi-generational holiday retreat

By Courtney Constable

|

Updated on

In the lush green woodland areas of Gunnison River in Colorado, creative design teams and architects at Coburn Design Build have recently completed a beautifully rustic and authentically constructed retreat home called the Fishing Cabin for a large family to share.

The cabin, which is nestled snugly right onto the bank of the Gunnison River, is actually shared between three different generations of the same family. It spans 2,100 square feet and boasts three bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, and all of the modern home amenities a person could hope for despite its quit rustic aesthetic and materiality.

From the beginning, the primary goal of the team was to create a place where modern comforts and local architectural history might meet and blend as seamlessly as possible. Although the cabin is new, it was specifically designed to look and feel as though it has existed in that very spot for centuries, becoming part of the scenery.

Besides offering a relaxing retreat space on its interior, the Fishing Cabin also boasts luxurious outdoor living spaces that give dwellers and visitors all kinds of fantastic opportunities to enjoy the landscape and the rushing river. This is partially thanks to how the cabin is organized like a classic ranch, with large common spaces inside and a degree of blending with outdoor spaces as well.

The cabin’s name is actually a practical inspiration and not just something designers put on for style purposes. It was built specifically with the needs and functions of fishermen in mind. For example, the cabin includes space to store one’s waders and gear safely on the porch to dry, just steps from the rivers edge, where there are plenty of spaces to cast a fly rod from.

That same porch area even boasts its own outdoor shower! This was included so that family members enjoying all the outdoor spaces has to offer can come in from the woods and the river, clean off the sweat and dirt, and immediately feel fresh before they even get back inside. There’s even a porch cooler for cold beverages right there in the shade and breeze.

The cabin is quite large, but it’s built specifically with large groups in mind beyond just its mere size. The way it’s organized and built with open-concept structures in mind is also conducive to the way the family enjoys their time in the space, sometimes visiting separately in smaller groups and other time gathering all together there at once, occasionally even with extra guests as well.

For those periods where everyone gathers together and the two main bedroom suites fill up, there’s the third guest bedroom which boasts enough bunk beds to comfortably accommodate up to eight people. These aren’t, however, the skinny, less than ideal bunkbeds that you might remember from camp. The cabin was built with luxury in mind, after all! These stacked beds are cozy enough that any member of the family would be happy to use them (even though the kids usually still claim them first).

On the outside of the house, designers opted to really prioritize the idea of making the cabin look like it has been standing on that land for many generations. They wanted it to look stylish and beautiful but comfortably natural and weathered. This influence their choice of beautiful stained cedar siding, which can be found on most, though not all, of the facade.

The red section of the house, where the stained cedar ceases for a visual moment, is comprised of reclaimed barn wood. The same is true for several posts and beams all throughout the cabin, both inside and out. This reclaiming of local materials adds an additional element of authenticity to the cabin’s materiality, aesthetic, and over all building process.

The cabin’s facade and structure also features a beautiful stone section, which encompasses the master bedroom and suite on the inside. For extra contrast (and also durability), the roof over this suite is also made from reclaimed metal, which is actually consistent with and resembles the older architecture typical of the area surrounding the cabin.

Inside the rooms of the house, designers wanted to continue the historical rustic feel, but in a way that feels well put together, with great attention to detail. Rather than appearing too weathered or simply “old”, the decor pieces and furnishings feel authentic and handmade, rather than simply rough or unfinished.

A perfect example of the team’s indoor design and decor goals can be seen in the living room, which is open concept for the sake of accommodating the large multi-generational family that spends time there. In this room, a grand and impressive traditional fireplace warms and anchors the room, but that’s not actually all it does. It is also double sided, meaning the family can enjoy the same gorgeous piece from the other side, sitting out on the patio in an open air lounge area!

In addition to doing some local reclaiming, the team on this home also did their best to hire locally for not only their crews on the ground, but also their artisans and handy workers as well. The custom metal railing outside the bedrooms upstairs, for example, was hand crafted by a local blacksmith.

Photos provided by the architect.

Avatar photo
About Courtney Constable

Courtney has over five years experience as a writer, editor and consultant who specializes in architecture and home interiors. She has contributed content to HomeDSGN since 2018 and her work has also appeared on MyDomaine, Archilovers and Apartment Therapy. Learn more about HomeDSGN's Editorial Process.

Leave a Comment