Building a DEN A-Frame 2.2 in the Poconos for a Romantic STR Retreat

Building a dream getaway starts with the right cabin plans, and Jonna and Shariq's Reverie Room is a perfect example. Designed using modern A-frame house plans, their cabin in the Poconos shows how a thoughtful design can balance cost, customization, and comfort. The result is a stunning retreat that doubles as both a personal escape and a short-term rental property.

From the beginning, the couple compared different approaches — from prefab cabins and traditional builds to A-frame kits and fully custom designs. What set DEN's A-frame house plans apart was the flexibility: a structure that could be adapted to the landscape, offer large windows and loft space, and still stay within a realistic budget. That combination made the Reverie Room feel intentional from day one.

The location in the Pocono Mountains amplified the value of choosing the right design. By starting with small cabin plans that emphasized indoor-outdoor connection, they created a space where natural light, forest views, and year-round usability all come together. Features like a lofted bedroom, open living space, and a deck for entertaining help the cabin feel both cozy and expansive at once.

More than just a getaway, the Reverie Room shows how modern cabin plans can turn into a long-term investment. Whether used as a rental, family retreat, or creative project, this A-frame cabin demonstrates that the right plan doesn't just provide a structure — it creates opportunity.

Check out their Airbnb page and their Instagram @thereverieroom.

From Surgeon & STR Pro to DEN A-Frame Builders in the Poconos

Mike: All right guys. We're gonna start with the easy questions first. Who are you, where did you build a DEN, and which DEN design did you pursue?

Jonna: I'm Jonna.

Shariq: I'm Shariq.

Jonna: We're husband and wife. Yeah. And business partners.

Shariq: Yeah. We built the DEN A-Frame 2.2, in the Poconos.

Mike: Awesome. Do you guys also live in Pennsylvania?

Jonna: We do. We're in the suburbs just outside of Philadelphia, and we invest in real estate. We have a few up in the Poconos, some here in the area, and some in California.

Mike: How many properties do you have under management currently?

Jonna: Seven.

Mike: Seven. Holy smokes. You guys are pros.

Jonna: Rookie status still, I think. But I think we have enough experience to talk about building and managing properties and short-term rentals, and how DEN fits in with that. So we're excited to share with everybody.

Mike: What do you guys do during the day? Is anyone full-time on this business?

Jonna: Shariq has a day job.

Shariq: I am a trauma surgeon. But this has been a passion, so whatever time I can get, I try and put into real estate.

Jonna: He's my employee and I'm sort of full-time on the real estate stuff.

Shariq: More than anything, I think it's very cathartic and it's very grounding. I find it very peaceful to work in construction and building — just very relaxing after a long day and a long night.

Mike: As a software designer by trade, to be able to do things in the physical space and have this kind of lasting outcome — building a house is an incredibly rewarding experience.

From Rehab Projects to Ground-Up: Finding the Right DEN Cabin Design

Mike: Across these seven properties, how many of them did you build from the ground up? Or was this your first time up to bat?

Shariq: I had grown up around construction — my parents did some ground-up construction — but Jonna and I together had only done heavy rehab, like down-to-the-studs rebuilds. We hadn't really tackled any ground-up construction before, but we started two projects almost simultaneously: this one in the Poconos, and another in California. Ground-up construction is certainly a whole beast on its own.

Mike: What about DEN attracted you to the design portfolio? Was it a specific design? An aspect of the process? What landed you at our front door?

Shariq: I was looking for options for both properties — one outside Joshua Tree in California, and this one in the Poconos. I was looking for something with a smaller or medium footprint that could also look really cool. Around this time, COVID had started and there were a lot of YouTube videos about container homes and prefab homes. So I started looking into those, and then all the permitting issues that come with them.

Shariq: I went back to stick-build, and there honestly aren't too many cool plan options out there. DEN kept coming up. And then Robuilt — who I'm sure a lot of your audience will also know — he mentioned you once, and I looked at all the plans and this was absolutely the coolest looking, tightest project. Everything was laid out very well. I could take a leap and say this would be a great fit.

Mike: Awesome. And yeah, shout out to Rob. We actually have a ton of overlap between customers and audiences. We also spend a bunch of time trying to make the construction documents and all the assets we provide to you guys as robust as possible, to take a lot of the guesswork out of the process.

From Permits to the Mile High Loft: The Poconos A-Frame Construction Journey

Mike: The property you built on is part of a planned community or HOA, is that correct?

Shariq: Yes.

Mike: And I'm sure the HOA has some provisions that prevent certain types of housing from appearing in the community. Is that right?

Shariq: Exactly. I think it was more the township than the HOA — if you're doing prefab and everything's done at a remote site, they cannot inspect it during different stages. One option was to fly out a local inspector each time a new stage is done, but that's pretty costly. The HOA does have some rules, but those weren't as restrictive in our situation.

Jonna: Except the height of the A-frame.

Shariq: Yeah — the only real thing that came out of the HOA situation was a height restriction. For this plan, we had to drop the height down, which took some headroom out of the upstairs bathroom.

Mike: Full disclosure, I've stayed at this A-frame. It was awesome. Despite having to drop the height, can you tell us what's happening at the peak of the A-frame?

Shariq: Oh, that's all interior design — all hers.

Jonna: We couldn't waste that space. So we just had the builder create a little vibey nook at the very top with cool lighting and cushions. It sits above the bathroom, at the top of the A-frame. And the bathroom itself is basically a wet room — the whole room is the shower. But we think it's still a very useful and cool space.

Mike: And there's a sign in this super upstairs loft. What does it say?

Jonna: We have a neon sign that says "mile high." One thing we've found is that the A-Frame attracts people who are looking for a romantic getaway. And so we are really leaning into that. We call it the mile high room.

Mike: That's amazing. Tell us — how long did the project take from first shovel in the ground through to turnkey done?

Shariq: I think we were a little delayed because of the weather and some permit delays, but once we started, from shovel to finishing was a little over a year. Our contractor, Twin Builders in Poconos, is amazing. He did have a family member pass away mid-project, so there was about a two-month hiatus — but even then, he was amazing to work with. Start to finish, their construction quality, communication, and delivery on what they promised was incredible. Without the delay, it could have been done in about ten months.

Mike: What was your favorite part of the construction process?

Shariq: For me it's always framing — you see so much progress so quickly. We had never built an A-frame before. I'd never even been in one. So the day the metal roof went on and I saw it the next day — all dark black — that was amazing. And then when the siding went on and it was all black against the trees. Those are the two highlights for me.

Jonna: Yeah. When it turns from sticks into this black volume. You envision it and then it's there in front of you. I remember having a moment once they put the deck on the front and I was like, "Oh my gosh, it's a house." When they put the wood paneling on the inside — that was really striking. There were just so many moments where we were like, "Wow, this looks so good."

Mike: What was your least favorite part? The part with the most friction that you want to make people aware of?

Jonna: It was the beginning, right?

Shariq: The beginning is a little rough for ground-up construction. The county made me go through extra hoops to get a Pennsylvania-licensed structural engineer to stamp the plans, which added steps for no real reason. But after that, the DEN plans were so specific and so clean that there wasn't a lot of gray area between us and our contractor. We knew what to expect and he knew what he had to deliver.

Mike: When we first spoke, you mentioned you had acquired the property and were considering selling it — and then the DEN solution helped you thread the needle.

Shariq: Yeah. Whether to invest in this one and look a year or two into the future, or just sell the lot. The market had slowed down by that point, but once we cut the trees, it had some water views. I thought: with the right plan, this would be a success. It was very serendipitous that I came across DEN. I was like, "This is gonna be perfect for that lot." I ended up not selling it, and it was a great decision.

From Hot Tub to Cold Plunge: Luxury Amenities at This Poconos A-Frame Cabin

Mike: The property has a view toward a lake. Besides the mile high room, what other creature comforts did you add to make the stay really memorable?

Jonna: So the community has HOA amenities — lakes, playgrounds, tennis courts, pools. Outside the home specifically: a hot tub and a fire pit. Now that the weather is nicer, we're going to start adding more outdoor amenities. On the inside, I think people are looking more and more for architecture and interior design. In the Poconos historically, people just come up and go hiking or skiing — it used to be a lot of dated paneling and bare decor. But now it's much more sophisticated. People are seeking a mountain experience and they want to stay in something that's cool. The A-frame really fits that.

Shariq: And in terms of plans for outside — now that our backs are a little straightened out — we're looking at adding a sauna and a swimming pool to the backyard.

Mike: Outta curiosity, how are you guys going to approach the sauna?

Jonna: I don't even know what solutions exist yet. I know Costco sells them. Do I have to build it myself?

Shariq: There are quite a few options and a wide range. You can buy something from Costco, or there's a company out of Finland that just came out with a solar-powered one. And OOD makes one that's very cool. I also have to budget in a pool, so it all depends on price point, where it'll fit, and how modern to make it versus how rustic.

Mike: Well, I'm asking for a friend — because DEN is sitting on about 12 new sauna designs. A modular system: 8-to-12 person, 4-to-8 person, 2-to-4 person, and two-person options. Modular changing rooms, chill-out rooms, even deck components. So you could put a cold plunge right next door.

Shariq: Cold plunge was one of the other things I was thinking of adding outside. So that's great.

Mike: How do people find this particular property? Do you have a direct booking platform, or just Airbnb?

Jonna: Right now we're on Airbnb and VRBO. We've considered direct booking but haven't done it yet. You can find us on Instagram at @thereverieroom.

Mike: If I was searching on Airbnb, what area am I searching in to find the A-frame?

Jonna: The community is called Indian Mountain Lakes. The city is Albrightsville. It's close to Lake Harmony, Blue Mountain, Jack Frost Mountains for wintertime, and Hickory Run State Park. So there's a lot of really good outdoor activity right in the area.

Mike: And I think if my memory serves me, we were the first guests that stayed there. Is that right?

Jonna: That's right, yeah.

Mike: Amazing. How has the booking calendar looked since then?

Jonna: It's good. This is kind of the slow season for the Poconos, which is a good time to get started. The calendar's filling up, and once people switch into summertime mode, that's when it'll really fill up. We've hosted a few people and have some bookings coming. I'm excited to start getting feedback and reviews.

Advice for Future Builders: Why DEN Cabin Plans are the Best Choice

Mike: If you had a friend who wanted to pursue a similar project, what advice would you give them?

Shariq: First of all, I would absolutely, a hundred percent, recommend DEN. I've looked at many options since DEN, and I still keep going back to it — it was the best product and remains the best product. Look at the total cost of the project. Don't overbuild for where you are. Define your goal from the get-go. Because if this was for personal use, I might have gone larger or smaller. I knew I needed X number of bedrooms and X number of heads, which is why we only looked at three-bedroom options. And then we added bunk beds in one of the closets, because you don't need closets in an STR where people are only coming for two nights. Define the goal, then pick the right footprint.

Jonna: And one thing I want to mention — we told you we started two ground-up projects at the same time. The other one is nowhere near being completed and has been way harder. Between the two, there is a huge benefit to going with DEN. Because it's done — everything is done. You have the renderings, you know what it's going to look like. The bank knows what it's going to look like if you're using financing. It's just way easier.

"You guys have great designs. It shows that you work hard on it. They're sexy, modern, and I can't tell the future, but I think we're not done with DEN." — Jonna

Mike: Awesome. Well cool. Great to hang out with you both. Thanks for spending some time with me, and on behalf of the whole team at DEN, thank you again.