Get Back to Nature With These Small Cabin Plans

When you imagine a small cabin getaway, chances are you picture a rustic, one-room home made of stacked logs and river rocks. But the small cabin-style houses of today differ significantly from those of frontier times. The log homes of yesteryear weren’t glamping getaways or vacation homes. They were DIY at a time when an open floor plan meant there was no floor. 

Today, modern cabin designs can take you back to simpler times — without giving up amenities like a full bathroom and climate control. Whether it's a rustic rental or your own weekend getaway, DEN Outdoor’s small cabin plans allow you to create an escape from the pressure of modern life while still enjoying all of its comforts. 

What Are Small Cabin-Style Houses?

Tiny houses are all the rage these days because of their integration with the surrounding natural world, as well as their small footprint and lower cost to build. Usually single-room or one-bedroom designs, these small cabin floor plans are low on square feet and high on functionality. 

Features like generous front porches and wood stoves help you live closer to nature, while large-windowed designs keep things light and airy. Our small cabin plans check all the boxes for a low-cost, rich experience in a nature-friendly getaway. 

Living off the land in a home built exactly as big as you need sounds like the dream of many small-home enthusiasts. Our tiny cabin house plans allow you to get in on this trend without sacrificing style or comfort. Modern cabin-style houses continue the traditions of log cabins while including the conveniences we've come to know and love, like efficient heating and cooling, reliable plumbing, and even high-speed WiFi. 

Along with comfortable interiors, modern cabins come with plenty of room to enjoy the scenery and great outdoors. You can recharge at an off-grid retreat beside your favorite hiking trail or fishing stream, let your pup off the leash, toast marshmallows over a fire pit, and finally catch up on your reading list. 

Inspiring Small Cabin Plans

You'll find the perfect small cabin plans for you in our collection of house plans. Here are some of our favorites to help you get started. 

Stunning A-Frame Designs

One of the most iconic cabin styles, A-frame cabins are as practical as they are eye-catching. Not only are they easy and inexpensive to build but, when designed right, they're weather-friendly and very customizable. And if you’re renting out your new cabin, the standout design of these cozy cabins will have your Airbnb reserved year-round.

Take a look at some of our favorite, easy-to-build A-frames:

Functional and Affordable

The striking silhouette of an A-frame cabin makes these homes virtually weatherproof. Rain and snow easily slide off the steep roof and sides instead of gathering on top. This prevents the damage that heavy snow and pooled water can cause to flat-topped homes, saving you the money and headache of repairing a leaky or weakened roof. 

On top of that price-saving feature A-frames are inexpensive overall, with an entry point typically under $15,000. If you're looking for an affordable and easily maintained getaway or vacation rental, an A-frame might be just what you need.

Customizable

While the simplicity of an A-frame cabin is certainly part of its appeal for many homebuilders, some of us want more space than these straightforward designs offer. Luckily, A-frames are highly customizable, even with their one-of-a-kind shape.

You can easily modify an A-frame cabin by adding a dormer without disrupting the clean lines of the design. Our A-Frame Weekender features twin dormers that flank the main body of the house and provide extra space and light inside. In fact, the additional room in this design allows for a luxurious, full master bedroom.

Easy to Build

The distinctive shape of an A-frame cabin holds even more advantages. The entire structure is built of repeating triangles, making it an ideal construction project for beginners. The repetition in these extrusion structures saves time, even if you DIY your new cabin.

The smallest DEN A-frame can go up in just one day of building. Even with customizations and add-ons, one customer had hers built and ready for use in only four days. 

Our A-Frame Bunk Cabin can come together quickly to provide you or your guests a stylish getaway. The two-story home plans feature stunning floor-to-ceiling windows and strategically placed skylights that make this cozy cabin feel spacious and bright. With 14-foot ceilings, there's plenty of space for a lofted bedroom. 

You can add a kitchenette for a standalone tiny home, or set up a few cabins around a shared outdoor kitchen to accommodate a group of visitors. Each elegant bunk cabin feels like a modern hotel room where guests can have their privacy and enjoy stunning views from the comfort of their beds.

For a more luxurious experience, the A-Frame Bunk Plus features an extended design that includes a toilet and shower. The main floor can serve as a living room and dining area, or you can use the loft as a sitting room and create a master bedroom on the ground floor. These tiny cabin house plans are perfect for longer vacations or an artist's retreat, with enough space and comfort that you can stay until you're fully recharged.

Of course, small cabin plans include exterior features that complement your indoor living space. Make the most of the natural world surrounding you by adding a deck or a covered front porch that allows you to enjoy the outdoors and expand your living area. 

Modern Cabins for the Modern World

Cabins have always been reliable structures built with sturdy, yet inexpensive materials. Their floor plans are simple, inviting, and functional. We wanted to make sure we held onto those qualities as we reimagined the small modern cabin. 

Our small cabin plans celebrate light and the views of the natural world around you. They take advantage of geometry to work with nature in energy-efficient ways that balance the indoor climate year-round. While the spirit of adventure that draws you to the outdoors echoes the pioneers of the past, our tiny cabin house plans are designed for today. 

Check out a few of our favorites:

Sleek and Spacious

The Essential Guest House is made to complement our Essential series, a set of buildings that we designed for simplicity and constructibility. Together, the structures in the series can create a stylish compound or hospitality property. But the Guest House also makes a roomy cabin on its own.

The small cabin floor plan features generously sized rooms in the 550-square-foot design, with two spacious bedrooms, a kitchenette, and a full-size bathroom. The attached deck gives the feel of an outdoor living room, or you could use the home as a one-bedroom cabin and turn the second bedroom into a sitting room and dining area. 

While most tiny cabin house plans cover up to 400 sq. ft., the extra room in the Guest House doesn't mean it's extravagantly priced. The detailed instructions included with the homes in our Essential series call for readily available materials in standard sizes, which means less labor, less waste, and lower costs for you.

Arresting Architecture

The Outpost Plus will launch your small cabin plans into the future of design with its distinctive geometric silhouette and sophisticated interior layout. Still, gathering near the wood-burning stove while you stargaze in the evenings, you'll feel connected to the natural world in this modern home. 

With 925 sq. ft. of interior space and 25 ft. of floor-to-ceiling windows, this isn’t your traditional tiny cabin. Still, the open-concept design and unfinished wood walls will bring you back to simpler times. 

DEN’s Outpost Plus is perfect for a small family vacation, a full-time home, or a long-term rental. With a bedroom suite, full bathroom, and laundry closet on the ground floor, plus a spacious loft that can be used as a second bedroom or home office, you'll have plenty of room and comfort.

Small and Mighty

Don't let the modest footprint of the Modern Alpine Cabin fool you. The tiny cabin floor plans may only show 448 sq. ft., but with 19-foot ceilings, a large lofted bedroom, and a full bathroom with a soaking tub, there's no worry of feeling cramped here. Walkaround decking makes the outdoor space feel as expansive as the interior as well.

Like all of our homes, these small cabin plans are easily customized. We love the idea of adding a skylight balcony to our Modern Alpine Cabin. And while floor-to-ceiling windows are a crowd favorite around here, we understand if you’d choose a bit more privacy. Whether you opt for those or a half-wall, you'll enjoy plenty of natural light in this spacious cabin. 

Find the Perfect Small Cabin Plans

Small cabins are affordable homes where you can enjoy nature and get away from the troubles of modern life. DEN's small cabin plans feature clean and stylish designs with all the comforts of home, so you can focus on recharging in the great outdoors. 

Whether you're drawn to the striking silhouette of an A-frame build or a modern take on the traditional log cabin, DEN has a variety of tiny cabin house plans to choose from. 

We stand behind our designs as they are, but we want your cabin to suit your needs and style. We're happy to work with you to customize your small cabin plans. With a Complete package, you can create a DEN cabin that's truly unique to you.