The Family Handyman Getaway Blueprint
Updated: Sep. 07, 2021
Want to see the blueprints and sketches of our Getaway dream cabin? Explore how the Family Handyman team first envisioned the layout of our modern and innovative build.
Now that our editorial and creative teams at Family Handyman have completed work on the Getaway, a vacation cabin in the woods of Northern Wisconsin, we wanted to share with you some of the early renderings of what they imagined the modern structure to look like.
Spoiler alert: This is no spoiler! These iterations reflect the design process our teams went through as they navigated the Getaway project. They’ll give you an idea of what the team’s sense of style and design considerations were as the project progressed.
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The Getaway: Sketch 1
According to Associate Editor Jay Cork, the team’s early concepts hinged around two elements: the sliding patio doors and the common area between the two structures.
“Back then the common area was augmented by the overhead garage doors on either side of it, thereby maximizing the open space,” Cork says. The team, he added, “also wanted the food prep/cooking area inside to flow nicely to the outdoor grill/fireplace area.”
The Getaway: Sketch 2
As you can see, these early renderings showed themes of contiguity and ease of movement, which naturally inspired the builders to create a structure with a simple, open plan. Cork says these sketches, with their down-to-earth elements, also reflected the idea of the property being a mortgage-free cabin.
The Getaway: Blueprint of the Deck
“Before deciding to add a basement, we had planned on pouring a slab that would have comprised the structure plus the outdoor common area,” Cork says. “With that addition, we thought it now made sense to go with composite decking with wire railing.”
The Getaway: Final Blueprint
Cork called openness the guiding principle for the main level design on this final version. Every aspect of the main level — the kitchen, living room and outdoor common area — had an unencumbered flow. The sliding patio doors and an all-glass garage door fit seamlessly into this idea.
