“Cabin Porn” Is Cozy and Totally Safe for Work

From a road-ready living space from Japan to a barge-mounted house that travels around various rivers within North America

October 2, 2019 6:00 am
The new book "Cabin Porn: Inside" offers a glimpse inside a number of memorable homes.
The new book "Cabin Porn: Inside" offers a glimpse inside a number of memorable homes.
Little, Brown and Company

There’s something deeply satisfying about a nicely-designed cabin. For some, a cabin might be home: a modest structure that holds all of the essentials needed for life. For others, a cabin is a retreat, a way to get away from it all and embrace a life closer to nature. And for even more people, looking at images of stylish cabins is a way to live vicariously, to imagine what might be if we lived in such a place.

The new book, Cabin Porn: Inside, a collaboration between editor Zach Klein, writer Freda Moon and designer Matt Cassity offers readers glimpses into a disparate group of cabins all over the world. Whether your taste leans more towards opulence or austerity, there’s a lot to savor here — and even more to inspire. 

The definition of “cabin” is a loose one here: while there are some structures that hew to the archetypal image of a cozy building in the woods, Cabin Porn: Inside also features a road-ready living space from Japan and a barge-mounted house that travels around various rivers within North America. 

In his introduction, Klein writes that this book “serves as a reference for both the cabin builder and anyone seeking perspective on how to create spaces that just work — the ones that spellbind us with their warmth and ingenious simplicity.”

While there’s impressive design to be seen in all of these entries, some of the most captivating aspects come from the lived-in details: rumpled sheets on a bed or books leaning against each other on a shelf. At their best, these are places that feel like home.

And if Cabin Porn: Inside inspires you to strike out into the wilds with a handful of lumber and a portable generator, why not? As this book shows, the options available are practically limitless. 

The InsideHook Newsletter.

News, advice and insights for the most interesting person in the room.