Set along the water’s edge, where a brook meets a small lake, this 1,000-square-foot off-grid cabin is a slice of heaven. Functionally and aesthetically, the cabin’s design embraces its natural surroundings—and its locally sourced hemlock cladding nods to the area’s lumber traditions.

Inside, the cabin is outfitted simply with white-painted drywall, light hardwood floors, black metal window frames, and a wood stove. Sleek furnishings in light wood, gray, and black echo the structure’s architectural details.

The minimalist interior allows Mother Nature to take center stage—floor-to-ceiling windows throughout the main living space frame views of the woods and nearby lake.

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The interior layout is designed strategically to connect the homeowners with nature. For instance, although the bedrooms are private and tucked in the back of the cabin, their windows overlook the creek. Other apertures are aligned with entrances, providing views of the great outdoors upon entering each space.

“Planning the interior of the Seabright Residence was an exercise in efficiency and using light and sight lines to expand the space,” says the firm. “The great room opens to the east with a window wall that faces the lake, flooding the dining and living areas with light in the morning. Strategic west-facing clerestory windows illuminate the vaulted ceiling in the afternoon, providing additional lighting for the kitchen and washroom.”

The exterior features a pared-down palette of vertical hemlock battens, horizontal black Maibec boards, and a standing-seam metal roof—which allows the cabin to quietly exist admist its forested backdrop. The owners are preparing to add a large wraparound deck to further embrace the site’s wooded, natural setting.

The cabin also is also designed to go off-grid. A south-facing hill behind the structure will be home to a 30-panel solar field that will be combined with an air-to-water high-efficiency heat pump to power the home's in-floor hydronic radiant heating system.

Related Reading:

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Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Peter Braithwaite Studio / @pb__studio

Builder/general contractor: Peter Braithwaite Studio

Structural engineer: Andrea Doncaster Engineering

Mechanical consultant: Equilibrium Engineering

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This Sun-Soaked Cabin in the Canadian Wilderness Is a Breath of Fresh Air