Michelle Kodis spent fleeting time in Colorado as a kid.
As an adult, Kodis never shook the romance of the same purple mountain majesties that inspired songwriter Katharine Lee Bates to pen “America the Beautiful” after her brief stint in Colorado more than a century ago.
The love affair that Kodis – who has penned several design and remodeling books – carries on with mountain living comes to light in her latest effort, “Modern Cabins.” Room caught up to the writer at her cliff-side home outside Telluride to talk about the evolution of the rustic retreat.
Q: How did you develop an interest in cabins?
A: A friend of mine has this beautiful cabin that’s exquisitely furnished with unexpectedly rich carpets and colors. She just gave me a key and said, “Use it anytime you want.” I would go out there and work, or just get away by myself, or with my dog, or with my husband, or with a friend. Something about being up there, completely removed from the everyday world, was really nice. … Even people who live in funky little towns need a retreat.
Q: What’s the difference between a modern cabin and a traditional cabin?
A: The big difference is that because our lives tend to be so hectic, when many people envision their retreat, they envision a place that’s warm and comfortable (and), that isn’t necessarily about roughing it. It’s about getting away and having some of the conveniences of home. It’s not about fixing leaks in the logs. People want cozy spaces with good light.
One great example is this little cabin in Canada that’s made from metal and glass. The glass is recycled; it was taken from office towers. The cabin is very basic, but this couple decided they just had to have a gourmet range. So they bought a Wolf range and converted it to propane. It’s just this little bit of luxury in what is otherwise a pretty basic cabin.
Q: What are some of the modern cabin building trends?
A: Historically, the classic log cabin was built with logs because at the time logs were plentiful. The truth is that logs are often not the best choice. There are maintenance issues.
In general, you see materials now that hold up and don’t require a lot of maintenance. You see siding made out of (moist- ure and mold resistant) Hardiboard. You still see wood but in cleaner, crisper lines with a more efficient use of space. You see a lot of built-ins, and new ideas about how a room should feel. A number of the projects are environmentally oriented and use recycled materials.
Q: Is cabin living for anyone?
A: In terms of lifestyle, no. My friend’s boyfriend cannot deal with being at her cabin. When he comes to visit, he has to go to the restaurants in Telluride. He has a lot of trouble retreating. I’ve also heard of city people who come to the mountains and can’t sleep because it’s just too quiet.
But financially, yes. Some of the cabins in my book are not affordable, but there are other examples of people using funky, cast-aside materials to build a cabin. I really think you can do it on a range of budgets, depending on the location. For instance, there’s this great company in Toronto called Bluesky Mod (blueskymod.com) that’s doing a prefab cabin. It’s 288 square feet with a living room and bedroom, and connects with a breezeway to a 128- square-foot cabana. You can just take it to your site and put it together.
Gibbs Smith Publishers will release Michelle Kodis’ book “Modern Cabins” in June.
