Plans do change

The nice thing about doing things yourself is that you are a part of making drawings or computerised layouts become a reality, and get a good feel for what works or what could work even better.  While you certainly can imagine yourself in a sketch-up, getting a feel for something around you is all together different, and there is certainly the flexibility to change one's mind if need be.

My original thought was to recreate many elements of the layout of the goldstream cabin, on a much smaller scale.  I really didn't figure on using the loft other than for storage as this was just a fraction of the space of the loft in the goldhill cabin with very little headroom, so not considering a permanent ladder or stairs would maximise the floorspace of the cabin.  I had intended to virtually make it into two rooms by placing shelving on the order of an open bookcase as a divider, the bed on one side and the living area on the other.  To maximise storage, I had six 24 inch base cabinets to provide a platform for the bed, and that part I did set up.  I tried that out for a while and decided that it was very inconvenient to have the bed that high (needing to have a step stool by it), so I reconsidered using the loft.  I did choose to go with a set of steps rather than having to deal with a ladder, which would have taken much less space, and also decided to go a bit larger than needed to double as a storage cabinet.  In the end that unit took up 30 inches wide by 40 inches deep.  Here again, I considered many alternatives, such as an alternating step configuration which would take up much less space, but instead settled on a six step arrangement that turns against itself after the third step much like a staircase with a landing would.  As the door was to one side of this, it also left me with a similar sized space to the other side, which I then used to make a booth style table with storage in the benches.  It maximised the living space but at the expense of a good share of floorspace. 

I took three of the 24 inch cabinets and placed those on the back wall, so this would more than double the counter space, and then instead of floor to ceiling wall cabinets I just went with upper cabinets and bridge cabinets (the type one would have over a stove).  Later on I would also put wall cabinets on the other long wall as well, so I didn't lose cabinet space in the end.  The other three base cabinets then could follow along with the two burner cooktop to the other cabin, despite that I decided not to use them in the new cabin, it all fit in with other plans I had.

At this time, before anything had been fastened down (other than the heater) I also put down laminate flooring wall to wall, so if in the future if anything was to be moved, the floor was done under it (and not just the vinyl flooring that was installed in the cabin).  The laminate also went on the loft floor as well, and a mat type carpet runner was cut up and glued on the treads of the steps.