You don't need a mountaintop experience or woodland dwelling to treat your cabin fever. The warm, rustic design details of a cabin getaway can be brought into your home no matter where you live, says Jeff Balmer, a fourth-generation builder, cabin designer and an owner of Lands End Development in Crosslake, Minnesota.

"Most everyone has those childhood memories of escaping to the lake house or going down to a beach home for vacation," Balmer says. "The first step to bringing a little cabin into your own home is to create informal, rustic spaces meant for entertaining people."

While it might not be in the budget to build a new mountain retreat or a house by the water's edge, Balmer says the relaxed energy found in a cabin can flow through an existing home. "We do renovations to a home's lower level, the master suite or a bonus room above the garage to create a getaway," he says. "The cabin feel in a home is about getting back to basics and using natural materials."

Combining Natural Elements

While beach cottages tend to be light, bright and white with cool colors throughout, Balmer says many traditional cabins tend toward warmer color tones, utilizing stained pinewood and natural stonework to achieve a rustic look and feel.

"A cabin should feel cozy, without being suffocating," he says. "An open floor plan or vaulted ceilings give cabins an air about them."

The four earth elements are often represented in a cabin's design: land, air, water and fire. "In a family room we see this all coming together: the stone and woodwork; the airiness of vaulted ceilings, the views through the windows of the lake outside; and, of course, the fireplace," Balmer says. "For those who are remodeling and don't live near water, people can purchase an indoor fountain and have the added benefit of hearing the water trickling, too."

Bringing the Indoors Outside

Cavorting with nature is part of the cabin experience. "There's always talk about bringing the outdoors inside a home," Balmer says. "But, in a cabin, you also bring the indoors outside, and building a porch is a good way to start."

Whether you're shooting the breeze or just catching one, a porch is a natural place to gather without having to stray too far from home. A transitional space by its very nature, a porch connects a home to the outside world.

"Some people enclose their porch, so they can enjoy it all four seasons," Balmer says. "Even on the smallest house, building a porch is high on the list for those who want to enjoy a cabin lifestyle."

Of course, a porch swing is a prerequisite for many, but having comfortable seating, surrounded by fragrant flowers and landscaping, is also an essential part of creating an inviting atmosphere.

An invigorating way to bring the cabin experience home is to install an outdoor shower, Balmer says. "It's not for everyone and certainly won't work in every residential situation, but if you're close to the beach, it makes sense to have one to get the sand off before going into the house," he says. "Some people even use them as part of their regular showering routine."

Balmer says installing an outdoor shower isn't difficult, but it requires a drain and a water source that can be shut off during the winter months in colder climates. Of course, the shower surround can be private or open to nature, but Balmer says there's nothing like washing up at sun-up in an outdoor shower.

Building Built-Ins

A cabin is meant to be a gathering place, so space can be at a premium with a house full of people. "It's in the cabin style to use every nook and cranny of a home, whether you're building a bookshelf or a bunk bed," Balmer says. "To create that rustic look, the trick is to use solid modern-day craftsmanship, but build in details that are usable and look like they've been there for decades."

A wide hallway became a bedroom in an O'Brien Lake, Minnesota, home when Balmer's team constructed a double set of built-in bunks along the walls. "A higher ceiling and plenty of light gives that bedroom-hallway a warm, cozy feeling," Balmer says. "And when you have a bunch of people staying with you, you need to use every bit of space you have."

Kitchen is Central

While the kitchen is most often considered the heart of the home, it is also the core to cabin-style living. "When it comes to home design, we often start with the kitchen, and the rest of the house flows from there," Balmer says. "You want the kitchen to be open, not only to the house, but to the outdoor spaces, where people can cook and eat outside."

There's no need to rough it in today's rustic kitchen. Built with modern amenities -- including a large range, refrigerator, well-stocked pantry and kitchen island -- the rustic charm comes from the use of antique decor and distressed cabinet finishes, which give the space character and warmth.

For a growing number of homeowners, the great outdoors has also become the newest frontier for culinary construction. An outdoor kitchen is built with amenities often found in its indoor counterpart, with appliances, countertops or cabinetry built to withstand a wide range of temperatures. A large gas or charcoal grill is often the center of the outdoor kitchen, but before purchasing any other outdoor appliances, look for the UL (Underwriters Laboratory) seal approving items for outdoor use.

A cabin's aesthetic doesn't have to be watered-down into an all-or-nothing endeavor in your home, Balmer says. "At the end of the day, creating a cabin is about creating a space where you can go to get away," he says. "If you can build another vacation home, that's great, but it doesn't take as much to transform a room or basement into your personal retreat."

Rustic Pleasures

For more information, go to LandsEndDev.com or call 218-692-LAND (5263).

(For editorial questions, please contact Clint Hooker at chooker@amuniversal.com.)

The standard shed takes a modern twist by creating a structure that adds square footage to a homeowner's property for a guest bedroom, artist studio, workout space, home office or man cave.

More than a simple storage unit for lawn and garden items, a thoroughly modern milled out-building is in for people who want to add livable square footage to their residential property, says Tim Vack, general manager of Modern-Shed Inc., based in Seattle since 2005.

"Our Modern-Shed isn't just a shed, it's a shell which can stylishly house additional living space," he says of the company with ten sales representatives across North America. "Based on mid-century architecture, the elegance of the Modern-Shed is the simplicity of a structure with a single-angled roof and windows near the top."

A Modern-Shed is used less as a gardening shed and more as part of a stylish backyard garden getaway, as the company claims to be the first to customize and produce mid-century style outbuildings that are International Building Code compliant. Capitalizing on this modern movement, even Tuff Shed, a company known for its barnlike and traditional-style sheds, offers a contemporary Premier Pro Studio shed, which can be purchased nationwide.

If a homeowner wants to shed the conventional for a contemporary outbuilding, there are many things to do before breaking ground. Vack says involving family members in the discussion of a Modern-Shed's usage helps to make it a little extension of the big house.

"Life is so stressful, and having a place to escape into the backyard is like having that tree house when we were kids," he says. "But if the site isn't prepared properly, a Modern-Shed can be anything but fun and games."

The location for a studio-style shed should be a relatively dry spot, on slightly elevated ground, where rainwater won't collect. Often, homeowners build their Modern-Shed over a solid or crushed rock surface, poured concrete pad or wooden decking, but the structure should be built at least 12 to 18 inches off the ground, according to Vack. "The site needs to be prepared and graded to handle the drainage after water flows off the roof," he says. "Also, site accommodations must be made if the Modern-Shed is going to have electricity and plumbing."

But before buying and breaking ground on the bitty building, Vack says homeowners need to do their homework and check with local accessory building codes within their municipality and/or homeowner's association. "Modern-Shed provides the ready-to-assemble customized and prefabricated building components, and after construction, the structure can weigh up to 5,000 pounds," Vack says. "But it's up to the homeowners to secure the permits and construction team to execute their dream for a Modern-Shed, or it can quickly become a nightmare."

Modern-Sheds come in a variety of sizes, but the most popular is a 10-by-12-foot structure, totaling 120 square feet. The Modern-Shed can be customized using a variety of materials and woods, with insulated walls that hold professionally manufactured windows and doors. Vack says the cost of a Modern-Shed can start out at $100 per square foot and top off around $250 per square foot. The average cost, however, is just over $150 per square foot, he says.

A Modern-Shed space can be used for both work and play:

-- A home office, the most popular usage, is a space that is both productive and professional, including easy commutes to and from the backyard.

-- An art studio for the artist-in-residence is a creative space flooded with natural light from windows near the roofline.

-- A home gym allows families to stay in and work out, then cool off outside.

-- A hobby or craft room puts an end to canvassing your home for art supplies while longing for a permanent place to sew, scrapbook or creatively sprawl out.

-- A man cave or game room allows families to bring their A-game home and socially engage by watching the big game on television in a penalty-free zone.

-- A teen hangout allows your home to be a drama-free scene by creating a special space for the young adults in your life.

-- A guest suite is sweet for visiting friends and family, with enough space and privacy to accommodate loved ones.

Building a backyard space sheds light on the charms of creating an additional private residential room without remodeling the existing home. "The concept of the Modern-Shed is growing, as the company is on track to fulfill 20 percent more orders this year than it did last year," Vack says. "Building a Modern-Shed isn't just about putting up a building, it's about a lifestyle, as homeowners also landscape around this new multipurpose room for a finishing and fragrant touch."

Shed Ready:

For more information, see Modern-Shed.com or call 800-261-7282.

(For editorial questions, please contact Clint Hooker at chooker@amuniversal.com.)

Utilizing natural light, while still maintaining privacy, need not be a design stumbling block in the home. Once relegated largely to commercial applications, the ease of installing clear block systems as residential windows and walls can be as smooth as glass, says Roger Murphy, president of Hy-Lite, a U.S. Block Windows Company in Pensacola, Florida, and a leading manufacturer of acrylic and glass-block systems since 1988.

"A modern design aesthetic in today's homes lends itself well to the use of acrylic and glass blocks," Murphy said. "Today, people are thinking outside the box, using these block systems in unconventional ways -- not just as windows."

Glass and acrylic blocks are prized for providing varying degrees of privacy and light transmission at the same time. In the past, the use of glass blocks in homes was largely limited to basement windows. Now, glass blocks and their acrylic counterparts are illuminating every room in the house.

Homeowners might become glassy-eyed when discussing design options, since glass and acrylic blocks come in a myriad of different colors, types and textures, but there are differences between the two products, Murphy says.

"There is much more design freedom when dealing with acrylic blocks, as opposed to glass ones," he said. "The most obvious difference is that glass-block design shapes are limited to right angles. Acrylic blocks have greater design flexibility because we can achieve architectural shapes such as arches, ovals, octagons and triangles in the factory."

Glass blocks can measure up to 4 inches thick or be twice as deep as a single-pane window. Traditionally, glass blocks were individually mortared together like bricks, resulting in a heavy, permanent and immovable fixture.

Today, preassembled glass-block windows are available in a wide variety of ready-to-install sizes. Hy-Lite manufactures pre-framed 2-inch-thick glass blocks that are incorporated into a substrate, which protects the blocks from cracking. Murphy says glass-block systems are also heavier than acrylic ones, so you will need to install them on a firm foundation to ensure your home can support the additional weight.

Conversely, acrylic-block windows can be used in both fixed and operable applications, as they are up to 70 percent lighter than traditional glass-block windows, Murphy says. Awning, casement and basement hopper-style windows are some of the most popular window styles that both open and close.

Because acrylic is a transparent thermoplastic made of synthetic resins, these blocks are easier to manipulate during the manufacturing process. In addition to different sizes and shapes, acrylic blocks can be easily colored or tinted to block the sun's rays. Extra insulating layers added during the manufacturing process can make acrylic blocks one-third more energy efficient than traditional glass-block windows, Murphy says.

"For our products, a block assembly of about a 47-inch square is just under $715 for glass block and just over $600 for acrylic," Murphy said. "Of course, you can find architectural salvage glass blocks, but you will need to factor in the time and labor of mortaring them into place."

Although glass and acrylic blocks are technically transparent, different surface patterns -- waved, ribbed, stippled, dimpled or gridded -- all distort views and refract light. Privacy patterns in the blocks eliminate the need for window treatments and are especially popular in bathrooms. They are ideal as not only exterior windows, but also as room dividers, kitchen backsplashes, shower enclosures and part of stairway railings.

-- In the entryway, sidelights made of glass or acrylic block make for a warm welcome, while not compromising the security of the space.

-- In an open floor plan, a glass- or acrylic-block wall or partition defines and separates spaces in a light and bright way.

-- In the kitchen, glass- or acrylic-block sections inserted between the countertop and the wall cabinets are a bright idea for a backsplash, while an island need not be unchartered territory when framed by blocks.

-- In the shower, glass or acrylic blocks are as durable and low-maintenance as ceramic tile, while providing varying degrees of privacy in which sunlight -- and water -- can stream.

-- On the stairway, glass or acrylic blocks can be a contemporary take on conventional spindles without compromising safety, while brightening up an otherwise shadowy stairwell.

Murphy says the use of glass or acrylic blocks in a home can flood the inside with outside light. "The use of glass or acrylic blocks allows homeowners to go more natural," he said. "Not only are they able to enjoy more natural light, they have the privacy to do so."

Let the Sun Shine In:

For more information, call 1-888-256-2599 or go to: www.hy-lite.com.

(For editorial questions, please contact Clint Hooker at chooker@amuniversal.com.)