I started gathering ideas for a small cabin more than 10 years ago and about 5 years before I began building a cabin.
A summer cottage in Norway. Small and sustainable.
During a 2003 trip to Norway, I visted a hand full of summer cottages and they influenced my ideas on how to use and multi-purpose tables, chairs, and furniture to make great use of a small space.
In the original ideas and design for the dog trog style cabin here at Two Mile, the larger cabin contained the kitchen area, and much of the cooking was done outside, weather permitting. My original plans had some built in limits: The first year, there was no permenant LP gas, and the I did not run electricity to power 220v appliances. That left the inside cooking options limited.
Snapshot from the Norway cottage, the two-burner cooktop and oven, built in to the counter space.
It was in one of the Norway cottages that an idea was planted that I later used in the kitchen here. Avanti sells something similar, I see now they have added a rotisserie to the oven. A small oven, with two electric burners on top. The oven heats to just over 400 degrees, has top and bottom elements for broiling or toasting. The top burners (with patience) boil water…although its quicker to boil the water in an electric kettle
Now that I have a permenant LP tank and feed to the cabin, my eyes and mind have been wandering the options of an LP commercial style (translated: hot burners) range that can be a bit more versatile. Normally, I cook for one, but when I have guests, I can easliy be cooking for 5 or more and often with varied food preferences.
Using a kitchen island — which up until now was pressed against a wall, I returned it’s function to that of an island. In Stephen Atkinson’s original design for the Zachary House, the design whcih inspired my plans here, his kitchen features a centered “altar” table. The island now mimicks his original thoughts and I have to nod to his design brilliance…it makes the space seem larger and homier.
The space for the new range, next to the 110V cooktop oven that has served many meals here over the years.
So this week, with warmer weather, shorer snow drifts, and some willing helpers from the local co-op who delivers the LP, I’ll add an extension to the LP line to connect to the new range.
The new range will be only for cookingm not heating the cabin or heating water. By proxy, I’m sure it will add a few thousand BTU’s to the space as it is used. If the budget were bigger…..I mean several thousand dollars bigger, I might consider an Amish style stove – heater like a Kitchen Queen, or go all out with the AGA cooker (around $18,000)
