An Amish cabin is a LEGACY—not a mere home. So, ordinary features won’t work here. Every detail and every single feature should be purposeful and should ensure quality.
Throwing together 4 walls, a wooden roof, and a floor was never the solution. Amish-built cabins are supposed to LIVE with you, and it’s not as simple as picking a spot in the woods and dumping a pile of lumber there. It requires intelligent effort, and thoughtful decisions while considering the features.
This way, you can enjoy the IN’s pleasant sunsets while having a cup of coffee in your breathtaking masterpiece of comfort.
Jump in to find out why the 10 features are super important to add when building an Amish cabin in Indiana.
10 Features to Add When Building an Amish Cabin in Indiana
Looking for a beautiful place doesn’t require effort, but building a beautiful place? Sure it does!
A beautiful place isn’t just about speedily joining plywood through shortcuts. It actually requires attention to detail while doing everything and adding soul to that building process, never mind if you’ve builders WORK for you, or you’re on a DIY adventure.
Here are the top 10 features of an Amish cabin you must consider while building your dream structure in Indiana.
1) Handcrafted Wooden Interiors
Interior is not just about decoration, it’s a reflection of your personality. Skilled and professional Amish cabin builders know what kind of wood interior will complement your space. Talking about Indiana, there’s nothing better than considering hardwood, be it oak, maple, or hickory.
These woods are not just ultra-durable but ensure a smooth finish, adding charm and a touch of modernity to your space while being traditionally ambient. Red oak is considered the most resilient and durable of all these woods.
In the world of impersonal, disposable, and factory-made furniture, every living space craves the human touch.
So, make sure your cabin has hand-carved moldings and custom wooden cabinetry in it, only if you want an unbreakable longevity vow.
2) Energy-Efficient Insulation
Indiana’s winter can be super CHALLENGING. To stay calm and warm during those chilly times, you need to consider thoughtful insulation options that don’t increase your energy bills.
If your Amish cabin builder is experienced, you don’t have to ask for insulation. As the experienced builders already know how thick your Amish cabin walls should be. The thicker the walls, the warmer you’ll feel inside your space, never mind the daily temperature drop.
It’s not really about winters, your cabin should be efficient enough to make you feel good throughout all seasons. So, wall thickening can be an effective insulation solution for both summers and winters, as in summers it will block heat, and in winters, it will store heat and block the cold wind.
Another super-efficient insulation solution is to blow sheep wool in the Amish cabin walls, such as in the wall studs, floor joists, and roof rafters. This way you’ll have the most breathable insulation in your cabin.
3) Traditional Amish Joinery (No Nails Approach)
Amish-built cabins don’t really need NAILS, dovetail joinery is more than enough.
In fact, research shows that dovetail joinery and mortise-and-tenon techniques not just ensure the traditional aesthetics, but are extra powerful and resilient as compared to the common nails, screws, and metal brackets approach.
4) Custom Built-In Storage & Furniture
Furnishing a small Amish cabin is no doubt a challenging task that demands a thoughtful approach. It’s not all about simplicity or a minimalistic approach but about considering those storage solutions that are 2-in-1 and save the SPACE. As better said;
Every inch matters!
So, what to do? As per the cabin’s vibe, only wooden hand-crafted custom-made furniture will suit your space. Your furniture list must include:
- Benches with hidden compartments so that you can store the stuff in there while using the space for casual sitting.
- Lofted beds! (It’s not just an idea for the kids. You can save an immense amount of space by having this bed and will be able to store almost half of the stuff under it.
- If your cabin comes with a staircase, fill the void. Add hidden custom draws in it where you can store the mess without distorting the design.
5) Off-Grid Living Features
There’s nothing better than living in an Amish cabin with features that promise sustainability.
Take solar panels, for example. Let’s talk about Amish households alone. Above half of Pennsylvanian Amish homeowners utilize solar panels, ensuring sustainable living while enjoying the perk of not paying for electricity.
If you really want to enjoy that minimalistic living in your Amish cabin, you must go for hand pumps. You’ll save electricity while enjoying this old traditional water method.
Similarly, you’ll get close to nature by avoiding common stoves and utilizing wood-burning stoves. You’ll not just get super delicious food, but the natural warmth will cover you in IN’s chilly winters. What’s better than that?
6) Locally Sourced, Eco-Friendly Materials
Instead of going to the market and investing in a material that doesn’t even promise durability, consider locally sourced, eco-friendly materials. Starting from wood, Indiana is super rich when it comes to hardwood including oak, hickory, maple, and pine.
So, head towards the nearest forest and start harvesting the chosen wood. You won’t have to pay for the big transportation charges as it will be easily located. How is this practice eco-friendly? The carbon footprint of taking the wood from one place to another will be low, making sure everything stays eco-friendly.
Instead of going for luxury items for cabin construction, utilize the locally available stone and clay. Both of these materials are capable of increasing the strength and robustness of the cabin while also elevating the insulation so that you won’t have to pay for big energy bills in summers or winters.
If you have any old wooden barn or shed in your yard, ask your Amish cabin builder to utilize its wood during construction. This way you won’t have to cut more lumber, saving the environment.
7) Wide WrapAround Porch
Wraparound porches don’t just increase the beauty of your cabin but make sure your loved ones have a good time sitting there while talking to you.
Not only do these porches protect the inside of the cabin from getting direct sunlight and getting warmer in the summer, but they also provide you with enough vantage points to explore the beauty of the surroundings.
By adding Amish chairs or swings in there, the charm of this space will be doubled. You can also consider poly furniture for the porch as it is more durable for outdoor space than normal wood.
8) Amish-style kitchen with Wood Cook Stove
Wood cook stoves don’t just ensure healthy meals for your body, but also nourish your SOUL.
Modern technology, no doubt, has its own benefits that we can’t deny. But taking a break from it and spending time close to nature will not just help increase the bond with your family and loved ones, as making meals on the wood stove is not just normal cooking, but a whole vibe.
Your Amish kitchen will be incomplete without a deep sink where you can wash big utensils, including:
- Large pots
- Big Pans
How can we forget the baking? There’s nothing better than having cast iron cookware in your Amish kitchen, which will not just increase the aesthetics of the space but will efficiently bake the required food.
9) Barn-Style Loft Bedroom
Sleeping in a barn-style loft bedroom is nothing less than an adventure. As you’re way above the ground, you’ll feel extra cozy and will have a better sleep.
You’ll have enough space in your room for other furniture and activities. As an Amish cabin owner, you must not settle for anything less than an Amish loft bed. This way, you won’t hear cracking sounds just in answer to your simple movement while sleeping.
It’s hard to imagine how aesthetic a wooden ladder will look in your cabin. To even go further while making it look more appealing, consider adding bookshelves and drawers under the bed.
Thanks to the loft bed, you won’t have to invest in a large Amish cabin.
10) Passive Cooling & Heating Design
It’s not always about a hyped HVAC system, natural airflow and strategic positioning can promise a good temperature in all seasons without increasing your energy bill.
A professional Amish cabin builder will ensure natural cooling and heating with an efficient design. It’s all about attention to detail. For example, instead of positioning the windows towards the north, your builder will ensure the south orientation, which will help get more sunlight keeping your cabin warm during the whole winter.
But to avoid getting cooked from this direct sunlight in summer, roof overhangs come in. An overhang will stop intense rays from entering your space, but won’t even stop the sunlight completely to make your winter’s cold.
Stopping the sunlight can’t help when you don’t have enough air in your cabin. No need for a fan or an Air conditioner, vents and windows are enough.
High vents will let the warm air leave the cabin, while the low shades will let the cool air boost your mood during sunny days. This is what cross-ventilation can do without using a single watt of electricity.
Conclusion
Fighting nature has never been the solution. We have to work with it while finding smart and effective solutions.
Amish cabin and homeowners know how you can live better and work with nature without making an extra effort or spending an extra dollar.
It’s time for you to live in an Amish cabin that not just breathes with NATURE, but with YOU. Pumpkin Patch Market’s rustic Amish-built cabins are more than enough to ensure the comfort that you’re yearning for.