How to Live in a Small Cabin

Partition off the cabin to create privacy. If you are living in a one-room cabin with your family, you may want to create some privacy by hanging fabric from the walls using a few nails. This can be used to separate the living area from the sleeping area or to separate the children's beds from the parents'.

Purchase an area rug to cover the cabin floor. Cabins usually have wood floors and are not well insulated. This can make the floor cold and uncomfortable to walk on during the winter. Laying down an area rug will make the cabin more comfortable to walk in barefoot.

Purchase cots to accommodate additional sleepers. If your family requires three beds, but there is only enough room to comfortably fit a double bed into the cabin, consider letting the kids sleep on the cots. They are easy to store during the day and set up at night.

Furnish the cabin with furniture that can serve multiple functions. If you intend to stay in the cabin for a long time, this will really help to save space and make your home more comfortable. For example, purchase a couch that can be made into a bed. A large enough table could easily double as a desk and kitchen prep area. End tables that have drawers make for more storage. Bookshelves are perfect for storing things other than books, such as kitchen supplies. Bunk beds are also a great investment.

Purchase a barbecue grill if there is no kitchen area inside your cabin. While a wood stove can be used for cooking, it would make the cabin uncomfortably hot during the summer. If you are lucky, your cabin may already have a grill outside of it. Another good cooking tool is a Dutch oven, which can be used as a replacement for a regular oven if necessary.

Purchase a mini-fridge if your cabin has electricity but not a kitchen area. This will make food storage much easier. It is a good idea to have several coolers as well, just in case you have any food that won't fit into the mini-fridge. If the cabin does not have electricity, you will have to use coolers exclusively, so make sure they are high quality and large enough to hold all your food.

Purchase storage bins to hold clothes, kitchen supplies or other personal items. To keep the cabin from getting cluttered, store bins that are not frequently opened under a bed. You can also stack them up, cover them with a cloth and use them as an end table.

Simplify your lifestyle and get rid of anything you won't use. If you are moving from a larger space, you may have great difficulty fitting all of your stuff into the cabin. To help cut down on clutter, get rid of anything you don't think you will use. This might include duplicate kitchen gadgets, worn out jeans or seasonal decorations.

Purchase a bucket and fill it with a little bit of water if your cabin does not have a bathroom inside. Place the bucket inside the cabin, near the bed. Although it may sound unpleasant, this makeshift toilet will come in handy when you have to go in the middle of the night or if you have an emergency. Clean it frequently to avoid a smelly cabin.

Purchase four medium-sized plastic tubs if your cabin does not have any sinks. You can use one of the buckets to wash your dishes and one as a sink for washing your hands or face. The two other tubs should be kept handy just in case you need extra water.

Hang a mirror in the cabin if it doesn't already have one. This might seem obvious, but you will curse yourself for forgetting when you wake up one morning and have no mirror to shave or apply your makeup in front of.

Purchase and install corner curtain rods. You can use these to hang your clothes on, or hang curtains from them to create a changing area or private, indoor, bucket latrine.

Purchase kerosene lamps and candles if the cabin does not have electricity. Although these might take a little getting used to, they are much better alternatives than feeling like you need to go to bed at 9:30 p.m. because it is too dark to do anything else.