Cabin in a Cabin

Chelan County, WA, United States

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Cabin in a Cabin

Chelan County, WA, United States

Firm

Syndicate Smith

Type

Residential › Private House

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2025

SIZE

1000 sqft - 3000 sqft

When Todd Smith, founding partner of Leavenworth-based Syndicate Smith, first stepped onto his clients’ wooded lot along the northern shore of Washington’s Lake Wenatchee, he didn’t yet know what shape the project would take. On the site stood a one-room log cabin from 1915—weathered by time and surrounded by a patchwork of ill-conceived additions. Drawn to the property’s undeniable charm and connection to the lake, the homeowners sought a solution that could reconcile two seemingly opposing goals: creating a modern home that paid homage to the site’s history. As Smith ducked through the existing cabin, the answer became clear: preserve the cabin. Make it the centerpiece. Like a relic in a natural history museum, the original structure would remain intact—on display, encased within a new, contemporary shell. The result is a compelling intersection of past and present.

Bringing the “Cabin in a Cabin” concept to life required precision, collaboration, and a construction team up for the challenge, leading Syndicate Smith to partner with Timberwood Construction. The team began by stripping away the cabin’s piecemeal additions to reveal the original, modest structure: hand-hewn logs and a storybook stone chimney, with personal mementos and messages still embedded in the mortar—a literal time capsule. Rather than demolish or alter it beyond recognition, Syndicate Smith preserved the cabin in place, letting it guide the design of the new home. Fortunately, the lot allowed for this approach, with enough space on one side to build out living areas oriented toward the lake and room on the other for three bedrooms.

Like a museum diorama, the original log cabin now serves as both artifact and anchor. As visitors approach the home, the structure appears behind glass—framed by large windows and seemingly frozen in time. Inside, circulation paths wrap around its perimeter, linking the private and shared spaces on either side, while the cabin itself functions as a cozy living room. Once restored to its original character, the cabin was left largely untouched, aside from a few roof logs removed to make way for pendant lights that now hover delicately above. Those extracted logs were repurposed as the home’s front door and built-ins, extending the material story throughout the new space.

The rugged texture of the original cabin is set in contrast against the refined simplicity of the surrounding space. A restrained palette and natural materials reflect the homeowners’ Scandinavian minimalist sensibility. Their lifestyle—closely tied to the lake and surrounding forest—called for modesty, functionality, and storage. The result is a space that’s warm yet modern, quiet yet expressive—a living museum without a trace of pretense. On the exterior, site-sensitive choices and fire-conscious detailing reflect the home’s proximity to Wenatchee National Forest and its wildfire risk.

The project reflects not only a thoughtful response to place but a deep commitment to memory, craft, and storytelling. Rather than erase or reinvent the past, the design embraces it—honoring the cabin’s quirks, preserving its materials, and integrating it as a living exhibit within the home, preserving what matters while making space for what’s next.

Project Details
Architect: Syndicate Smith
Architectural Design Team: Todd Smith, Principal Architect
Sam Wade, Project Manager
Chelsea Courtney, Architectural Designer
Hannah Hering, Interior Designer
Contractor: Aaron Lowers, Timberwood Construction
Structural Engineer: Eric Dann, BTL Engineering
Environmental Consultant: Grete Associates
Geological Assessment: Anderson Geological Consulting
Photographer: Will Austin