A Tiny Green Getaway Cabin on East America’s Outermost Inhabited Island

Bruce Porter, a journalist and retired professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, owns a tiny cabin in Ragged Island. This particular island is located 20 miles off the coast of Maine and measures less than one square mile. It is known as the home to the community of Criehaven, making the island one of the outermost inhabited islands on America’s East Coast. With the help of his daughter, Alex, Bruce built not only a living space after his retirement but also an entire green getaway of his own.

The Tiny Cabin

Owning a ¾ acre lot on the island since 1971, Bruce decided it was the time to build his own retreat after his retirement and his daughter graduated from architecture school. He envisioned different structures to build his perfect place on the island. With the help of Alex, his daughter, he built a little cabin that rises from its surroundings gracefully.

Taking advantage of its unwieldy site, the cottage was built as close to the water as legally allowed in order to make the most of the views yet far enough away from the greywater leach field in which the soil is quite deep to allow for a proper runoff. The cabin comes with a screen porch which was designed in a way that allows direct southern exposure for the solar panels.

Interior with White Pine Cladding

Bruce and Alex chose white pine to clad the interior. With the addition of the diagonal orientation, they were able to create visual interest to the neutral palette. Alex incorporated utilitarian features such as plumbing pipe and cattle fencing for the loft sleeping area.

An array of pillows from CB2, Muji, West Elm, Blu Dot, and Crate and Barrels adorns the L-shaped sectional couch in red on the first floor.

Since it is impossible to build a septic system on Ragged Island, a composting toilet was chosen for the bathroom. Only the stove and water heater operate off propane while everything else, such as refrigerator, is powered by solar cells on the porch roof. A wood stove can heat the house during chilly nights.

The deck was furnished minimally with two Leaf chairs by Arper and elegant lines of beach rock.

The occupants can enjoy the sun during breakfast in this built-in dining table and bench. It is a perfect option to save more space in the tiny cabin.

Via Apartment Therapy