Our Pocono A-Frame: The Beginning
Two years ago we bought an old A-frame cabin in the Pocono Mountains as a potential winter retreat for our family. Built in 1970, it hadn’t seen many updates since—aside from a quirky duck-patterned wallpaper border straight out of the ’80s. The cabin came “fully furnished” which was code for we would have to get rid of everything. What was salvageable, we gave away on FB. The rest went into the first of three dumpsters.
At just 1,000 square feet with three bedrooms and one bathroom, the cabin was cozy, but the realtor photos made it look much bigger and more polished than it actually was.
The Not-So-Fun Surprises
Even though we had an inspection before purchasing, the real work began once we started peeling back the layers. Beneath the surface, we uncovered a long list of issues that needed to be addressed before we could touch the projects we were planning. That first summer was spent in the crawl space replacing rodent-infested insulation, plus tackling electrical and plumbing headaches. Once the big problems were under control, we finally got to focus on the creative side of things.
Tackling the Exterior
The exterior was our first priority. We really wanted to hilite the modern, midcentury vibes that A-frames are known for. The prior owner had wrapped the cabin in aluminum siding that was not in keeping with the style of the cabin. Not only did the siding need replacing, but the front of the cabin felt oddly off-balance. For an A-frame—an architectural style known for symmetry—the layout was puzzling. The front door was awkwardly off-center, the windows were a mismatched mix of casement and double-hung, and the second-floor balcony wasn’t even accessible. To make matters worse, the southeast side of the house had no windows at all, leaving the interior dark and gloomy.
Mr. HomeSpunStyle and his brother got to work stripping off the siding and removing the front windows. Then, they realigned everything to create the symmetry an A-frame deserves. Upstairs, we swapped the front window for a new one and eliminated the balcony. The bedroom was too small to justify it, and the balcony itself was little more than a catwalk, so saying goodbye felt like the right move.
Making It Work on a Budget
Because unexpected expenses—like a new well pump, water heater, and all those electrical and plumbing upgrades—ate into our renovation budget, we had to get creative. Luckily, I love a good challenge! One of my best finds was a huge haul of white cedar shingles on Facebook Marketplace, enough to reface the entire front of the cabin for under $1,000. That score alone made up for some of the earlier surprise costs.
We also added 2 roof windows to the southeast side of the cabin to bring much-needed natural light into the cabin.
For the back of the house, we removed the dilapidated back porch and opted for budget-friendly T1-11 siding. painting it Benjamin Moore’s Wrought Iron (a deep, almost-black shade).
We also swapped the back door for a full-view version, which instantly brightened up the interior.
What’s Next
Next time, I’ll share how we restructured the floor plan to make the interior function better — and finally started turning this old A-frame into the cozy retreat we imagined.
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