Contractor: Doric Construction
At 400 square feet, this cozy cabin on the Little Spokane River is tiny, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in quality.
Vaulted timber beam ceilings, travertine tiling and Kohler fixtures are just a few of the high-end finishes you’d expect to see in a custom build — except this home was built in a factory in Rathdrum and delivered on wheels to Jay Wisor and Audrey Kaplan’s 7-acre summer playground.
“Welcome to the Moose Caboose,” Audrey says, standing on the deck of the 10’ by 38’ cabin.
The Spokane couple purchased the caboose from Wheelhaus, a maker of prefabricated eco-friendly rolling luxury cabins. Designed to look like that of a train, the caboose features one bedroom, a sleeping loft, a kitchen, bathroom and a family room. Compact, yes. But surprisingly spacious, thanks to the high ceilings, sliding glass doors and large windows.
“We wanted something relatively small, relatively simple and relatively rustic,” Jay says, adding the size fits their family of four perfectly.
The gabled roof system, timber beam structure, sliding barn doors and reclaimed ranch wood give this tiny home its rustic yet modern feel.
All of the finishes except the floors, countertop and cabinets are standard, making this a convenient turn-key investment, which appealed to the couple who wanted luxury without the high price tag and headaches that go along with building a home.
“It’s small but everything is nice,” Audrey says. “You’re not sacrificing quality. That was important to us.”
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The rolling cabins, built on wheels, are classified as a recreational vehicle and meant for travel. But the Wisor/Kaplans wanted something permanent. So their contractor Doric Creager, who introduced the couple to the Wheelhaus idea, put in a concrete foundation. He also coined the cabin the Moose Caboose after seeing a family of moose wandering near the construction site. The Wisor/Kaplans took it from there, having fun with moose-themed décor.
One of the main attractions of the caboose is it allows the couple to keep their footprint small. Their eco-friendly cabin runs on solar energy, has a 500-gallon propane tank and a well with a solar pump.
“We’re totally off the grid,” Jay says.
“We have no water or energy bills. We are totally self-sufficient. We wanted it to be green. We wanted to emphasize being outdoors.”
He gazes out of the large window in the family room and jokes about getting his screen time.
“Most of what is important to us is outside these walls,” he says.
And that’s precisely the reason for the tiny cabin.
“We are by far the small kids on the block,” Audrey says, with a laugh. “But we love it.” N
By Kristina Lyman
Photography By Joel Riner
As Featured In: 2018 Summer/Fall SPO Edition
