Synopsis: Think about your dream home. Do rocking chairs, pine-scented air, screened porches, and cracking hearths come to mind? If the answer is yes, you’ll love this virtual tour of four secret retreats. Adapted from a new book, “Back to the Cabin: More Inspiration for the Classic American Getaway” by Dale Mulfinger, this 22-page article peeks inside a nostalgic Adirondack camp, a renovated log cabin, a secluded lakehouse, and a cluster of light-infused sleeping shelters. An architect and noted “cabinologist,” Dale is known for his cabin designs throughout North America.

Adirondack Camp: A rustic but comfortable cabin pays homage to an architectural tradition

The Adirondacks in upstate New York have a rich architectural history of cabins, lodges, and other retreat buildings. Architect Nils Luderowski specializes in updating retreats with modern-day conveniences. From his firsthand knowledge of the Great Camps and other lesser-known retreats, he translates the scale, details, and materials of their style.

The objective for this project was to create a cozy camp for two, but one that possessed some of the defining characteristics of the Adirondack-camp style. Luderowski’s grasp of the shingle style, his choice of local stone and wood, and his use of rich, deep color fit the dreams his clients had for their cabin.

The couple had been visiting the property they intended to build on for 15 years and were well aware of the site’s specific limitations and its significant opportunities. Code required them to build within the footprint of a seasonal structure that was being replaced. This size limit would help contain their budget.

Luderowski developed a plan with the main living space and primary bedroom on the main level, and with all the rooms facing the water. The living space was positioned facing south to capture the trickle of tree-filtered summer…