First Look at Our Utah Cabin (Before We Renovate)

I can finally say it… we officially bought a cabin! We got the keys over the weekend. After years of dreaming and months of touring properties, we found “the one,” and I’m so excited to share it with you. If you read my last post about our cabin hunting adventure, you might remember the traditional cabin that checked the majority of boxes on our list. Well, that’s the one we ended up choosing! Today, I’m sharing the full tour, inside and out… plus a peek at how we’re getting settled, starting fresh, and planning our next steps. Spoiler: the first thing I did was stock up on cleaning supplies, because I wanted to start with a clean slate and blank canvas. Click through for the tour!

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If you missed cabin hunting in the Utah mountains, I shared our top four options. Funny enough, this was the very first place we toured- we immediately fell in love with it. In fact, we were SO sure… Emmett didn’t even join me on the other tours. I went solo because we were pretty laser focused on this property. I’m excited to give you the full tour- let’s go inside!

Why We Chose This Cabin

From the moment we pulled into the long driveway, we both knew it felt special. It has that timeless, traditional charm we were hoping for… warm wood tones, a wood stove, and just enough space to make it our own. Here’s what ultimately sealed the deal for us…

• Architecture & Character: This cabin has classic rustic details like exposed beams, cedar wood throughout, and lots of natural light.
• The Layout: We loved the functional floor plan with three bedrooms, one and a half bathrooms, and an open concept kitchen and living area. For being a small cabin, the layout is really practical.
• Outdoor Living Space: The big wraparound deck tucked into the trees with stunning mountain views was definitely the selling point. Photos really don’t do it justice.
• Location & Property: It’s very secluded on 12 acres and is set deep into the woods, but is only 7 minutes from the closest city… which is incredibly charming- truly a hallmark type of town! It’s exactly 60 minutes from our house in Salt Lake City.
• Potential: It’s in amazing shape, being owned by the same family who built it, but still has plenty of room for updates and design projects.

We could instantly picture ourselves here- having family weekends, working on renovation projects, and relaxing fireside after skiing, boating, or biking. It instantly felt like home.

Exterior Tour

Let’s start outside, because this property truly shines in its setting. The cabin sits on a forested lot surrounded by tall oaks and aspens, with mountain views in every direction. You walk in on a long planked path between the trees- it’s pure magic. There’s a large deck that wraps around the back and side, plus a small detached shed lower on the lot, that we’ll initially use for storage.

The exterior is a traditional cedar tone that blends perfectly with the landscape. Long term, I could see us refreshing it with a new stain, updated railings, and new lighting- but for now, we’re enjoying its rustic charm as is. The upper balcony does need rebuilt, as it slopes pretty badly. We’ll definitely add string lights, a grilling area, and comfortable outdoor furniture for lounging and dining to take full advantage of the deck. We’d eventually like to add a sauna or hot tub, as well! Let’s go inside…

Interior Tour

Inside, it feels like a true mountain retreat. Everything is wood and nothing is too precious or perfect (in a good way). Brace yourself for carpet throughout- even in the kitchens and bathrooms.

Mudroom

There are two deep closets in the mudroom, and the entry space is quite large. We plan to install functional tile in place of the carpet, and add classic cabin mudroom storage… like a built-in bench, lockers, etc. We’ll also need to keep some of the closed storage, but I want this room to be really functional.

Kitchen & Dining

I’m probably most excited to renovate the kitchen. We’ll replace the cabinets, install hardwood flooring throughout the main level (excluding the mudroom and bathroom), add a backsplash, replace the appliances & fixtures, etc.

The layout really works well though- so I imagine we’ll keep the same footprint. The kitchen opens into a large dining and living space.

Living Room

The living room is a blank canvas. We do want to swap the wood burning stove for gas and create a fireplace focal point. I think stone would be beautiful!

I think floor planning and furniture placement in this space will drastically help with the flow of the main level.

Bathrooms

There is a bathroom on the main level (pictured above and below), as well as a half bath in the loft. We’ll totally gut these and start over, in terms of renovating. I’m not sure why carpet in the bathroom seems to be a trend with us, and the homes we purchase.

Below, the half bath in the loft currently has a toilet, sink, and vanity. I’d like to add a shower to this space, as we can gain square footage from a closet.

It would be ideal to have two fully functioning baths, and there is definitely room for aesthetic improvements here.

Loft

The main loft is spacious and was previously used as a bedroom. I think we’ll do the same… turning this area into the primary with a king size bed. There two more small bedrooms down the hall, with the half bath in between.

I want to keep the loft very cozy, creating reading nooks, and opportunities to settle in for a comfortable sleep in spaces with loads of character. Because the bedrooms are small, I want them to feel really special with luxe linens and super comfortable mattresses. What we lack in space, we can make up for in comfort!

Our plan is to respect the cabin’s character. It was very loved and so well taken care of by the previous owners, we really want to do it justice, bringing it up to date… while keeping maintaining the charm.

Settling In and First Steps

Before doing anything, I made a quick stop at Lowe’s for all the cleaning essentials. There’s something about a deep clean that makes a new space feel more like home. I stocked up on:

• A new vacuum for tackling leaves, bugs, and cabin dust… the entire house is carpet. This Bissell stick vac seriously rivals my Dyson and was a fraction of the cost (less than half). I also like the attachments better! I made quick work of the windows and blinds, thanks to those.
• A deck brush and broom.
• Microfiber cloths and a telescoping duster… because it’s cobwebs galore over there..
• An outdoor trash bin with heavy duty contractor bags (ahead of demo)… definitely a must.
• Toilet and bathroom cleaning supplies.
• Basic cleaning essentials we can leave at the cabin… so I’m not hauling them from back and forth.

Click directly on each item below to be redirected.

Once everything was clean, we drove into town, grabbed dinner to bring back, and sat in our camp chairs for our first meal there… just dreaming!

What’s Next for the Cabin

First up: a few practical improvements (like winterizing some things and repairs, followed by demo). We’ll be working on the boring, but necessary, things first- insulating & trenching pipes and HVAC. We want to make sure we have heat and the pipes won’t freeze, so we can eventually use the cabin during the winter season, too. After that, you can probably expect to see the following:

• New flooring throughout
• A full kitchen renovation
• 2 bathroom renovations
• 3 bedroom remodels
• A living room and fireplace makeover
• A mudroom renovation
• A balcony rebuild
• Exterior projects (landscaping, sauna or hot tub, etc)
• Furnishing and styling the entire place- including the outdoor areas

It’s going to be a thoughtful and intentional process- and we’re not exactly sure how the timeline will unfold, as it’s dependent on the weather and road access. Emmett is convinced we could snowshoe in… just not with a tile saw strapped to our backs. Ha!

FAQs About Our Mountain Cabin

Buying this cabin feels like the start of a new adventure- one filled with design projects, outdoor weekends, and cozy mountain moments. I’m so excited to bring you along for the process as we make this place our own. For now, we’re just diving in, deep cleaning, and soaking it all in. Here’s to new beginnings in our corner of the canyon!