Off-the-grid living: ‘Cabin’ taps into a universal desire for escaping the rat race
Delve into the history of cabin culture and off-the-grid living with Will Jones’ new book ‘Cabin’, all about getting out of the city and into the wild

Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Thank you for signing up to Wallpaper. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Anyone picking up Thames & Hudson’s new semi auto-biographical book Cabin will undoubtedly be looking for vicarious thrills about off-the-grid living and the tantalising idea of being able to step away from the world. Cabin is the work of Will Jones, a journalist and author who gave up life in London to live the quiet life in rural Canada with his family.
‘Cabin’: inspiring off-the-grid living
The subtitle, ‘How to Build a Retreat in the Wilderness and Learn to Live With Nature’, gives you some idea of what to expect: this is part how-to, part personal journey, part survey and musing on the ongoing hunger for cabin living. The latter chapters are threaded through the main narrative, which charts Jones and his family’s search for a site and the process of design and construction. The cabin occupies a very particular spot in modern culture, a symbol of escape and retreat from the modern world that is nevertheless disseminated and distributed endlessly over social media.
Jones provides us with a fascinating insight into the history of cabins around the world, their origins and construction, their use of local materials, and the tools used to build them. Images of these historic and vernacular examples are interspersed with specially commission illustrations by Sarah Obtinalla.
It’s a tiny minority of people who manage to live their best life in a remote and basic cabin; the majority of us are happy to dreamscroll at our desks. Cabin gives another, deeper insight into the often harsh realities of cabin living, one that’ll invigorate but hardly deter the dreamers.
A traditional hytte, illustration by Sarah Obtinalla
Cabin: How to Build a Retreat in the Wilderness and Learn to Live With Nature, Thames & Hudson, £20, is released on 24 August 2023
Also available from amazon.co.uk
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.
-
Paris Fashion Week S/S 2024: Peter Do to Dior
Paris Fashion Week S/S 2024 arrives in the French capital this week, with a schedule spanning both the city’s established houses and some new arrivals – from Peter Do’s Paris debut to a one-off show from Italian house Marni
By Jack Moss Published
-
The UK’s first vertical distillery launches in Edinburgh for Port of Leith whisky
A rare example of an urban, vertical distillery has been revealed in Edinburgh for Port of Leith whisky
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Zucchetti’s design collaborations offer innovation on tap
Italian bathroom specialist Zucchetti forges contemporary design excellence through its creative collaborations
By Simon Mills Published
-
This modest cabin is the perfect way to experience Norwegian nature
A modest cabin by KIMA arkitektur in Norway makes the most of its dramatic, natural landscape through simplicity
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Unusual retreats for architectural stays: where building meets nature
If you're after something new for your architectural stays, a series of new unusual retreats offer a wealth of experiences to immerse yourself in nature
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
An off-grid cabin in Washington State opens up to a spectacular landscape
Ment Architecture’s off-grid cabin, Swift, offers volcanic views and solar-powered sylvan living from its clifftop site
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
The Bolder lodges by Snøhetta embrace a Norwegian cliff-edge view
The Bolder project comprises four elevated cabins, enveloped in a Norwegian fjord view, designed by Snøhetta in collaboration with Tom Bjarte Norland and Vipp
By Martha Elliott Published
-
This snowy Rockies retreat is the perfect Colorado family stay
DNA Alpine by CCY Architects is a family Colorado Rockies retreat, designed to provide the perfect mountain sports and snowy getaway experience
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated
-
The Hat House is a retreat straight out of a Swedish fairy tale
The Hat House by Tina Bergman Architects takes its cues from Swedish fairy tales and the woods around it
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
‘A House’ is a minimalist Nordic cabin by emerging studio nāv
‘A House’ by studio nāv is an idyllic Nordic minimalist cabin
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated
-
Bold Estonian cabin offers secluded forest stays
KÄBI is a contemporary Estonian cabin by b210 Architects, a modernist oasis for two with a backdrop of birch trees
By Jonathan Bell Published