Cabin vs. Cottage
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Cabin and Cottage Definitions
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Cabin vs. Cottage
Cabin and cottage provide space to live in the lap of nature. Both these forms refer to a simple and small house or shelter, but there are lots of variations between them. The cabin is a small room like structure that is constructed by the one who wants to live in it without professional builders. On the other side, the cottage is a small house-like structure that may vary in size and is made by professionals.
Cabins are originated back to 1142, which can be seen in the Belarusian city of Gomel, while cottages were originated in about middle age. Cabins are mostly present in wooded and remote areas. On the flip side, according to American and Canadian sense of the word, cottages are present in waterfronts while, according to the British sense of the word, they are present in the countryside.
Cabins are made up of wood or logs. On the other hand, cottages are constructed of a variety of materials like sod, stones, mud, wood, and bricks, etc. The cabin has a more unfurnished and crude look as compared to the cottages, whereas; cottages are more sophisticated. They have painted or papered walls. Moreover, cabins do not have modern facilities. On the other side, the cottage has modern facilities like water and electricity.
What is Cabin?
The cabin is a small room like structure that is not constructed by a professional builder but by the one who is going to live in it. They are constructed of wood, specifically logs. The most common trees that are used in the construction of log cabins are Cyprus, White Pine, Yellow Pine, Douglas Fir, Hemlock, Red Cedar Oak, and White Cedar, etc.
Log cabin may be round or square, or more precisely rectangular. It was originated a long time ago, i.e., dates back to Roman times. In the Belarusian city of Gomel, one of the earliest square log cabins can be seen that were formed in 1142.
Round log cabins need less work to construct, since it does not need to shape the log, i.e., with the exception of the notches on end. On the flip side, round log cabins need more chinking or filling in between the logs because they do not fit together neatly. So, insulation may be a problem.
On the other side, square or angled log cabins are easier to assemble and are better insulated. However, it takes a longer time to shape the logs. That is why earlier settlers, who had to construct a cabin in low time before the arrival of cold weather, were constructed round log cabin at first.
Due to the evolution of modern wonders like metal flashing etc. round cabins are just as warm as the other angular or square log cabins. This metal flashing can be bent to form an interlocking channel and folded to cause log settling that fills the gaps or leaks in the exterior. So, it is a matter of personal preference and aesthetics that you want to choose a round log cabin or an angled one.
Cabins are most commonly located nestled in the woods. Moreover, cabins have a cruder look as compared to the cottages. They do not have modern facilities, like running water and electricity, etc. On the other side, the hunters or other people that spend most of their time outside the cabin and simply need a space to take shelter and rest from the elements used more rustic and bare-bones cabins. The term cabin is also used to refer to a compartment or a private room on a ship or airplane, for example, the captain’s cabin.
What is Cottage?
The cottage is a small house that is constructed by a professional builder and mostly used as a seasonal home or recreational home in a remote location. It is made up of different types of materials like sod, stones, mud, wood, and bricks, etc.
The word ‘cottage’ is derived from the architecture of England. It is probably a mixture of many words, i.e., Old English word ‘cot’, that means “hut”, Old French word ‘cot’ means “hut, cottage”, from Old Norse ‘kot’ means “hut” and related to Middle Low German word ‘kotten’ means cottage or hut. It was originated in the middle ages when cottages were used by agricultural workers and their families.
Cottages mostly have a ground floor and bedrooms that are present in the upper story of the cottage. It may vary in its size, i.e., small or large. But, a common feature in all of the cottages is that they are properly furnished. They have papered or painted walls and have all modern facilities like running water and electricity etc. So, a cottage may serve as a year-round abode.
According to the most traditional English sense, a cottage is a small house-like structure that can be present anywhere. In the US and Canada, cottages are present in waterfronts while, according to the British sense of the word, they are present in the countryside. Cottages are not primary residences; rather they are holiday homes, i.e., secondary residences. The holiday cottages are present in many cultures but with different names. But, many of them are cozy and modest in nature.
Another recent hybrid of the cottage is a cottage resort. Here, vacationers can feel the quaint and cozy feel of a cottage as well as also enjoy the luxuries of restaurants, maid service, and the company of other travelers.
