With a bent roof made of steel sheets, the Quonset-style cabin at 715 Edgewood Rd, surrounded by calm and tree-lined streets of Ashland, Ohio, where the Huron River winds slowly through the landscape, is a property that charms the mind with its unconventional grace. On Zillow, it is described as a 960-square-foot, 2-bedroom, 1-bathroom, one-of-a-kind, the Quonset hut classic which has been transformed by the ingenious adaptive design into a compact, efficient, and warmly welcoming home that looks innovative, interesting, and friendly all at once. While the trend in housing is to go for huge and standard ones, this small house is a lovely creative art piece showing how industrial roots can meet residential warmth in a small but visually striking and functional box.
The outside of 715 Edgewood Rd is a quick glance which leads to a deeper discussion about the house and its signature Quonset curve—a semi-cylindrical steel frame—rising like a grounded archway amid the neighborhood’s more traditional facades. The building’s galvanized metal skin, weathered to a soft patina, shimmers gently in the late afternoon sun, reflecting the maples and oaks surrounding the 0.25-acre lot. This is not the hard, cold metal Quonset of the past; it’s a mellowed one, with added wood pieces around the entrance and the windows that not only soften but also blend the industrial side, resulting in a hybrid look that is part mid-century modern, part rustic hideaway. The front door, surrounded by a small porch with built-in benches, introduces you to a sense of isolation while large windows on the flat end walls let in light and views of the quiet residential vibe in Ashland. It is a design which is like a quiet voice instead of a loud one, letting the house blend in with the community but still showing its different character.
Inside the house, the cabin’s small size is turned into a beautifully optimized layout which is like a 960-square-foot weight class winner that goes beyond its size. The combined main living space, which covers the hut curve’s width, is, owing to the vaulted, barrel-like ceiling that reaches 14 feet at the centre, hugely lit and airy and at the same time very intimate and dramatic. The exposed steel beams, which have been painted in a pale matte gray, extend over the head like the ribs of a huge animal thus providing architectural interest without causing the lower part of the room to lose its coze. The floor covering, made of wide-plank engineered hardwood and warm in color, is continuous from the entrance to the kitchen thus it both stabilizes the area and gives a very usable surface for practical life. The natural light is coming through the windows in the wall at the end of the room and also through the clerestory openings which have been wisely placed on the curve thus providing the interior with mellow and diffused light which very efficiently complements the whitewashed walls and enhances the spaciousness of the house which has a very small floor area but still looks very airy.
One corner of the room, which is open, houses the kitchen that boasts of maximum storage in the minimized wall space with shaker white custom cabinetry being there. Bar seating on the peninsula which separates the kitchen from the living room giving the cooks the opportunity to chat with guests while working in the kitchen is also there. Along with the white quartz countertops in a subtle veined pattern providing a vast work area, there is a set of stainless appliances—a slim fridge, a four-burner gas range, and a built-in microwave—that are the perfect size for the kitchen without industrializing it. Above the island, recessed lighting and a pendant fixture create a pleasant, warm light and it is here that one can imagine oneself, especially on weekends, brewing coffee and watching the tree-lined backyard while doing it. The kitchen is made in such a way that it encourages simple and satisfying meals with easy-to-use storage solutions such as pull-out drawers and a spice rack ensuring that everything will find its place in this small domain.
The living room which is a natural extension of the kitchen is centered on a neat, linear gas fireplace that has been set into the curved wall, its modern look being the complete opposite of the natural form above, thus it is a stunning juxtaposition. A built-in media console covering the area beneath the fireplace is there for streaming devices and bookshelves while a sectional sofa made of neutral linen and inviting relaxation for movie nights or quiet reading is there too. The narrowness of the room is increased by the hut’s curve, which is like the hand of an embrace, thereby making it possible to use the corners thus showing the owner’s touches — a fiddle-leaf fig in one corner, a vintage rug in the other. Beyond a short flight of steps, the two bedrooms are similarly restrained and also charming in their efficiency.
The primary one, having a queen bed and access to the en-suite half-bath, is fitted with a lofted reading corner underneath the curve and perfect for looking at the stars through the skylight. The second bedroom that can be used for guests or as a home-office comes with twin beds and a Murphy desk that can be folded away thus leaving this space versatile. Though it is a shared, yet, sizeable, the full bathroom is equipped with a walk-in shower with subway tiles and a rainfall head, seamlessly combining rustic with resort-like style.
The real beauty of the Quonset cabin lies in its power to convert limitations into personality. The curved design which is usually regarded as industrial becomes here a work of art that breathes life into the house and this is evident in how the light that falls on the ceiling is used and also, in the acoustic quality it offers for talks or music. The small one with only 960 square feet is a remonstrance of clever architecture—every inch is utilized for smoothness and light, thus there is no wasted space and also the feeling of home is fostered. It is a one-of-a-kind in Ashland’s housing pattern, thus it can be noticed without being ignored and also, its location close to parks, schools, and the college town is of added value when it comes to practicality.
Buyers who want to buy a cabin which is as much a statement as a sanctuary, 715 Edgewood Rd is the one that really stands out, where the beauty of ingenuity meets the comfort of the everyday.
Source: Zillow – 715 Edgewood Rd, Ashland, OH