Rustic meets industrial in these two Mt. Baker cabins

Cabins: houses where people go to get away from it all. If that’s the case, get away from convention, too. Someone had fun without abandoning functionality with this pair of ski cabins near Mt. Baker. Cabin from the outside, modern industrial reminders inside. Put it all together for a $540,000 package.

Repurposing modern things challenges what’s normal. A wood frame door hung from the ceiling with each panel turned into a light fixture could be some bit of scrap turned into a dining room chandelier. Beneath it, the dinner table looks like it started life as some stout mechanical marvel with a stainless steel work surface. It may take courage to ask what it was used for. (Also, check to see if it stays or goes with the house.) Instead of holding back livestock, a mesh that looks like hog fencing is used as a safety barrier beside the staircase.

The industrial feel comes from the perforated metal decking that’s typically used at the entrances to allow snow to melt through when they’re outside. Here, it lets air circulate. Don’t spill the wine, though.

Metal pipes become room dividers and balcony fencing. At least one of the two and a half bathrooms puts the showerhead over the middle of the bathtub instead of at the end. Why squeeze into a space over the drain? Get some elbow room in there.

These are ski cabins, so they also must be functional. There are some fanciful elements, but they are basically a mountain haven with three bedrooms and 2,100 square feet of living space. Kitchens, living rooms, and places to sit and relax and recuperate after skiing or hiking are ready for new adventurers and their adventures. Expect all of the basics, and expect the unexpected.

• 7031 Olympus Way, Glacier [Estately]
• 7031 Olympus Way, Glacier [Windermere]