2 acres hosted by Victoria S.
My name is Victoria and I built the refuge with my own hands. I have a small notebook with sketches and lists documenting the different iterations of this property, but the one you’ll find is meant to be a place to disconnect, a place to share meals with friends, and a place to explore the Cumberland Plateau from. I hope you enjoy it and love it (read: clean up after yourself and leave it as you found it) as much as I do! If you visit, you might spot handwritten measurements and codes on some of the wood. This is because about 80% of everything on the property is made from recycled or reused materials. I spent the better part of a year gathering wood and supplies for this project. Each building was built to accommodate the size and type of wood I’d collected. To keep track of what I had, I marked and color coated the wood before starting to put it all together. It wasn’t the fastest way to build, but it was an amazing learning process. When I started, I didn’t know a joist from a beam; now I can tell you the standard, on-center measurements for wall joists vs deck joists. But my favorite task has always been imagining how to make the refuge feel like a welcoming homebase. So, there are hammocks and hammock landings to step on and off of, a small bookshelf with a focus on short stories and books you can finish in a weekend, and a dog-safe sitting area. Most importantly, the composting toilet requires no extra care or hands-on interaction! There are still some things I’d like to add and adjust, likely there always will be, but I hope you enjoy what you find!
