Let’s go behind-the-scenes…

We’re Bailey & Hutch, the founders of Cedar Bound, and the creators of this unique build concept! Today we’re diving in with a little interview about building our prototype structure, Cedar One.

>>> Scroll to the bottom for photos from our prototype build <<<

Who designed & built Cedar One?

WE did!

Back in Summer 2018, Hutch was couch-bound after ACL surgery, and had a vision of a two-story tent (Bailey thought it was the pain meds talking). After plenty of simmering, we finally landed on the design you see today.

We’d also like to thank our pals Mike & Shaun for helping build Cedar One. We wouldn’t be here today without your endless elbow grease + support!

What is Cedar One made of?

Our unique design bridges the gap between luxury tent & modern two-story cabin. Features include a canvas roof & side walls, timber-frame structure + gable ends, vinyl canopy, and Arctic insulation (meaning it’s fit for the harshest winters!).

Why did you choose this particular design?

We took notes from traditional canvas tent design (from a specific style called a pioneer tent), and paired it with a modern two-story cabin. We’ve traveled to dozens of countries together & stayed in some pretty rad places, so we had quite the mental Pinterest board of inspiration! We wanted to create a structure that could be a true blank canvas (pun intended!). They can be totally rustic + simple, or elevated luxury digs.

What was the purpose of building Cedar One? Why not start selling buildable kits earlier?

Because our design is rather new & unusual, we needed to work out the kinks first. When building our prototype, we asked ourselves these questions…

How do these different building modalities work together? Canvas + timber + two stories = ??? (Hint: It definitely works.)
What’s the most efficient way to assemble a kit?
What will our kits include?
How do we make our kits user-friendly?
Should we offer assembly & build services now, or wait until later?
and a million other questions we won’t list here!

Long story short: In order to do it right, we needed to build Cedar One first.

Where were the materials for Cedar One sourced?

Our partners include…

Reliable Tent & Tipi in Billings, MT
We met them at the 2019 Glamping Show in Denver, and they’ve been a great resource for us! Reliable has been making canvas tents since 1945, and we source all of our fabric components from them: Marine & flame-treated canvas, vinyl canopy, and arctic insulation (the same material you’d find in a winter-friendly yurt!).
Cutting Edge Metals in Superior, WI
When we shared our plans with them, they were genuinely excited about our project, which made us even more excited! They manufacture our gorgeous custom brackets connecting the beams of Cedar One (and all future Cedars!)
Woodruff Timber in Duluth, MN
For years, we’ve sourced lumber from Woodruff for personal projects, so they were a natural first choice when planning Cedar Bound. Whenever we’ve been in a pinch, they’ve been able to swoop in & help, and we’re excited to continue this partnership!

What was the biggest challenge with building Cedar One?

So many unknowns! Although we had our own blueprints to work from, we weren’t quite sure how the components would react once we brought them all together. As mentioned before, we had LOTS of questions to answer, and plenty of engineering & head-scratching to do before taking this to market.

The other challenge? Building in our frigid Northern MN winter!

Is the finished product what you expected? If not, how is it different?

Believe it or not, it actually exceeds our expectations, not only in terms of performance, but also the final look & feel. We’re pretty dang proud of it (especially after navigating so many unknowns) and this was a big win!

Can people visit or stay at Cedar One?

Although we can’t allow overnight visitors at Cedar One, we do have options for potential buyers to visit before they buy (by appointment only).

Someday, we’d LOVE to have a list of places all over the country where you can stay in Cedar Bound structures!

What is one thing you want everyone to know about Cedar Bound?

That this is just the beginning. We have big plans & ideas up our sleeves, but need to start simple. What we’re offering today may be very different from what we offer in six months, a year, or five years. If there’s anything we’ve learned since we first dreamed up Cedar Bound (read our full story here), it’s that evolving IS the process. And we’re ready for it. Thank you for tagging along on this adventure!

Cheers,

Bailey + Hutch