On first approach to Liz and Danny King’s getaway you may think they have a conundrum on their hands. Their one-story cabin, situated in the heart of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, is a tiny oasis. Huddled in the center of town between a busy intersection and
multistory lodges, the cabin’s location, on a sliver of land, hardly presents a dilemma.
A Treasured Heritage
Back in the late 1880s, Gatlinburg was a sleepy hamlet, home to early mountain settlers content to farm and log. Today, three communities—Pigeon Forge, Sevierville, and Gatlinburg—merge into one of the busiest mountain resort destinations in the country.
Amid the hubbub of Gatlinburg lies the Kings’ two-bedroom cabin. Just shy of 900 square feet, it was willed to Danny in 1978. “There wasn’t much here when Danny’s grandfather, Andy King, owner of a successful logging company in nearby Sevierville, decided to build in this neck of the woods. Despite the boom that’s grown up around us, this cabin is a family heirloom affording us the chance to carry on the family legacy,” Liz says proudly.
Danny remembers spending time at the cabin throughout his youth, fishing in the bubbling Leconte Creek that runs alongside the cabin and hiking nearby in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Although the Kings’ two children, Lindsey and DJ, are now grown, Liz and Danny have fond memories of family outings at the cabin.
In direct contrast to the couple’s Sevierville residence less than 45 minutes away, the cabin gives the busy couple a chance for a retreat.
All Spruced Up
Liz recalls, “When we decided to make this cabin our getaway two decades ago, it was certainly charming but far too rustic with only minimal furnishings left by Danny’s folks.”
Her vision was simple, “Update the entire cabin inside and out.”
On the exterior, the couple stained the logs brown then accented the trim with forest green shutters and a rhubarb-colored door. It looks like it’s right out of a storybook: an island in the middle of Gatlinburg with an iron fence surrounded by a landscape filled with primrose, laurel, ivy, and native pansies.
A more extensive interior rehab included adding new appliances, washing the interior logs, and installing limestone floors in the kitchen and bathroom.
Liz decided the original living room fireplace would remain. “Not just for its aesthetic value but to help with heating in the chilly mountain winters,” she says.
“Since grandad was in the lumber business he was keenly aware of using uniform logs so he chose courses of handcrafted, dark-stained pine logs. He made sure his cabin would be sturdy and well insulated. We don’t use harsh chemicals anywhere to clean, but particularly on the logs just a wash of diluted oil soap,” says Liz.
With a natural talent for interior decorating, Liz selected comfortable furnishings that would be durable while the children were young.
“The cabin has two bedrooms, a master and one other outfitted with bunk beds. Danny and I used to get a kick out of hearing our kids giggle while vying for the top bunk,” she recalls.
After 20 years of heavy use, the Kings determined it was time for a second renovation. “In 2003, we wanted to enhance the mountain feel of this cabin by making it more rustically elegant,” says Liz.
Aside from the original random-width pine floors and native stone fireplace and mantle, “just about everything else in the living room was updated. A distressed leather sofa and chair replaced our former worn furnishings. I added tapestry fabric on accessories and drapery panels. The idea was to maintain a woodland motif—all to enhance a more elegant lodge feel.”
According to Liz, the ceilings throughout were blank canvases begging for a decorative touch, so she hired Knoxville artist Nathaniel Galka to paint murals of mountain scenes.
“The living room boasts raccoons and black bears; our bedroom has a wildflower motif and the bunk room ceiling depicts fly fishing,” says Liz
For a couple that enjoys the outdoors as much as Liz and Danny, renovating the existing porch was made all the more enjoyable with Leconte Creek running alongside the cabin.
Liz acknowledges, “The porch remains one of our favorite places in the home. We added a tongue-and-groove ceiling and diversified windows. The panels slide up and down to reveal screens in the summer and plexiglass in the winter.”
One place that the couple knew required a total refreshing was the kitchen. “It’s a small space measuring approximately 12 feet long by 8 feet wide. but we’ve used every inch. First we gutted the entire space and installed new pine cabinets, an eating bar (since there’s no room for a table), more efficient appliances, limestone countertops, and a limestone tile floor. I wanted to infuse the kitchen with a sense of the wilderness so I had some of the cabinets painted a sage green and used tiles with a native wildlife design on the backsplash,” says Liz.
Mountain Air
The entire one-tenth of an acre oasis is densely planted, much to Liz’s delight. “I do love to garden; I wanted the landscaping to represent the native habitat. Since the grounds have had years to mature, the plantings have grown substantially and now I’ve just filled in with blasts of colorful pansies, azaleas, primrose, and some blooming trees. The foliage provides shade in the summer and a natural habitat for wildlife. We added a split-rail fence along the creek side. It complements the twig-like iron fence and native stone surrounding the property.” Plans for the future include building a small patio and firepit just off the porch.
In the meantime, this cabin has evolved into a cozy retreat from the Kings’ busy life back in Sevierville. After a day of skiing on Gatlinburg’s slopes, Liz reflects, “We’ll crank up a fire, have some hot chocolate, and cuddle-up. This cabin is the perfect cozy place. We are very happy to carry on the heritage of the King family and look forward to passing it along to our children someday. That’s what cabin life is all about.”
