I spent a lot of summers in a large cabin that my aunt and uncle owned in Maine. This was a place of relaxation and leisure that my large family would inhabit for the better part of the season and then revisit in the winter to enjoy some skating on the lake. Many nights were spent around the fire pit enjoying the stars or building forts by hanging sheets from the cheap kids bunk beds and telling ghost stories at night. With a space like this you need to make sure that everyone feels at home and wants to come back.

Have lots of seating
Many hours were spent sitting around the living room and sharing our stories from our time apart. This would not have been as possible without the 4 couches and many chairs that were available. Two of the couches were sleeper couches which were used with great frequency and allowed even more people to spend the night.

Multiple cooking options
When cooking for lots of people the kitchen sometimes didn’t have enough space to accommodate everyone. We had both the kitchen and a propane grill ready to go at any time. Down near the water we also had a charcoal grill. If you plan your time and menu out well you can have a large meal ready at precisely dinner time to keep everyone happy.

Sleeping arrangements
With three actual bedrooms there was not enough space for the 13+ people that would sometimes be staying the weekend. Since they didn’t want to make anyone pitch a tent and sleep outside, even though some of us opted for that option on a clear night. My aunt and uncle converted a basement storage room into an extra bedroom packed with sturdy bunk beds. This added an additional 8 sleeping spots on top of the normal beds and, with the pullout couches; this meant that everyone was able to sleep soundly. Heavy duty bunk beds are a great option for those cabins that are short on space and need to house a lot of guests.