For enthusiasts of Mid-Century Modern design, Jens Risom is a name that resonates. This Danish American furniture designer created iconic pieces and thoughtful interiors across many decades. One of his best-known works is the Jens Risom Chair, originally woven from surplus parachute webbing available after World War II. In 1967 Risom accepted the ambitious brief to design an attractive prefab home costing less than $25,000, an objective many at the time considered unattainable. The result of that challenge was the striking Block Island Cabin, a family summer retreat that has been cherished for generations.
The Block Island Cabin stands on its site with a modest stone wall and an understated presence that complements the surrounding landscape. While the designer later scaled back his own summer visits, family members continue to use and care for the house, preserving both its function and its spirit. The cabin’s design draws from Risom’s Danish upbringing and the simple, seasonal homes of his youth—favoring natural materials, clear forms, and a close connection between indoors and out.
Inside, the cabin is airy and uncluttered, with majestic A-frame cathedral ceilings that enhance the sense of space. A large glass wall was added to replace an older opening, and this change dramatically reinforces the visual and physical connection to the outdoors. Warm wooden surfaces and a restrained palette make the interior feel timeless: materials and finishes are chosen to age gracefully and to reflect a nature-focused, relaxed summer lifestyle.
The living area centers on a welcoming fireplace and comfortable seating, including classic pieces of vintage furniture that the family has kept through the years. These original furnishings and carefully curated accents give the cabin a lived-in authenticity that complements its modernist lines. Pendant lights and thoughtful fixtures add subtle character without overwhelming the restrained interior scheme.
Programmatically, the cabin is arranged across two levels to serve both daily family life and seasonal guests. The ground floor contains two bedrooms, a bathroom, a practical kitchen, and an open living-dining area that flows toward the large glazed wall. The upper level provides additional sleeping rooms, historically used by the family’s boys, which take advantage of the cabin’s elevated roofline and open volume.
Throughout the house, the preservation of original details alongside respectful updates—like the replacement glass wall—keeps the cabin both functional and authentic. The overall effect is a home that reads as both distinctly mid-century and warmly contemporary: a place where design clarity meets family memory. Visitors and family members alike experience the house as an intimate, restorative retreat, tuned to the rhythms of summer on the island.
As an enduring example of thoughtful prefab design and Mid-Century Modern aesthetics, the Block Island Cabin continues to illustrate Jens Risom’s commitment to functional beauty, natural materials, and human-scaled spaces. It remains, in its quiet way, an idyllic cabin retreat that balances simplicity with warmth and stands as a testament to a design approach that values both form and family life.
