If you’ve always dreamed of living in a log cabin, you’ll be happy to know that the contemporary upgrade has all mod-cons and much more space for you to spread out. Yes, these days you can have it all, thanks to cleverly designed yurts.
The yurt is originally a basic dwelling. Webster’s dictionary describes it as “a circular domed tent of skins or felt stretched over a collapsible lattice framework and used by pastoral peoples of inner Asia.”
Well, the yurt has now gone global, and more than a tad upscale as it traveled the world.

Meet Smiling Wood Yurts. The small family- and friend-run company in Washington State began by accident: “Starting a business was never the intention!” say the owners. “Some spare time and materials coupled with a longstanding interest in living in the round and looking for a simple way to create a comfortable round home were the motivating forces.”
There were plenty of challenges in taking the traditional cloth- or canvas-covered yurt and making it more permanent and practical for today’s homeowner.

Smiling Wood Yurts started by figuring out how to build the yurt with real windows that you could open and walls that would hold cabinets. Another biggie: insulation, to make the home energy-efficient and keep heating bills down, as well as ensuring the comfort of the yurt’s residents.

“Our greatest and most rewarding challenge was having the roof engineered to meet almost an...