As top cities become pricey and competitive, smaller yet vibrant cities attract those in search of more than work. Crissie McMullan decided to raise her family in Missoula. There she keeps a backyard cabin as work refuge.

Crissie McMullan and her husband Jeremy Smith wanted more space for their Missoula home. The couple lives with their daughter and college-student niece and often have out-of-town guests. Plus, Smith works from home and McMullan was planning to take a year off work to write a novel.

To make extra room for guests and a writing retreat, they hired designer Charles Finn to craft them a cabin out of recycled and reclaimed materials.

McMullan spent a year writing from home, but today works full-time as director of a center for young mothers. The backyard cabin now serves as her refuge for early morning and weekend writing sessions, when it’s not being used as a guest unit.

“It’s just great to have this space to come home to… I think most of us are really rushed in our external world. There’s always something else that needs to be done. I am really happy that the power cord extends out here but our Internet doesn’t so I can’t check my email, I can’t get online so I’m really cut-off. I don’t bring my phone out here so when I’m out here, when I’m here I’m here.”