Sauna Cabin Fellin Is the Nordic Loft Sauna That Turns Your Backyard Into a Little Lodge
Many busy households eventually start looking for a space that isn’t the kitchen table or the couch. Somewhere you can slip away for a steam, finish a bit of work in peace, or let guests stay the night without rearranging the whole house. Shym Saunas’ Sauna Cabin Summer House is a multi-level, multi-room sauna house that combines a sauna, living space, loft, and covered outdoor area in a single timber structure.
While many outdoor saunas focus only on the sauna room itself, this cabin follows a different layout approach. It’s a full timber cabin crafted in Europe from 70 mm laminated Nordic spruce, with a proper living room, a dedicated sauna and changing room, a generous loft, and a covered porch that tucks everything neatly under one roof. In practice, it functions as both a sauna and a usable outdoor living space.
A Sauna Cabin with Living Areas
Step through the lockable wooden front door and Fellin immediately feels more like a compact holiday cottage than a simple outbuilding. At roughly 5.3 x 6.3 metres (including the porch), it’s spacious enough to move around comfortably, but still compact enough to sit quietly in a suburban or rural backyard.
The layout separates the main functions into distinct areas:
- A bright living room at the front that can be styled as a lounge, reading nook, or even a work-from-home office.
- A dedicated changing room, so wet towels, slippers and sauna essentials have their own place – you’re not juggling clothing in the main space.
- A proper sauna room with two-level benches in alder, metal floor gutter and insulated roof for efficient heat and easy maintenance.
- A generous loft (about 3.3 x 3.9 m) above, accessed from the living area, perfect as a sleeping platform, storage zone, or a private little hideaway under the rafters.
Outside, a covered porch area with impregnated decking boards stretches along the front, giving you a sheltered transition space – somewhere to cool off between rounds, dry off after a shower, or sit with a drink and watch the light change after your session.
Each activity, from sauna, changing, relaxing, and sleeping, is given its own zone, which helps keep the space organised even when several people are using it.
Timber, Light, and Interior Materials
The Fellin cabin is built from 70 mm laminated Nordic spruce logs, pre-cut for a tight, secure fit. The wall thickness also adds functional benefits. It gives the walls real presence – a solid, lodge-like feel – while adding natural insulation and sound dampening. The untreated spruce shows off its grain and warm tone, so even before you add furniture, the interior feels welcoming and textured, not clinical.
Overhead, the loft and roof structure add layers of timber and shadow, wrapping the whole interior in a soft, Nordic atmosphere. The space can also be used as a quiet place to read or rest after a sauna session.
Light and air come through double-glazed wooden windows, thoughtfully placed so each space has its own view and ventilation. The windows open for fresh air, while the glass itself helps with insulation and noise reduction. On a winter’s evening, you can look out at the cool garden while the cabin glows warmly from within; in summer, you can open up the windows and porch doors for a breezier, more open feel.
Doors are just as considered:
- The exterior door is double-glazed and lockable for security and weather protection.
- Inside, a tempered bronze glass door leads into the sauna room – built to withstand heat and moisture while keeping the space feeling open.
- The changing room also gets a tempered glass internal door, balancing privacy with borrowed light.
The Sauna Room
Despite the added living space, the sauna room itself remains a central feature of the cabin. The room itself is fitted with two-level benches in alder wood, a classic sauna material chosen for its low thermal conductivity, comfort against skin, and beautiful, even tone.
The bench layout lets you experience different heat levels:
- Upper bench for deep, traditional heat – ideal if you love a stronger, cleansing sweat.
- Lower bench for milder warmth – perfect for children, newcomers, or those who prefer a softer experience.
Beneath it all, a metal floor gutter in the sauna room quietly does the practical work of draining water and moisture away. That means rinsing down after a session is simple, with less standing water and less ongoing maintenance.
Above, a 30 mm SPU roof insulation layer in the sauna and washroom zones helps lock in heat, keeping the temperature stable while reducing energy consumption. Whether you pair the cabin with an electric heater or a wood-fired stove, the insulation helps the room retain heat more efficiently once the desired temperature is reached.
As with Shym’s other cabins, Fellin is compatible with both electric and firewood heaters, giving you flexibility based on your site and lifestyle. Go for a modern electric unit for plug-and-play convenience, or a wood-burning heater if you want that classic crackle and aroma.
Multipurpose Use and Everyday Scenarios
One of the defining features of the cabin is its adaptability. Because it’s more than a sauna room, it can shift between different roles depending on how the household uses it over time.
- Wellness retreat: Pair the sauna with a cold plunge tub or outdoor shower, and you’ve created a full spa loop just a few steps from your back door.
- Guest house: Add a sofa bed in the living room and a mattress in the loft, and you’ve got an inviting, timber-clad guest suite with its own mini spa.
- Creative studio or office: Between sauna rounds, the living area becomes a calm workspace with natural light and thick timber walls that mute the outside world.
- Family escape pod: On weekends, kids can claim the loft as their “treehouse”, while parents unwind in the sauna below. Everyone gets space without leaving home.
For many households, a sauna becomes more than just a place to heat up. It becomes a shared routine: a space where people put their devices aside and spend time together in the same room. The layout of the cabin supports this kind of shared use, whether through conversation, quiet rest, or simple downtime.
Cabin Structure and Standard Inclusions
Each Sauna Cabin Fellin with Loft arrives as a comprehensive, pre-cut kit, ready for assembly by experienced installers or confident DIYers:
- 70 mm laminated spruce logs, pre-cut and ready to stack
- Two-level alder sauna benches
- Tempered bronze glass sauna door
- Double-glazed wooden windows, openable
- Metal floor gutter in the sauna room
- 30 mm SPU roof insulation (sauna and washroom)
- Lockable wooden external doors
- 24 mm spruce floorboards for a solid, insulated base
- Impregnated decking boards for the porch area
- Installation drawings and screws for a straightforward build
Additional options are also available for those who want to adjust the cabin for different climates or uses: alder backrests and bench skirts, additional openable windows, upgraded PVC triple-glass windows and doors, thicker log options (up to 88 mm or even 204 mm for serious all-season insulation), and more – turning Fellin into anything from a simple backyard sauna to a full, four-season retreat.
Manufacturing, Pricing, and Local Availability
Fellin is crafted in Europe and curated by Shym Saunas for Australian and New Zealand conditions. It’s priced at around $43,700 for the cabin (excluding heater and upgrades), with shipping available across Australia and freight options for New Zealand on enquiry. Pick-up from the warehouse is available, and installation services can be arranged Australia-wide if you’d prefer to hand the build to professionals.
The cabin is also supported locally through distribution and servicing in Australia. After-sales support, care products, and heater accessories are available locally with a team that understands both the product and its maintenance.
How the Fellin Cabin Is Often Used
The Sauna Cabin Fellin with Loft is often used as more than just a small backyard sauna. For owners, it becomes a regular part of how they spend time at home: whether that’s quiet evenings, hosting guests, or short breaks from day-to-day routines
For those interested in compact backyard structures that combine relaxation, storage, and occasional accommodation, this type of cabin allows several of those uses to exist within one compact structure.
Once inside, the environment is quiet, warm, and separated from the main house. For many owners, these cabins become part of their regular routines, whether for weekly sauna sessions, quiet evenings, or hosting overnight guests.
