Flexible two-family getaway

Lessons in the art of sharing

Here are four tips from these families on making one vacation house work for all.

Use and replace
Staples like sugar, coffee, and pasta are stored in the pantry, and the shopping list is constantly updated. Each family brings fresh ingredients as needed. Lisa Mutty and Libby Williams confer to organize joint meals.

Communicate often
The families have made a habit of contacting each other before arriving for big events like birthdays or large-scale sleepovers.

Plan for easy storage
An outdoor-oriented cabin means lots of bulky outdoor equipment like kayaks and inner tubes. Until recently, the screened porch served as their temporary parking space; the families just built a 16- by 7-foot storage shed.

Pick up after yourself
Each family does their own laundry, and the kids are responsible for keeping the bunk area reasonably shipshape.

Design:  Thomas Lawrence, Lawrence Architecture, Seattle (206/332-1832)

More: Geat cabins and vacation homes