Cabin Houses: Design Ideas to Better Connect with Nature
There is a common misconception that cabins are only made for mountains. However, you can find cabins in all sorts of other wild places, from mountains to rivers to beaches. Most cabins are often small and cozy accommodations that are made out of wood and are usually surrounded by nature. People who choose cabins as a getaway often like the air of comfort and coziness that cabins offer, especially since natural materials dominate the cabins’ interior and are highlighted in them in every element of the house. Cabin houses are, in fact, designed to blend in with their natural surroundings and reflect the owner’s value for the environment. They also help people escape their day-to-day life. And whether used as a primary residence or as a vacation home, they offer maximum livability and an easy way of living.
Here are a few designing ideas that you can use for your cabin to better connect with nature:
1- Mixing the old with the new:
Mixing the traditional and the modern styles in a cabin is not an easy task. However, even though both styles are quite far apart, the rustic style in a cabin can help you identify what kind of other designing decisions you should make. To successfully blend them together, it is important first to select a theme to make sure that the design style flows well together and does not feel busy. For example, you can have a mainly wooden interior built from timber and a galvanized steel exterior, which adds more texture to the space. In addition, traditional elements add a more classic style to a cabin house. For example, you can use a traditional sink for your bathroom but install modern lanterns that go well with it. On the other hand, you can also use grainy and unpolished exposed logs for your walls and other minimal modern elements to create a bold look.
2- Draw inspiration from the outdoors:
In a cabin house, the outdoors plays a major role in the way the house is designed. In fact, it is very important to work with the environment and draw inspiration from the landscape around the house so that the house can blend well with its surroundings. For example, if your cabin is in the mountains, you can use elements that complement the environment in the mountains. Here, you can build pathways made of stones, use wood for the walls, and pick colors that you can find in the surrounding landscape, such as brown and gray. On the other hand, if your cabin house is situated near a beach, you can bring beach-inspired furniture and elements inside the house and use colors that you can find on the beach, such as blue, green, and beige for your exterior and interior design.
3- Lighten the interior:
Depending on the building materials used, cabins can be especially dark. And because lighting is an essential element in interior design, it is important to brighten up your home with different methods. Reflective surfaces such as mirrors, for example, are a great way to brighten up your cabin and make it look bigger and more spacious, especially since they can reflect the sunlight into more rooms. On the other hand, you can also include light-colored rugs to lighten up a dark cabin floor along with colorful furnishings and accessories, such as throws, pillows, and paintings. Two other obvious elements that would help brighten up your cabin are lights and paint. This is where maximizing natural light by adding more windows or dividing rooms with glass doors can be helpful. Paint colors can include light gray, white, beige, yellow, etc.
4- Always choose the best quality:
Cabin houses, whether on the beach/river or in the mountains, should always be built to withstand the climate in the area. This is why it is important to use high-quality furnishings and elements that can withstand the salty air at the beach or the wind and harsh weather in the mountains. For example, brick is one of the most common building materials that can withstand heat. Steel sidings and shingles can also be used in cabin houses, as they are durable materials, with some of them designed to resemble real logs, which would preserve the traditional look of the cabin, if that is what you opt for. On the other hand, other materials such as stone, wood, and concrete also work well in different environments and can withstand the harshest of weathers.
5- Add fresh greenery:
Plants and flowers add a touch of softness and homeliness to your space and can make your cabin house look inviting and welcoming. While you can bring flowers from the cabin’s surroundings inside for a fresh look, you can also decorate your house with other different plants and flowers that require little care and light. For example, you can bring in peace lilies, ferns, cactus, Snake Plants, and succulents among many others. However, it is important to take into consideration the location and lighting in your cabin house and to choose your plant based on the amount of attention and care that you are willing to give, as some plants require a lot more care and light than other plants.
Choose Odd and Unique Items
Cabin houses are considered an ideal housing structure, as they can last hundreds of years without suffering any damage because of the different weather conditions, making them cost effective and safe. And while cabin houses are generally known for their traditional look, designers are starting to change up the look on the interior and exterior of cabins by incorporating modern designs and using durable materials. This is why when designing your cabin, you can always try to be bold and don’t be afraid to play around with odd and unique items, as these items could add a lot of character to the cabin house.
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