The temperature has begun to drop, and that slight chill in the air has begun to make itself known. What that means is winter is on its way. Of course, it’s during this time of year that our thoughts often turn to make our homes as comfy and cozy as possible. Indeed, during this time of year, many of us begin to dream of spending time in a cozy cabin in the mountains. If we are lucky enough to have one available to us, that is.
Yet, even those without a cabin at their disposal can benefit from the look and feel of a winter cabin. All we need to do is create a cozy, and comfortable cabin-like space in our current home. A subject you can read about in detail in the post below.
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Neutral and natural colors rule
Let’s begin with the foundations of the winter cabin look. It helps here to think about the space you are decorating like a painting. That means the walls and basic furniture are similar to a canvas on which you will lay added colour and texture.
With that in mind, it makes sense to start with a natural and neutral color pallet. Now, while often found together such colors are not synonymous. Indeed, there can be very bright colors in nature! Using natural colors is a must for a cabin-like feel. This is because it helps ground the design in nature, making it feel more authentic. Neutral colors on the other hand provide a balanced base on which you build up and layer your cabin-like design. All the while stopping it from becoming overwhelming.
Some of the best neutral and natural colors to consider include gray, beige, ivory and sage. When using these tones you’ll then be free to choose any accent colors you like. A topic we’ll talk more about below.
Deep and warm accent colors (or plaid rules OK)
Once you have your natural and neutral base down on the walls and concerning the soft furnishings you can add accent colors. Accent colors are ones that you use in small quantities in a space to add interest. For example, in most cases lime green is an accent color, perhaps used effectively in a single throw pillow, or as a photo frame. Yet few people want an entire room painted lime green.
For a cozy cabin feeling you’ll want to steer clear of the lime green though. Instead choose deep and warm colors like burgundy, navy blue, and forest green. These colors are associated with winter already so will instantly help give your space a more cozy feel. These colors also happen to be the colors most used in the patterns of tartan and plaid, again heavily associated with winter. They therefore make the perfect choice for a cabin-style room.
Opt for natural textiles
Just as natural colors work well for a cabin-like environment, natural textiles do too. The good news is there are plenty of different types of natural textiles to choose from. The first you may wish to consider, especially if you have a keen hunter in the family, is animal hide or antlers. A traditional decoration in North American cabins, mounted antlers can provide just the right vibe for this type of home. Hides too can be used in decoration either as wall hangings or as throws for beds and sofas. You can even use hides and leather for cushions and other smaller decorative objects if you so choose.
Another natural textile that can help you create a cabin-like feeling in your home is natural wool. Softer, than the acrylic blends on the market, natural wool is a resource widely accessible in rural communities. Hence its heavy use in cabin-type properties. It can be felted into thick blankets or spun and then knitted, or crocheted into throws and blankets. The uneven nature of this type of yarn is a feature rather than a bug.
Utilize natural flooring like wood and stone
For those looking to recreate a rustic, cabin-like feel in a newer property adding stone as a decorative element can work very well. This is because as a natural material, its rougher edges and imperfections can soften the straight lines of modern buildings. One way to utilize stone in interior decoration is to cover the floor with it. It’s robust too, so could work well in a high-traffic environment, like a corridor or hall.
Yet as stone can be very cold, many people stay away from adding in to rooms in which they will spend a significant amount of time. A good alternative for this would be an under wood floor heating system instead. The major benefit of this type of flooring is that natural wood already fits in with the cozy cabin theme and is already warmer than stone. Add to that the fact that such floors are designed to be artificially heated from underneath and you have a real winner. Flooring that creates a wonderful comfortable and cozy living environment.
Reclaim and rescue
When creating a comfortable cabin-like feel, nothing should look too new and shiny. This includes the decoration and furniture you use. For example, instead of buying a brand new kitchen table and set of chairs, why not reuse that old pine one you have in your garage? You can also add to its look by sanding it down and then giving it a cover of chalk paint resulting in a truly rustic-looking piece.
If you don’t have anything you can use for the specific function you require, then the next action is to find something secondhand. Look in free papers and check Facebook groups to see if you can find something that is low-cost or free first.
Lastly, if you absolutely must go for something new then choose, then be sure to go for something with a more rustic style. Bare, unpolished wood is a good option here, and items made in an industrial style with wooden and metal elements can work well.
Embrace texture
Texture is vitally important if you want to create a cozy, comfortable cabin feel. After all, real cabins have a great deal of texture on show via the wood that makes up their walls. Of course, if you don’t feel like cladding every inside wall of your home with timber, there are some other options you can explore.
The first of these is to create a log pile feature. You can do this by stacking logs recessed part of a room. But if you do, remember that they should be fixed together and to the wall so they are not a safety hazard. If you don’t have room for an entire pile of logs, then a similar effect can be created with slices of logs from the circumference. Then staple them to the wall after you have painted the background a dark color.
Other options include bringing in some branches from outside and decorating them. This can create a beautiful feature that allows you to play with texture in a very fun way in your home. Where possible use silver birch branches, and hang ornaments like pine cones and dried leaves.
You need more blankets! (No even more than that!)
When going for a cozy vibe blankets are 100% necessary. Now, we’ve touched on using natural textures where possible, but you can be a bit sloppy with this rule as long as things are focused on comfort. That means you can add wonderful fleece blankets, or throws if you choose. Just be sure to make them neutral in color and let anything with natural fibres do the heavy lifting when it comes to visual aesthetics.
Don’t forget the fireplace
Last of all, a feature that you won’t want to miss is a fireplace. Fireplaces are synonymous with cabins as they are the primary source of warmth in more basic structures. Fireplaces also provide a wonderful focal point and reinforce that comfy cozy feeling and real ones emit heat and warm light.
If all this talk of real fires panics you, don’t worry because you can recreate a similar vibe without any open flames at all. One option is to use a gas fireplace that utilizes an enclosed flame. This will give you all the visual benefits without any of the concerns about heat, smoke, or sparks.
Another option is to recreate the look of a fire with a fake fireplace that comes complete with glowing logs for that extra cozy feeling. You can even get fake fireplace surrounds to go around them which perfectly complete the look.
Final thoughts
Creating a cozy, comfortable cabin-like feel is possible in any home if you just follow some of the advice in our guide above. Remember that when it comes to colors and finishes, natural is best, and if you can use reclaimed items instead of new ones do. Also, remember to add warmth to your space with blankets in tartans and plaid fabrics. Lastly, where possible add fire as a focal point to keep you and your whole family comfy and cozy all winter long!
