Favorite Spaces: Comfy Cabins

Plain and Simple

Of all the adjectives used to describe log cabins, the most commonly heard is unpretentious. Folks express delight at spending time in a home where they can be truly themselves.

The Venerable Cabin in the Woods

Rugged and rustic are the perfect words to define cabins, both how they look and how they’re furnished. Many are outfitted with pieces fashioned from twigs and branches — the parts of trees left over from crafting the logs.

As bare bones as they look, they still appear invitingly comfortable, especially when positioned in a cozy nook or before a roaring fire. Even when approached from the outside, their sit-a-spell porch beckons with a promise of hospitality.

Special Spaces

Cabins promote closeness, but that doesn’t mean cramped. Even the smallest cabins can enjoy openness that makes the most of the space available, whether it’s a great room (opposite), a roomy deck and cozy porch or an inviting guest room. And yet, even a sizable cabin sets aside space for meditative moments, needing only a simple bench and a few potted plants.

1. Perfect Setting for Sitting

Relaxing in front of a crackling fire, surrounded by warm, honey-hued logs, is what cabin living is all about. Plush upholstered sofa and chairs make it easy to stay seated for many idle though happy hours.

2. Log Style Is Immaterial

The first log cabins used small round logs and became the model for subsequent generations of cabin dwellers, but some folks preferred a refined look that signified permanence. Thus the hand-hewn cabin took hold.

3. Rustic Elegance

Cabins have a backwoodsiness about them, but they’re easily dressed up for special occasions. Just add the right furniture and create the proper ambience, and you have all the ingredients. A splendid view is icing on the cake.

4. Shades of the Ponderosa

Cowboys loved cabins, which is why they’re part of the dude ranch experience (even city slicker Teddy Roosevelt built one in the Dakota Badlands). Because cabins can be small, they often rely on quick outdoor access.