3 Things I Hate About Cabin Decor

Have you ever walked into someone’s cabin home, only to be disappointed by what you see? It either looks dark or dirty, or just too rustic? Well, in this article I am going to talk about my "least favorite" things about cabin decor, because "hate" is such a strong word…

The Dark - I definitely don’t like walking into a space and being bombarded by darkness. No, I’m not afraid of the dark. I just don’t like a dark room because it's not very welcoming. And by dark, I just mean all the brown wood. Maybe I’m being a little melodramatic, but I just can’t stand the color brown everywhere. Brown can take over a room in a hurry. One reason I don't like brown everywhere, is that there's no contrast. It kind of makes me depressed. And two, there has to be other colors in the room, not just brown. And when I do have brown in a room, I actually prefer a lighter brown or whitewashed wood whenever possible. My point here is that a dark home isn't very inviting. Suitable for a tavern maybe, but not a home! And since most cabins aren't built with as many windows as regular houses, in a way to conserve energy, they tend to be a little darker. So, try to brighten up your cabin home with extra lighting, or painting the walls or floors a lighter color. They make light colored stains now, and people actually redo their flooring with this to brighten it up. I’ve seen it done, and it looks wonderful.

The Wood - It's everywhere. Typical cabins are completely made of wood, with log walls, wood floors, wood paneling on the walls, wood trim on the windows, and usually wood furniture to top it off. Yes, I think wood is a natural, beautiful element when used properly, but when it is used in excess, it can be overpowering. It should be broken up with other materials, such as leather, steel, or iron, or simply by throwing a fleece blanket on your couch. Or if everything has to be made of wood, at least choose wood that's different tones, or paint it different colors. For example, your wood floor could be a medium brown, and your couch could be a dark brown leather, and maybe the walls are a light grayish brown. Mix it up. If the interior walls of your cabin are the logs that it's built with, just make sure there is plenty of back lighting, recessed cans, track lighting, or lamps. You can even add beautiful artwork in lighter colors to brighten up the space.

The Dirt - It's everywhere! Because you live out in the country, the dirt is all around you. You are not in the concrete jungle anymore. And when you have to walk through all this dirt, mud, or sand to get to your house, it gets tracked inside. So, people that have cabins out in the boondocks typically have to be more diligent in sweeping up the dirt that can accumulate from people coming and going throughout the day. And depending on your flooring, it may get caught in the cracks if it's hardwood floors. Maybe cabin owners should invest in a Roomba- an automatic robot vac. That may just be the most modern thing they have in their home!

I hope this article helps you understand some of the primary drawbacks in cabin design and how to overcome them. Any design challenge can be fixed, and with the proper know-how, you can have a beautiful, inviting cabin home!