To a large extent, the best way to design a warm winter lodge is just as it have been done in the old days: do it with what you have.
Article continues below
To create a cozy cabin feeling or mountain lodge atmosphere you don't have think long and hard, it's enough to take a look at the work of our ancestors. There's no need to order new wooden beams or boards for your walls if you can find them in your surroundings. First, it will be much cheaper and second, you don't have to go far and wide to get that old look: old material has it by itself. Mix different wood, shades, and age to get an authentic country lodge.
While designing your lodge, don't forget stone as one of the main materials in nature. Wood blends excellently with stone and if you're lucky enough to have your lodge on the cliff, that could look fantastic. Stone has another great characteristic: it goes extremely well with new materials like glass and metal. So, you can easily blend your new bathtub and shower into that old stone wall; there's no need to leave all civilization's amenities behind.
While at styles, we must mention 1960s and 1970s. For some reason, furniture from those periods fit naturally to old, wooden cabins. Slightly unusual shapes and the dynamic between full and thin parts creates a contrast needed to avoid the "hard" look of an old lodge. The good thing is that colors of old furniture usually go nicely with wood so you don't have to have an eye of an experienced designer; you can hardly miss the color combination.
If you take a closer look at indigenous cabins, you will find a heavy use of patterns in almost all cultures. So, why don't use it? Your living and sleeping rooms are natural choices for playing with patterns. The idea is simple: let your blankets and carpets feature strong and bold patterns, and use one-color cushions to calm the design down. Use patterns to make a focal point that will deflect the view from less perfect details you don't want to be seen immediately. ■
