Modern Cabin Style

Some photos in this article come from well-known designers and magazines. We are updating sources as fully as possible. If you know the original publication for any images, please leave a comment and we will add credit.

It seems like modern construction and decorating is definitely starting to impact large-scale high-end mountain projects.  However, I don't see it having much influence on more moderate projects.  That's one of the reasons that I really like this modern cabin, originally published in Country Living.  It's pretty rare to see a normal family sized cabin, designed with these airy, light modern surface materials and contemporary interior furnishings.

I am really appreciating all the pickled pine wood and the white color palette.

This room is so smart looking and it's really all due to the light colors in the woodwork and modern shaped furnishings.  These choices are really no more expensive than the typical rich wood and brown sofa look you see so much in cabins.  One of the nice things about choosing to design and decorate in this style is that part of the look is open empty space, which means you need fewer, although carefully chosen, furnishings.  In this case, there are a number of statement making pieces, such as the two light fixtures, the dining table and chairs and the crazy furry pouf.

Although this house gives a modern impression, it is actually an old ranch style house in the Berkshires, remodeled by Hauswork Design. Formerly dark, dingy and depressing, most of the materials got a contemporary face-lift, except the fabulous stone fireplace, found as is on the site.

And, of course, a piece or two of over-scale high-impact art is required.  When a room is mostly in whites and creams, it's important to use a lot of textures so that it doesn't become too bland.  In this case, the rustic wood bench used as a coffee table, the tongue and groove on the wall, the white hair hide on the floor and the nubby fabrics all keep the eye both soothed and entertained at the same time.

Interesting collections united by the white color scheme add additional eye candy.

In the kitchen, the theme continues with natural woods contrasting with more white.  The mortar on the stone chimney is very white and has been left thick so that it, too, makes a white statement in the room.

A simple but stylish entry.

A sliding barn door system with horizontal planks adds modern interest to a wall in the master.  A simple contemporary natural linen bedding collection in lots of textures keeps things clean but stylish.

A lot of the furnishings and soft goods were purchased at stores like Ikea and West Elms and Bobby Houston of Hausworks pickled the pine walls himself.  Carefully adding in a few authentic and collectible mid-century modern pieces and splurging on a few modern elements elevates the entire design.  

The most modern cabinets, hardware and fixtures contrast with the rustic wood siding.  

No color allowed.  Even the dog slips beautifully into the neutrals color palette!

If you love a quiet color palette, see our cream and white fabric collection and our cream and white wallpaper collection.

Want more cabin design inspiration? 

Explore two of our most-loved posts:   

Can I Paint My Log Walls? 

8 of the Most Charming Cabin Kitchens Ever

See hundreds of wallpaper and fabrics curated especially for cabins, lodges, and mountain homes.  Tahoedreaminteriors.com    

Follow along for fresh cabin ideas and new mountain home inspiration: 

Pinterest

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Let your mountain home reflect the beauty, comfort, and creativity you love. — Sue Pipal

Contemporary Rustic Style in Aspen with Richard Hallberg

Contemporary European chalet style is making its way to Aspen.

This project by Richard Hallbert is everything that is contemporary chalet style.  It's clean, light and bright, with modern finishes and furnishings. Most importantly, clearly on display is that special element of oh-so-contemporary tongue-in-cheek referencing to mountain motifs and traditional craftsmanship that you see in today's modern European chalet style.

Just exactly what makes up that special element?  It's the fur pillows, the hair-on-hide upholstery, the antler, horn and bark materials, the huge rustic logs. And yet, these references to the past and the traditional are judiciously sprinkled into what is, in all ways, a very modern interior.

This is a primarily white color scheme with a few touches of black.  

Notice the very rugged rustic wood, both in the architectural elements such as the over-scale log posts and beams and in the furnishings and accessories, as well.

The wall texture gently undulates and the flooring consists of rustic wide planks in a grayed, distressed and aged finish.  All this "hand-crafted" detail is in stark contrast with extremely modern elements such as this striking entry table.

In the den, furnishings are minimal, rustic, and in natural materials and muted colors.  Distressed leather, horn, fur, wool and stone gently mix.

Again, in the kitchen ultra-modern elements contrast with the rugged and rustic.

A modern lucite coffee table is placed next to traditional antler furniture pieces.  At the foot of the modern linen covered clean-lined upholstered bed is an Adirondack style birch bark trunk.  White shag carpeting on the floors and modern artwork contribute to the overall contrast of slick, sleek and modern vs. rustic, nubby, natural and traditional.

The most modern of tubs, contemporary artwork and a modern side table contrast with the softness and fullness of the white shag area rug and a plump linen covered chaise.  Up above, a large complicated white-painted antler chandelier further contrasts with the simplicity below.

Back in the master, the red Lucite coffee table and a large red artwork add jolts of color and excitement to the overall white color-scheme.  

Source:  Veranda Magazine  If you'd like to read the story about how the house was created, see the original article.  http://www.veranda.com/decorating-ideas/a1753/aspen-colorado-house/

Want more cabin design inspiration? 

Explore two of our most-loved posts:   

Can I Paint My Log Walls? 

8 of the Most Charming Cabin Kitchens Ever

See hundreds of wallpaper and fabrics curated especially for cabins, lodges, and mountain homes.  Tahoedreaminteriors.com    

Follow along for fresh cabin ideas and new mountain home inspiration: 

Pinterest

Instagram

Let your mountain home reflect the beauty, comfort, and creativity you love. — Sue Pipal

Soft colors, big patterns, rough textures and open spaces in this sophisticated modern lodge

"I like to marry the world" says Cashmere Interiors designer, Charlene Peterson.  And here in her own Big Sky Montana mountain retreat she shows us how she does just that.  

I really enjoy Pearson's designs.  Although she keeps the color palette restricted, she is playful with texture and pattern, keeping her designs far from boring.  She is, at the same time, highly disciplined and utterly whimsical.

Neutral colors in the texture-filled great room by Charlene Pearson of Cashmere Interiors, at Big Sky Retreat.

Although layered with multiple textiles, unusual and diverse rustic antiques and sophisticated upholstered furnishings, the viewer is comfortable with all the complexity because of the restricted color palette with its subtle emphasis on greys, beiges, taupes and muted browns with accents of black and graphite.

The ultimate comfortable window seat!

Here, above, you really see the wide variety of textiles.  Native American and other ethnic patterns, plaids, stripes, hide and rustic nubby woolens all mix together happily in this room.  An Asian antique shelving unit has been installed next to the fireplace.  It interplays with handwoven Native American basketry and other antique collectibles from across the world.  A hand-crafted, hand-woven, hand-carved look is emphasized.  

An unusual and striking mix of surface materials in this pleasingly energetic kitchen.  Tile is from Equisite Surfaces.

In the kitchen, a striking tile pattern is used to reference Native American motifs, and this is also reflected in the sisal mat on the floor.  The rough sawn cabinets stained a soft stone color are beautiful and a similar stain is applied to the wood flooring.  Cashmere Interiors likes to add whimsical pattern and you see this in the stainless steel apron on the island counter-top with its repeating dot pattern.

More dramatic contrasts and dynamic pattern from Cashmere Interiors. Area rug is from Madeline Weinrib.

I love the way that the ultra modern shapes such as the dining chairs and Danish light fixtures contrast with the use of rugged rustic materials as with the dining table, wood floors and reclaimed posts and beams.

How do you feel about the softly greyed stain color on all the woodwork? According to the contractor on the project, it took a number of steps to get it to match up with the idea Pearson had in her mind.  Personally, I find it beautiful, especially with the softened colors in the room.  The hits of black in the steel window frames and rug pattern really punch up the overall impact though, don't you think?  

Beautiful repetition of colors and textures. Wallpaper from Phillip Jeffries.

In this bathroom, you see the charcoal and taupe colors repeating in the cabinets, the wallpaper, the antique doors and the area rug on the ground.  It's a masterly mix and creates a very beautiful room.

Another use of exuberant textiles in the Master Bedroom. Another Phillip Jeffries wallpaper--this one mimicing the look of bark. 

The designer seems to enjoy wallpapers and uses them frequently in her interiors.

Cole and Sons Woods Wallpaper.  

This is certainly a whimsical child's bedroom.  Pearson has used one of my favorite wallpapers, Cole and Sons Woods.  I have used it in many projects and it always looks great.  Here, it is perfectly charming with the teepee tents and twin cribs.  One of the things I admire the most about the room is how the "cute" elements are intermixed with the sophisticated, like the Moroccan inspired area rug and handsome upholstered chair and the modern leather ottoman.  Although the room makes you smile, it is not in the least bit saccharine.

Above, Cole and Sons Woods Wallpaper and below,  Pierre Frey Guiro wallpaper are both available in our online store. To view our entire wallpaper selection, see here.  Cole and Sons comes in 9 colorways as well as a newer version with nighttime stars.  Guiro comes in red and white as well as the black and white shown.

Pierre Frey Guiro wallpaper

Guiro is a Polynesian Tapas pattern and yet, Pearson uses it here in her Montana cabin where it mixes in neatly, I think.  The vanity seems to have an Asian heritage.  She tosses in modern lighting and a very rustic wooden sink bowl, all contributing to the eclectic mix.  It sounds crazy on paper but it works beautifully on site.

In the bunk room, below Pearson uses wallpaper, again, along with Ralph Lauren light fixtures, Swiss Army blankets, Native American toss pillows, modern leather chairs and a framed Suzani on the wall.  The soft palette again pulls all the disparate elements together expertly.  The greyed, weathered reclaimed wood used in the bunk is also the color of the beautiful woolen carpet.

Mixing elements again in the bunk room.


A fabulous, huge ottoman with a patchwork of textiles dominates the locker room.  I love how the designer has decorated this functional area just as carefully as any other part of the house.

A comfortable den with a captivating view continues with the neutral color scheme and mix of themes.

Another Pierre Frey wallpaper, this is Altamira, also in our online store.  

More texture and pattern in this handsome bedroom that manages to be both busy and calming at the same time.

The marble black splash has been cleverly book-ended to create a herringbone pattern that mimics Native American motifs.  

So many of the patterns used in this project, although from other sources, sometimes from far flung places, suggest Native American artwork.  The designer has shown little concern for authentic motifs but rather is looking for a feeling or flavor that is somehow suggestive.  Rather, she has thrown this all together, shaken and stirred and come up with a look that is uniquely her own, both "Zen" as she calls it, but also exciting, creative and hers alone.

Barbara Barry Chalet Collection--Pretty Fabrics for Cabins and Rustic Mountain Lodges

I have always loved chalet style.  For years I loved traditional chalet style. The charming Swiss embroidered fabrics, the Brien Black Forest wood carvings, eidelweiss flowers, rustic Antique French and Italian furnishings.  My clients ordered so much Pierre Frey chalet fabric that I became the largest Pierre Frey account in the US.  In fact, I still love the chalet look.

Chalet Style --Old School

A room I designed for a client 15 years ago.  Lot's of Pierre Frey!

But these days, I am more enamored of a contemporary chalet style, one influenced by the clean lines of Axel Vervoordt's Belgian decorating.  Still dominated by simple rustic furnishings, old beams and wood floors, and still an emphasis on antiques, but dotted here and there with contemporary mountain pieces.  Less detail and fuss.  An altogether, lighter, cleaner look where emptier rooms are simply furnished with larger pieces, nubby fabrics in simple pale colors, everything chosen for its purpose.

A chalet room designed by Axel Vervoodt.  

And now Barbara Barry, a distinctively American designer with her own fully developed contemporary design style, has embraced European chalet design and has created a line of fabrics, trims, pillows and curtain hardware.

Somehow Barbara Barry has managed to blend the old with the new.  You still see the traditional influences, the subtle snowflake and pine sprig patterns, the trims with their leiderhosen-inspired shapes.  But everything is in softer more modern colors and fabrics.  Traditional motifs and patterns are merely suggested, not rendered in perfect detail. Rumpled linens, faux furs and coarse woolens are the textures of choice. The color palette is restricted to soft grays, sages and taupe.  It's a look for today and I am loving it.

Rustic nubby linens in soft colorations dressed up with generous quantities of leiderhosen-motif inspired trims.

A beautiful woolen.

Embroidery inspired by the past but used in a new way.

A subtly beautiful pine bough pattern.

It's all about the trimmings.

You can order the pillows made to order--and there are so many styles to choose from.

And don't forget the faux fur.  It wouldn't be contemporary chalet style without it!

Beautiful fabrics and beautiful details.  By the way, the faux antlers are part of the hardware line.

Drapery tie-backs and rod supports in faux-antler. 

 Some up-close looks at some of my favorite items from the collection...

Bavarian Button--A simple linen with hand embroidery and wooden buttons.

Interlaken Pillow

Antler Finial

Alpenrose Fabric in Silver Grey

St. Antoine Pillow

Dirndl Fur Throw

Wood Frost Wallpaper in Birch--so pretty!

The whole collection is available at TahoeDreamInteriors.com, of course. We're always happy to get you samples of the fabrics and trims you're interested in. We want you to be able to see them up close, take them into your rooms and live with them for awhile before you order.  Just let us know if you see anything in the Barbara Barry Collection that you'd like to receive in a swatch form.  There's no charge. 

Links to Barbara Barry Chalet:

For fabrics and trims:  http://www.tahoedreaminteriors.com/barbara-barry-chalet-collection/

For toss pillows: http://www.tahoedreaminteriors.com/pillows/

For fur throw: http://www.tahoedreaminteriors.com/dirndl-faux-fur-throw-from-the-barbara-barry-chalet-collection/

For curtain hardware:  http://www.tahoedreaminteriors.com/hardware/

For Wood Frost Wallpaper:  http://www.tahoedreaminteriors.com/wallpapers-1/