Inspiration

Design Style: Rustic Summer Cabin

I dream of having a rustic cabin in the woods (with a gurgling stream nearby, natch) where I can escape in the summer to cool off and unplug. Back when my husband and I lived in a downtown apartment, we even flirted with the idea of buying a nearby vacation home in the woods and spending weekends there. Instead we made the more practical decision to ditch the apartment and move to a house in the ‘burbs, and there went our dream (for now) of a rural retreat. Still, I love the idea of being surrounded by fireflies twinkling in the night and crickets chirping. And inside, weathered and worn surfaces and comfortable materials.

Sometimes I choose art for my shop with an interior style in mind, and that’s certainly true for some pieces suited for a woodsy cabin. Below I’ve gathered some design inspiration, followed by selected art prints from my shop to complement this style.

Dens & Living Rooms

A universal feature of these inspiration photos is wood planking on walls, ceilings, or both. It gives the impression of being enveloped — cocooned — in nature. I’ve seen folks take a DIY approach to wood planking with great results, but the project still seems very intimidating to me. So much measuring, and so many cuts!

Secluded Maine house designed by the owners.

An Airbnb cabin in the Poconos, Pennsylvania.

Maine bungalows at Hidden Pond designed by Todd Snyder.

Blue-hued sitting room in a log cabin on Lake Michigan.

California cabin designed by Commune. I love the utilitarian style.

Bedrooms

And when it comes to bedrooms… more wood! With lots of plush furnishings to bring softness and warmth. Geometric is the name of the game when it comes to pattern. Plaids, stripes, triangle motifs, and quilt blocks all feel right at home. But I also love the floral print curtains in the third image below.

A Latvian historical homestead, via Melody Hoffman.

A bedroom in a converted Wisconsin Boy Scout camp.

Cabin bedroom on Lake Michigan designed by Jay Jeffers.

Lofted bed nook in an Airbnb cabin rental in Asheville.

Bunk beds in a 1950s cabin in Shenandoah Valley.

Bedroom in secluded house on Maine’s Sutton Island.

Kitchens

Simplicity is key when it comes to kitchens in these inspiration photos. No fancy cabinetry, marble counters, or high-tech appliances here. Organic materials and natural light are the statement-makers.

Kitchen in an Airbnb cabin rental in Colorado.

A weathered kitchen sink in the Australian home of Matt and Lentil Purbrick.

Rustic wood kitchen designed by Jay Jeffers.

Sonoma County cabin kitchen designed by Charles de Lisle.

Art for Summer Cabins

As with the rest of the decor, art for summer cabins ideally features natural, simple themes that harmonize with the surroundings. Rustic artwork is especially popular, with thrifted paint by number art being a hip choice, but it can be hard to find the right piece when looking at vintage originals. Luckily, here at Atelier Juno we have loads of pieces with our signature high quality and affordable pricing that would be right at home in a summer cabin setting.