3 Cabin Decor Styles to Consider for Your New Home

Cabin chic decor style isn’t something you’d have been able to discuss with your frontiering ancestors. Having a rustic decor then meant you likely had dirt floors, not that you had themed bear decor in the living room. Luckily for us, we’ve come a long way since then. With modern design principles and a desire to get back to nature, cabins are back, and cabin decor is a hot topic. 

Home decor for your new cabin life is about more than placing a loon print throw pillow and slapping up a set of deer antlers. It's about natural materials, layering, and lighting. Once you have those down, your favorite black-bear-shaped coffee table from Etsy will place itself. 

Here are a few cabin decorating ideas to get you moving in the right direction. 

What Defines Traditional Cabin Decor?

Classic cabin decor is about marrying the outdoors with your interior through rustic lighting, lots of wood, and neutral color palettes. And while that can sound limiting, we can assure you it's not.

With so many styles of cabin decor trending right now, the possibilities for your rustic cabin home are endless. From the more classic and chunky, wood-heavy log home aesthetic to the clean lines and open brightness of the French country farmhouse style, you’ll want to keep your options as open as your cabin views.

Let’s take a look at a few of these options, starting with a classic — the hunting lodge. 

Hunting Lodge Decor

No matter what your ideas are on hunting, the hunting lodge style is having a moment and we can see why. The big open spaces, dark wood furniture that artfully contradicts the flood of natural light, the thick and textured linens, and the substantial rustic furniture come together as the perfect welcome sign after a day spent outdoors.

While anyone can borrow inspiration from this rustic style, to really nail the hunting lodge, we think it works best with large spaces. High, open, vaulted ceilings with lots of wall space and windows allow this dark palette to feel like luxury. 

The Focal Point

The focal point for any good lodge-style home is usually the big brick or stone fireplace that pulls your attention inward. Adorned with industrial metal wall art or seasonal decorations, the fireplace mantle brings the warm feels all throughout the year. 

A large fireplace centers a room but don't think everything needs to be angled in toward it. Leaving it off to the side can make the room more functional. It also means you don’t need to take up precious mantle space with a TV. 

The Furniture and Fixtures to Compete

Big windows and a big centerpiece calls for furniture to match. Plush leather sofas, substantial metal lighting fixtures, and recycled barnwood coffee tables will hold their own and make your rustic home feel both decadent and inviting. 

With dark wood floors, you’ll want to soften things up and pull the whole room together with an oversized, patterned area rug. Cabin rugs are a great place to add some color and modern refinement. Where much of the cabin decor is neutral, a rug can be colorful and decorative for a wonderful contrast in feel. 

Classic Log Cabin Decor

The classic log cabin is where it all began. It provided simple protection from the elements and it was sturdy and strong. Luxury was a small window and a stack of pinecones and other pine tree debris to be used as cabin bedding.

Today we want a little bit more from our log cabins but we still want that durable and minimalist feel. Unlike the hunting lodge, the log cabin shines for its warmth and cozy simplicity. Instead of being big and grand, log cabins have more of a snuggle up by the wood-burning stove with a book type of vibe. 

Let’s take a look at some decorating ideas for the modern log cabin. 

Bring the Outdoors Inside

Modern log cabin interiors are warm and cozy but not subtle. You know you’re in a log cabin by the wood-covered walls that are only interrupted by the large windows and glass doors you can watch the natural world through. DEN’s selection of modern cabin plans all emphasize simple lines and large windows so even though you’re cozy inside, the great outdoors is always the focal point. 

For this reason, a lot of modern log cabin style is softer in tone. The furniture can be lighter and less imposing while the large fireplaces can be replaced by smaller wood-burning stoves. But don’t get too minimalist. Simple comfort is still the vibe you’re going for. 

A Good Balance of Comfortable and Light

Using neutral color palettes that allow the soft pine wood accents to stand out is a great way to celebrate the flood of bright light pulled inside by the floor-to-ceiling windows. It also causes your eyes to drift toward the windows to the more colorful outside world. Meanwhile, keeping simple, straight lines contrasts the organic shapes outside.

With comfort in mind, soft and plushy cloth couches and chairs are a must and so is an understated area rug that’s soft under your feet. 

French Country Farmhouse Decor

The French country farmhouse decor takes the modern cabin from simple comfort to center stage. The clean lines and soft, off-white distressed tones are made rich by multiple textile layers, while contrasted by pops of color and antique ornateness. 

In farmhouse style, very little is hidden away and everything in the house makes a cohesive statement. While there are usually lots of windows and light, it’s clear that the show is not outside but in every curated detail. 

Something Borrowed and Something Blue

Farmhouse decor is a little like the wedding tradition of wearing some old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue. It can take years of shopping yard sales, thrift stores, and Target to finally complete the look. And you may even want to craft some stuff yourself. The thrill of the find is what makes this look so much fun and why most surfaces are quite busy. 

White and wood tones will usually set the stage for this cabin decor but don’t overlook a room that’s begging for an accent wall. Exposed shelves are usually preferred to closed cabinets and a liberal use of plants will pepper pops of color around the house. 

A Modern Take

If you’d rather not spend your time hitting up antique shops and fairs, a more modern take is easy enough to pull off like in this mockup of DEN’s popular Eastern Farmhouse. With multiple textures and seating options, tons of natural light, and accented window and door frames, it's possible to have a farmhouse with more refinement. 

Bring Your Dream Cabin Decor to Life With DEN

Cabin decor options are more diverse than they've ever been. Your imagination really is the limit of what’s possible. We love the strong, chunky features of the hunting lodge, the cozy simplicity of the modern log cabin, and the ornate detail and brightness of the country farmhouse. 

To get started on your journey into cabin decor, check out DEN’s growing collection of house plans including several modern cabin designs. With DEN, you choose a design from our library and we deliver your house plans instantly. We don’t stop there though. You’ll get everything you need to help you build a team, find the perfect plot of land, and set a surprise-resistant budget. 

Or if you’d like more help, try our new BuiltBy DEN service and we'll do everything for you. Start building your cabin with DEN today.