While many architectural styles come and go, the humble log cabin continues to endure in appeal. No longer simply a means of shelter, today log cabins take many forms, from a minimal two-room dwelling through to an expansive weekend retreat. Whatever its function, there’s something uniquely appealing in the rugged charm of a log cabin, reminding us of the timeless relationship between natural environment and built spaces that is often sorely missing in metropolitan design. In our latest est collection, we step inside five log cabins that provide both shelter and style from the elements outside.
Located on a Norwegian island not far from the polar circle, this cottage designed by blends into the surrounding landscape with ease. Instead of taking a combative approach to the harsh environmental surrounds, the cabin was built into a narrow natural ravine, providing shelter without compromising on ocean views. Inside the home, the interior is subtle and tactile, designed to patina over time and acting as a soothing foil to the spectacular vistas outside.
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As the weekend getaway for a family of snowboarders, this breathes new life into the A-Frame homes that characterised 1970s style. Designed by local firm , the cabin is surprisingly conservative in size, but its proportions lend it a pared-back luxury. Drawing on locally harvested and quarried materials, the home exudes a warm, rustic sensibility, from the internally-exposed Douglas Fir timber frame to the bench top counters fabricated from marble sourced in the Hisnet Inlet quarry on Vancouver Island.
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With the aim of proving the concept of a house being so much more than just a physical space, Japanese cabin ‘‘ was designed around the notion that human beings seek community. Produced by Airbnb’s design studio in collaboration with Tokyo-based architect , the petite timber cabin provides a place to stay in the rural village of Yoshino, with all proceeds going to towards the community who live there.
A very different Canadian creation, this home definitely sits on the luxurious side of the log cabins spectrum. Designed by Montreal-based practice , the two-storey home is flanked by forest and overlooks the lake, with its apt name ‘Window on the Lake’. demonstrated in the glazed wall that fills the gabled end of a double-height living room. Fit to host eight people, the home has a subtly contemporary aesthetic; the exterior’s pale cedar cladding signals a softly modern style while inside the open plan layout and pitched roof maximise light and space.
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High up in Sweden’s Åsberget mountains, the is one of four log cabins perched out overlooking the ski slopes. Anchored by four powerful timber beams inset in the hillside, the cabin sits 33ft above the ground – and has no illusions the surrounding serenity is king. Timber cladding has been used both inside and out for simplicity and utility, while furnishings have been built-in to the spaces and decoration kept at a minimum to encourage reflection and relaxation, and bring the cabin in balance with its surroundings.
Photography by Hanna Michelson
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