How To Create A Cabin Vibe In Your Home

Maybe you can't live in a cabin in the woods, but you can certainly get the same vibe in your house. Whether you have a cozy little apartment in the city or a sprawling suburban home, using the right colors, decor, furniture, and other elements can make your home feel like you're on vacation in the coziest cabin of your dreams. It's impossible not to romanticize the thought of cabin living. We envision warm, log walls, complete darkness at night as the tall trees surround the cabin, and a roaring fire in the stone fireplace to light our way. Then we wake up and find ourselves surrounded by drywall, no trees, and no fireplace. No worries. You can create a cabin vibe in your home without the actual cabin.

There is something about cabin living that intrigues many people and satisfies the ones who make the dream a reality. According to Outdoor Troop, those who live in cabins feel connected to nature, spend less money, and feel better. So, can you get these feelings just from redecorating your current home? If cabin style is your favorite, then go for it. At the least, you'll end up with a house that feels like home.

Lining your walls with shiplap or wood will give you an instant cabin vibe. Per American Lumbermill, Chip and Joanna Gaines from "Fixer Upper" made shiplap famous and proved it can make a difference in any home. Shiplap was originally for barns, historic buildings, and sheds. No wonder it has a rustic, cabin-like vibe. It's simply wooden boards that line a wall. Shiplap is typically white, but you could paint it any color you like. For cabin style, leave the wood in its natural state. If you don't have the luxury of finding shiplap in its natural state beneath the walls of your 100-year-old farmhouse, use plywood to create shiplap. You can try alternatives to shiplap, such as nickel gap boards, wood paneling, reclaimed wood planking, and wallpaper that offer the same texture and aesthetic as wood.

How about going further with wood and putting logs on your walls? It may seem a little drastic, but it's worth the effort if you dream of log cabin walls. Consider adding an accent wall or a wall around the fireplace. Start there, and if you find you are log obsessed, take it further. If all this wood on the walls talk sounds exhausting, stick with what you know, and paint your walls neutral paint colors. Neutral colors are muted tones that may appear to have no color at all, but if you look closely, they often have underlying hues that appear, depending on the lighting (via MasterClass). Colors like grey, beige, cream, black, and white are neutrals. When combined with shades of blue, yellow, or any primary color, you get a neutral that's soft, warm, and ready to blend with any decor.

Nothing says cabin vibes like a roaring fire. If you already have a fireplace — perfect. Consider adding a stone façade with a stone veneer, or decorate your mantel and hearth with items to make it feel cozy. Cabins are all about a calm and comfortable atmosphere. Candles lit on the mantel add even more glow and inspire relaxation. You can decorate with cute bears and other animals to suit the woodsy theme of a cabin or a garland with leaves and berries. 

You don't need a built-in fireplace to cozy up the living room with a glowing fire. Modern Blaze suggests ventless fireplaces that don't even require a chimney. You can add them wherever you want in your home, and they come in electric, water vapor, ethanol, ventless gas, and gel fireplaces. You can also add a traditional wood stove for the ultimate cabin decor. They're beautiful, and you can use them as a heat source. It's easy to enjoy a wood stove in your home if you take the proper safety measures, such as a fireproof hearth, the right clearance, and the correct size stove (via Tiny Wood Stove). Whichever method you choose, bringing a glowing fireplace into your home is a great way to create a cabin vibe.

Cabins are all about relaxation and comfort. Use throw blankets and pillows to make a room feel welcoming and warm. Keep your pillows and throws in neutral, earthy colors. Custom Home Group explains that earth tones are naturally welcoming and friendly. They consist of browns and tans, and you'll also see richer earth tones of orange, red, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Feel free to mix any of these colors together. 

Throw pillows add an extra layer of comfort to couches and chairs. Prop a few up on your furniture. They let guests know your home is a place to put their feet up. There are a few ways to bring the comfort of throw blankets into your cabin vibe. Hang them on a blanket ladder in a corner or over the arm or back of the couch (via House of Jade Interiors). You can also plop a couple of throws in a chunky basket near the sitting area. And don't forget the bedrooms. Lay a throw at the foot of a bed and add extra pillows at the head for those nights you want to snuggle in with a good book. Are you feeling comfy yet? Good. That's what cabin decor is all about.

Adding texture to a home breathes life into its rooms. As interior designer Tiffany Leigh told Homes & Gardens, "Texture in interior design is all about creating tactile moments that invite touch. It refers to the feel, appearance or consistency of a surface or material. Textures help to keep a space from feeling flat or one dimensional." You can cultivate a cabin-like atmosphere by adding texture through stone facades, fuzzy rugs, and wood to create a cabin-like atmosphere. Where else can you get away with a bear skin rug in the bedroom or by the living room fireplace? As long as you're making the cabin vibe happen in your home, a furry rug will be in its happy place. Wooden beams on the ceiling add incredible interest and texture to a room.

With stone veneer, a manufactured stone lighter than actual stone and easy to apply, you can add stone anywhere you like in your home (via Cultured Stone). Use sheets of stone veneer around the fireplace and a kitchen island, or use it in place of wainscoting. Your pillows and throws will add texture to a room as well. Artwork, such as oil-painted canvases and photos in rustic frames, add dimension to a flat space.

Elements like animal hides and leather are unique to cabin style. Use leather upholstery for couches and chairs. Remember, you'll need to take extra special care of this rugged material to keep it looking like new. Furniture Fair recommends regularly vacuuming your leather furniture and wiping it down with a soft cloth, warm water, and mild soap. Keep the cloth damp but not soaked. After that, use a leather cleaning kit for your furniture. You can also apply leather protectors to help maintain your leather couch or chair.

Do some shopping around for lamp shades made with animal hide or faux animal hide if that makes you more comfortable. It doesn't have to be a real hide to give you that rustic, woodsy feel. You can find chandeliers made of antlers and stools covered in hiding or leather and other unique pieces from websites like Etsy. Keep it subtle, or make your hide-covered items the center of attention with black and white cow patterns.

Wood flooring is the best way to create a cabin-friendly atmosphere in your home. Thankfully, today you can have the look of authentic wood floors made from durable materials. For example, vinyl flooring is a durable choice made of synthetic materials, usually fiberglass with a plasticizer, per Floor Experts. It's also moisture and scratch-resistant, so go ahead and enjoy beautiful floors, even in a high-traffic home. The best part of vinyl flooring is it looks like authentic wood. 

You can also install real wood floors in your home or enjoy the ones you already have. The beauty of wood is that it ages wonderfully, and sometimes a scratch here and there only adds character. For a rugged, back-to-nature feel, opt for reclaimed wood flooring. Reclaimed wood is old wood from buildings dating between the 18th and early 20th century. It's recycled and reused for new purposes (via The Reclaimed Flooring Co). Reclaimed wood has a rich history and beauty that you can't get with new flooring. Keep your home comfortable and warm by placing rugs around the house for your wood or vinyl floors.

You may not be out in the woods, but you can make the interior of your home feel like you are. We aren't talking about giant trees in your home. However, you can bring in a lot of greenery and other natural elements for a fresh feeling. The first thing that comes to mind is probably houseplants. They are a popular way to bring greenery into your home and offer plenty of benefits. Per the National Library of Medicine, houseplants can lower stress and anxiety. Some houseplants even absorb toxins in the air, which helps protect our health (via NASA). Speaking of green, did you know the color is calming and refreshing (via fatrabbit CREATIVE)? Bring on the green. 

Another way to bring nature inside is with twigs and branches. Gather birch branches together and stack them in a corner or on the mantel. Garlands of leaves, berries, and flowers look lovely at the top of the window trim. You could also grow an indoor herb garden, giving the kitchen a natural charm. Plus, you'll have fresh herbs for cooking (via Run Wild My Child). Take a walk in the woods and see what elements bring you peace and comfort, then incorporate them into your home.

Furniture should be comfortable, neutral, and simple for your cabin vibe home. A stiff couch in bright colors won't do. The solution is a rustic style with a minimalist mindset. Tarkett defines rustic style as rough, casual, and timeless, making it perfect for a cabin vibe. Minimalism uses simple elements sparingly to achieve a clutter-free style (via Break The Twitch). Put the two together, and you've got a cabin-style home with just enough pieces and elements to say "rustic" without going overboard. 

It's about letting spectacular pieces stand out without suffocating them with too many other details. The cabin lifestyle is about simplicity. When shopping for furniture, think of clean lines and not too much fluff. Shaker style, anything made of reclaimed wood, or as mentioned, leather is perfect. Make seating a priority and keep colors neutral. Be sure to have tables available so guests and family members can easily set down drinks and snacks. Ottomans are great when creating a cabin vibe because they invite you to put your feet up and relax. They can also double as a table when needed. Remember, a few great pieces make a better statement than several not-so-great ones.

If there's one area of the home that must always feel homey, it's the kitchen. The kitchen is known as the heart of the home because it's where everyone gathers. Can you have a cabin vibe without the occasional aroma of homemade cookies wafting from the kitchen? We think not. The kitchen is essential and ties together your cabin vibe. Cabins from long ago were built for temporary survival purposes and had small kitchens. The entire small cabin was usually a square shape and all one room, per The Great Lodge. A bit too close for comfort. Still, you can make your large kitchen feel as cozy as the cabin's humble beginnings.

Wood adds to your rustic vibe, so use it liberally in the kitchen (via RISMedia). Wood beams, the table and chairs, trim, and cabinets are areas you can incorporate wood. Painting your cabinets is a great way to make a statement and add some contrast to the warm wood. It will add a little bit of a modern edge and give the eyes a break from all the warmth. Open shelving is classic and perfect for the style you're trying to achieve. Rip out a section of cabinets and replace them with open shelves for dishes. Freestanding furniture is another way to add charm and turn the clock back to simpler times. An old dresser or buffet with a butcherblock top is given new life as a kitchen island. You can use a hutch in place of cabinets or a pantry. Think outside the box, and you'll have the cutest cabin-style kitchen of your dreams.

Privacy or lack thereof often determines whether or not the windows get covered. If your place is in the woods with few to no neighbors, you can let the windows remain bare in all their glory. However, if you live next to Mr. Nosey, who sees all and knows all, get some curtains. According to Island Window Coverings & Upholstery, there are a few reasons why window coverings are a good idea. They can help prevent sun damage and fading of your home furnishings. Window coverings also help regulate a home's temperature by blocking out or letting in sunlight. The same is true for controlling the amount of light in a house. Ultimately, it's up to you when it comes to window coverings. If you decide to take the plunge and block out the sunlight and that neighbor, do so in a way that makes your windows look like they belong in the woods. 

Avoid blinds as they don't look very woodsy or rustic. Instead, opt for cotton curtains in a natural color. Interior shutters usually have a cottage look but also work with cabin styles. Shutters are excellent insulators, which makes them an energy-efficient choice (via Budget Blinds). Whatever you choose, ensure the window coverings easily open and close for those days you want to enjoy the view outside.

As you decorate your home to achieve a cabin vibe, remember all your senses, not just sight and touch. What smells remind you of a cabin? How about sounds? After a long day, play music that takes you out of the city or suburbs and into your cabin. Choose music that relaxes you by thinking about what type of playlist you'd bring for a weekend retreat in the woods.

Candles make any home comfy. According to Melt, a candle's soft flame soothes our soul, increases self-awareness, and reduces stress. You may want to go light a candle right now in your bathroom for a bath or in your bedroom while getting ready for sleep. The soft light of candles in the evening inspires relaxation, conversation, and good vibes. Candles are nostalgic, bringing us back to simpler times. You don't have to wait for the sun to set to enjoy candles. Use them to create pleasant smells in the home. Earthy and woodsy scents are great options for your cabin-inspired home. Other smells like cinnamon and apple make a house feel like home and are perfect for sweater weather. Candles will add warmth and awaken all your senses as you create your dreamy cabin space.