Remodeling the Cabin

In the fall of 2000, my dad built a little cabin in our backyard woods, made from reclaimed barn wood from my grandpa's farm. It is not big, but it is just enough to enjoy a good board game, invite some friends over, or tell scary stories in it. Oddly enough, I almost never go in it. This is mostly because it is either too hot or too cold outside, and when it is too hot outside, that also usually means there is poison ivy along the pathway that leads to the cabin. Not to mention, it is scary sleeping in the cabin because of wild animals making noises in the night, such as deer, coyotes, or raccoons.

 But I've realized these are not the only things keeping me from wanting to use the cute little house in the woods. Remember my earlier posts about hating oak woodwork in homes? Well, I also hate anything that looks like a log cabin. You see, the walls in the cabin are made of stacked boards of knotty pine wood. It looks very rustic, but it is just not my style. What I would like to do is make the place look more like a New England cottage. We already have some of the things needed for this. For example, all the windows and doors we salvaged from an old house that was being torn down, probably built in the early 1920s or 1930s or so. And there are nice wood floors in the cabin, too.

And now I have realized what needs to be done in order for me to like this cabin. All I need to do is paint the walls and maybe change the furniture and bedspreads. In addition, I will have my dad stain the wooden beams on the ceilings to a darker color and maybe either stain or paint the catwalk at the top of the cabin. Here is a photo of what I am thinking of the place looking like when it is finished:



You can see from this photo that the walls are made of individual pieces of wood, just like in our cabin, so if I paint the walls in it, they may resemble this photo. I was also thinking that painting the walls will brighten up the place and make it feel homier. I will also accessorize with colorful blue pillows that have a coastal/beach home/New England feel because once the walls are painted white (I think that is the color I will choose), it will already have that feel to it.

For extra storage and a better use of space, I think I will try to find a wicker coffee table/storage bin like the one pictured above so that people can have a place to rest their feet, play a board game, have a snack, or store coats, pillows, board games, etc. Maybe I will post some photos of the before and after and see what you guys think.