The Epitome of Cozy—6 Wood-Forward Cabins Elevating the Traditional Rustic Getaway
What makes a cabin a cabin? Remote locations, proximity to nature, and natural building materials are part of the cabin experience, but it’s more than that. The experience of retreat, relaxation, and recreation set cabins apart from traditional homes. These six outstanding designs elevate the iconic rustic getaway of the past into impressive, creative, liveable spaces that are the envy of the forests that surround them.
Henry Island Residence
San Juan Islands, Washington
Architect | Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
Warm. Welcoming. A place to gather. Designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, Henry Island Residence is a stunning and secluded year-round retreat that includes a main residence and a newer guesthouse, workshop, and games pavilion. The use of exposed timber, expansive glass panels, and weathered steel creates structures that complement the surrounding environment and blend indoor and outdoor spaces seamlessly. Prominent Douglas fir and cedar elements throughout evoke warmth, and precise, modern design allows for open floor plans that flow naturally from one space to the next. Timeless craftsmanship, natural materials, and intentional design have transformed this property into a Pacific Northwestern oasis.
Edelweiss House
Methow Valley, Washington
Architect | CAST Architecture
Nestled into the mountains of the Methow Valley, the Edelweiss House’s distinctive horseshoe design creates an indoor/outdoor space that the owners can enjoy during every season. With a central courtyard surrounded by Douglas fir-clad kitchen, living, dining, and sleeping areas, CAST Architecture designed the home to be a social hub that brings people together. The wood-paneled ceiling extends through the veranda’s overhang, enhancing the natural flow of the design. The primary suite features a built-in fir headboard and diffuse glass that floods the space with natural light. The utility wing on the opposite side of the home includes a welcoming guest area, an office, and a game room thoughtfully crafted for flexibility.
Linear Cabin
St. Germain, Wisconsin
Architect | Johnsen Schmaling
The Linear Cabin fittingly applies a modular boxed design within Wisconsin’s deep Northwoods region. Johnsen Schmaling designed the cabin as a series of three boxes separated by spatial voids, all tied together by a continuous, thin roof plane that spans the length of the building. Built with locally sourced wood products, the cabin is clad in blackened cedar planks, with varnished cedar accenting the roof reveals. The interior of the cabin is lined with pine walls and ceilings, creating warm and inviting spaces of retreat.
Swift Cabin
Cougar, Washington
Architect | Ment Architecture
Totally immersed in nature, the Swift Cabin is a retreat from the hustle and bustle of everyday life in the city. Ment Architecture designed the minimalist cabin to maximize a particularly challenging sloped and forested site on a cliff overlooking the Swift Reservoir. Deep overhangs—supported by exposed Douglas fir glulam beams—protect windows from wind and snow. Charred wood cladding wraps the home’s exterior and is featured prominently inside to provide the warmth of wood, a tactile texture, and a deep, modern color scheme that elevates the entire experience. Natural stone and wood elements create a sense of connectedness with the mountain landscape, a peaceful escape.
Canyon Pines Cabin
Coal Creek, Colorado
Architect | Follow Architecture
Follow Architecture is rethinking what’s possible with wood with its speculative Canyon Pines Cabin design, which is a study in juxtaposition. The modern design is inspired by simple 1800s-era mining buildings. Separate structures are connected by a central hall. Exposed Douglas fir frames are combined with corrugated metal roofing, large glass walls, and vertical fir paneling. It’s a thoughtful concept that would blend seamlessly into a mountainous landscape, and the use of modest materials and precise design creates a warm atmosphere, a tranquil experience, and a fresh take on what a cabin can be.
Troll Hus
Norden, California
Architect | Mork-Ulnes
Troll Hus, by international firm Mork-Ulnes, is a contemporary execution of the traditional alpine chalet elevated to protect the structure from the enormous amount of snow that falls each year in California’s Tahoe National Forest. Similarly, cladding the building in pine tar-treated wood—the same natural, robust cladding found on 1,000-year-old Norwegian barns—shields Troll Hus from the extreme weather. Natural wood inside the house creates bright and open spaces, and each floor’s expansive wood balconies and wide-span sliding glass walls connect indoor and outdoor environments into a single experience.
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blogThe Epitome of Cozy—6 Wood-Forward Cabins Elevating the Traditional Rustic Getaway