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Interior Cabin Ideas: 15 Nature-Themed Designs

Interior Cabin Ideas: 15 Nature-Themed Designs

Your cabin is like your second home—a place to get away from all your worries.

We’ve rounded up 15 interior cabin ideas to help you find the right blend of comfort and practicality to help bring nature inside your home.

15 Unique Interior Cabin Ideas

You want your cabin to be your home away from home. That means you need it to be comfy and relaxing while also functioning as a home.

These interior cabin ideas will help you decide how to decorate your cabin space to make it more uniquely yours while still keeping that cabin flavor.

Bedroom Fireplace

Interior cabin idea with a stone façade on the mantle of a fireplace

Digital Storm/Shutterstock

Most cabins keep their fireplaces in more central areas, like the living room or kitchen.

Designing your cabin so that the fireplace is in the bedroom (or so that there are multiple fireplaces, one of which is in the bedroom), will make your time away from home all that cozier and more special.

If you’re a romantic, the idea of having a fireplace in your bedroom will appeal to you, especially if your cabin is a winter oasis.

Snuggling up in bed next to a fire (at a safe distance, of course) will not only keep you warm but also make you feel secluded and safe in your home away from home. Depending on what your cabin looks like, it might be impossible to add a fireplace to any room.

That doesn’t mean you can’t still sleep next to a roaring fire. Change the living room into a bedroom for an open-concept living space, or add an electric fireplace to your sleeping area.

Bedroom Fairy Lights

Fairy lights around a bed for a piece on cabin interior ideas

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For softer, more romantic lighting, use small, orange lamps and strings of fairy lights in your bedroom. They’ll give a similar feel of candlelight to your domain without the danger of lighting something on fire.

Fairy light strings and smaller lamps won’t necessarily provide enough light to, say, paint an intricate paint-by-numbers masterpiece. But they will add more atmosphere and ambiance to the room.

With their soft lighting, your bedroom will seem cozier, closer, and more welcoming. You’ll feel more relaxed and ready to sleep.

Particularly if you have a log-wood cabin, the light will reflect nicely off the wood, making the entire room alight with warmer tones.

Wooden walls provide a softer atmosphere too, and paired with softer lighting, it’ll make your space all that more comforting.

One-Room Concept

Interior cabin idea with large beams that span the entirety of the room in front of large floor to ceiling windows

Digital Storm/Shutterstock

Cabins don’t have to be huge mansions to be your getaway retreat. A simple building with only one large room can function just as well, as long as you organize it correctly. Use the space you’ve got to make your own open-floor plan.

The living room and bedroom become one, with the kitchen and bathroom off to the side. You can make the space look larger than it is by utilizing floor-to-ceiling windows.

Large windows will also bring in more natural light, so you can avoid the dirty, cramped cabin look. A one-room cabin will be cozier and warmer than one with multiple levels and vaulted ceilings.

If you don’t have electric heating, a fireplace can heat a smaller building much quicker and easier than a bigger one with multiple rooms. 

Go for the Darker Accents

Interior cabin idea featuring ample dark paneling, shiplap panels on the walls, and fake stone on the walls

Artazum/Shutterstock

Most cabins have lighter, reddish accents on the wooden walls and stone fireplaces. To make your cabin feel more sophisticated, choose darker wood and stone for better contrast.

Darker wood, when compared to a lighter floor, ceiling, or walls, will give your cabin a more striking interior appearance.

Most people will recognize a cabin by the log walls or the bright reddish-brown furniture or staircase.

You can stand out against this assumption by choosing a more drastic color scheme. Dark accents can also make your cabin look more austere.

If this kind of atmosphere appeals to you, consider a darker staircase or darker stones around the fireplace. Contrasted with a white carpet or bright furniture, dark accents will stand out and give your cabin interior a specifically chic tone.

Heather and Lavender Arrangements

Heather and Lavender Arrangements for a piece on interior cabin ideas

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Décor will help make your cabin interior feel more like home. An arrangement of heather and lavender won’t decay as fast as other flowers or plants and will also keep your cabin smelling great.

Lavender is a soothing scent, and both lavender and heather have calming colors and compositions.

Keeping bunches of each around your cabin will make it seem more lived in, but you won’t have to keep coming back to clean up after these arrangements constantly.

You can also keep them in creative holders like baskets or jars, meaning you can reuse any old container you might have. Heather and lavender will spruce up your cabin interior in ways other plants can’t compare to.

You can keep them for years, and their scent will make sure your cabin stays fresh. Depending on the overall scheme, they can also help bring a pop of color to your cabin’s aesthetic design or a more muted tone.

Decorative Gourds

Interior cabin idea with natural stone mantle coverings and large sliding glass doors on either side

Anita Warren-Hampson/Shutterstock

Decoration will help make your cabin feel more homely and comfortable, but it’s best to have décor that you don’t have to work hard to keep pretty.

Decorative gourds can help make your cabin feel more like an old homestead without all the work that goes into it.

If you want your cabin to have a specific feeling of autumn or winter, decorative gourds are the way to go.

Generally, plants can make a home feel more lived in and cared for, but a cabin you only spend a few weeks at a time in can’t sustain most house plants.

Decorative gourds are a great alternative, and they are colorful decorations too. Gourds, like lavender and heather, are easy to take care of.

You can leave them on a shelf, a table, or a mantelpiece for months or years on end. Gourds usually need only a little dusting to look as good as new with such a long lifespan.

Utilize All Available Space

Interior cabin design with a farmhouse style sliding door and ample natural wood paneling on the walls and ceiling

ppa/Shutterstock

If your cabin is tinier than most, that doesn’t mean you can’t turn it into a relaxing getaway. Use lofts and other space-saving ideas to get the most out of your holiday home.

Similar to the open concept idea, a small cabin can give you a thousand possibilities for a homey, cozy feel. Plus, there’ll be less cabin for you to heat, so you’ll stay warmer during cold nights.

You can put a loft bed on top of your bathroom area, next to the kitchen or heat source. That way, you’ll always be snug and warm at night, and you can easily get yourself a midnight snack.

Rustic Appliances

Interior cabin ideas with a steel tea kettle sitting on a wooden table next to furry pillows overlooking an expansive reserve

Alena Ozerova/Shutterstock

Having a set of appliances and utensils can make life easier when you get to your cabin.

For further décor and an extra layer of style, purchasing more rustic-looking appliances can help make your cabin interior more yours.

Appliances and utensils that reflect your style will not only make your cabin more like a second home, but they’ll also help tie the entire ambiance together. Tin teapots and cups will help you feel more out in the wilderness.

Modernize the Bedroom

Cabin interior idea with lots of log-cabin style siding on the walls and 2x4 paneling on the walls

Kuprynenko Andrii/Shutterstock

Living in a rustic cabin can be a charming experience, but sometimes you’ll want to make yourself as comfortable as possible.

Making your bedroom into one of the more modern rooms can help you sleep better and enjoy your time more. Modernizing the bedroom could mean something as simple as adding a plush rug.

You could also add sleek cabinetry and large windows to let in natural light. Electronics such as a TV might seem excessive, but they could also make you feel more at home.

White Color Scheme

Interior cabin idea with beige furniture in the middle of a wood-paneled room

Kuprynenko Andrii/Shutterstock

If your cabin is primarily a winter escape, why not show that in the interior?

A white color scheme with pale furnishings can make your entire cabin look clean and fresh, just like fallen snow. White color schemes will make your cabin feel more sophisticated and upscale.

You can feel like you’re in a hotel instead of on your own property. Plus, minimalist white is reminiscent of Scandinavian décor, so if that’s the style you’re going for, it’s easy to replicate with a white color scheme.

Sky Lights

Interior cabin idea themed as a hunting lodge with a bed and wood burning stove in a brick room and an angled glass roof as the ceiling

Elisabeth Coelfen/Shutterstock

Putting windows on your roof can eliminate the need for a light fixture.

It can also allow you to see the stars on clear nights without having to wake up and go outside at midnight. A series of skylights can bring in extra light and give you great views of the sky at all times.

If your cabin is especially out of the way, you can enjoy the extra stars that appear once you’re away from the city.

You can also watch sunrises without getting out of bed. Not only is it more romantic, but it’ll also make your cabin excursions that much more fun.

Complete Hardwood

Idea for an interior cabin with natural pine wood flooring and wall covering

BlackCat Imaging/Shutterstock

Hardwood floors are one thing. But if you like the look more than log walls, consider having hardwood coat your entire cabin interior. 

A total hardwood room will look warm and inviting in any light, plus it won’t be as drafty as log walls. Often log cabins use caulking between the logs to prevent accidental airflow.

This caulking doesn’t look as nice as straight wood paneling. So, if you want a more rustic cabin look with wooden interiors, flat hardwood can give you a nicer and cozier look.

Bathroom Stone Backing

Stunning bathroom in the interior cabin style with slate stone on the walls and behind the counter

Artazum/Shutterstock

Cabins usually go all out on the wood front. But you can use stone blocks to your advantage by using them extensively in the bathroom.

Stone walls in your bathroom not only look lovely, but it can be a nice change of pace from the wooden interior usually found in a cabin.

Plus, the stone won’t be as susceptible to mildew from the dampness. It’ll be easier to clean after showers and last longer when you’re away.

Sheepskin Blankets

Sheepskin blanket on a table holding up hot cocoa and a drink tray

Alena Ozerova/Shutterstock

Any self-respecting cabin owner will have a blanket or two stowed away for colder nights. Using a sheepskin blanket as your go-to choice not only looks nice, it’s incredibly soft and warm. 

Sheepskin blankets make great throws and wraps for cooler nights. They’re soft and pretty, and they add that perfect touch of Nordic flair.

Keeping one or several in your cabin will not only serve to keep you warm, but they’ll also bring a certain warmth to the atmosphere of your getaway.

Use Supports as Part of Your Design

Wooden poles slanted and holding up windows for a piece on interior cabin ideas

Digital Storm/Shutterstock

Cabins will have pillars, supports, and struts bare to the interior. Why not use them to your advantage?

You can divide up a room depending on how the support beams lie. An airy attic can become a great sitting room, with sections of seating divided by struts.

Using the interior support to your advantage leaves you with countless creative opportunities to make your cabin your own.

Things to Consider

Keep a handle on your redecorating by following these seven tips:

  • Do consider how many people will share your cabin
  • Do make a plan that’s feasible for the building you have
  • Do choose items that reflect you and your personality
  • Do consider the weather habits in your cabin’s area (i.e., lots of snow on skylights could be bad)
  • Don’t go overboard with the budget
  • Don’t choose changes that need constant care
  • Don’t forget about safety with fireplaces and stoves

What’s Your Favorite Interior Cabin Idea?

Image of an interior cabin idea with a bed next to a log cabin style wall and a big picture window

Alena Ozerova/Shutterstock

So there you have it: interior cabin ideas. There are countless ways to spruce up your cabin and make it feel more like your home away from home.

Whether you want a new set of appliances, or maybe some new furniture, or whether you’re redesigning the interior entirely, there’s always something you can do to increase your comfort level.

Which is your favorite?