As you start your decorating project Michelle suggests keeping these things in mind:

1. "Decide what will be your lead in decorating the space; is there architecture you want to play up? Perhaps you have wonderful windows, vaulted ceilings, or magnificent wood floors. Do you have warm wood paneling or a fieldstone fireplace? Take a close look at the space and evaluate its assets."
2. As you begin the decorating process, keep your focus on the basics: wall color, flooring, carpet, furnishings, accessories and lighting. Design rule #1. Begin with an "Out of the Box Paint Plan" for the walls, then let the floors, furnishings and accessories follow. Paint Plans are affordable, fun and inspiring. Our average paint plan takes about 2 hours for 3 to 5 rooms.
3. "Colors that duplicate the feeling you see in your view are good choices to use.Try to bring the outdoors into your space by using the natural colors in your view.This is a great concept for cabins and lake homes." (This approach is Michelle's specialty.)
4. "To make your cabin feel more cozy and inviting be sure to use memorabilia, photographs, heirlooms and most of all great lighting!" Candles provide a warm atmosphere to any space. Try using fun fixtures for candles, like tall cylinders/ sconces for tabletops and walls and fun indoor/outdoor candelabras. Table and floor lamps are always better than overhead lighting for an intimate effect. And, yellow bulbs in indoor fixtures and outdoor fixtures provide a wonderfully warm, welcoming glow.
5. "If you are operating under a strict budget there are still options for you. Take inventory of all the possible 'family heirlooms' or 'hand me down' furniture that is available to you. Visit estate sales and flea markets in resort areas. Be 'Out of the Box' when considering these pieces and their possibilities."
6. "Remember that using an interior designer has its benefits. Our first job is to listen. We need to have a full understanding of your needs in order to provide you with the tools, the path and a custom plan. We can help you create rooms that will inspire and excite you. The joyful journey comes in making your home or lake cabin a functional space to live in, a nurturing place to raise your family and a fun place to entertain your friends. We help turn your decorating dreams into harmonious reality that can be enjoyed for years to come!

Cabin Furniture

"Most traditional furniture makers lie just outside the mainstream of society.  They lead nontraditional lives and are, quite honestly, a bit eccentric. Some build furniture for the money, some enjoy the independent lifestyle, and others just enjoy working with their hands. Most are aspiring craftsmen, and some (just a few) have elevated themselves to the noble distinction of artist. And this is not an easy position to either acquire or maintain. However, the struggle to achieve is a heroic one. We are all born with skills, and one form of heroism is the courage to pursue and develop a latent talent. As individuals,we have the lifelong responsibility of cultivating ourselves.” By Ralph Kylloe from his book Cabins & Camps.

We have many local furniture makers in Minnesota and Wisconsin, including Log Jam Trading Company, Pinecraft, and Nordic Textiles. We asked them what to look for when buying this handmade furniture and what makes it so popular. Here is what they had to say:

• Go ahead and buy something from a showroom, but you needn’t do so. Most furniture makers will build something you have seen in a picture or can tweak things to suit your needs better.
• Be sure the maker dries the wood thoroughly before building the furniture. Improper drying can result in the wood splitting over time.
• Be sure the wood is also bug free. Again this can cause splitting and other unwanted problems.
• Go for the look you love. This furniture is timeless in style so you are safe in getting what you want.
• A popular choice of wood for this furniture is cedar. "Most people like the look of the northern white cedar we use,” says Shari Graves of Log Jam Trading Company. "It is not only high quality, dried and bug free, but it offers people a varied, warm, natural look.”
• Another popular wood people choose is pine. If you do choose pine keep in mind it is a soft wood and can easily be nicked or dented. However, most people don’t mind this as it adds to the character of this style of furniture.
• If you are a minimalist in style, never fear. Nordic Textiles has seen the popularity in their cabin furniture growing also. Even though this type of furniture traditionally has cleaner lines, it can be warmed up by using the right colors and hand rubbing it for a patina finish.
• If you use a local person who works out of their home be sure to get a referral. If you are lucky, you can find a furniture maker who has reasonable prices, and produces high quality products.
  

By Nancy Henke