Special Nonexistent Furniture
12 June 2015

Karen McCartney catches cabin fever

Cabin life Image - Jordi Canosa


Karen McCartney seems to have caught cabin fever - here she espouses her plan for country life.

There is something about cabins, and cabin style, that is grabbing attention right now. Cabins, while they have always held a place in our hearts, are suddenly, spectacularly de rigeur.

A new book has been released by one of the world's most high-end publishers, Taschen, called simply 'Cabins', and one of my favourite Instagram feeds @cabinlove has over 50 thousand followers. (@cabinporn is another feed that is not as naughty as it sounds).

Cabin fever Image via Pinterest (source unknown)


Perhaps it is the desire to be immersed in nature with only the essentials of life that is so appealing in these days where we are meant to be 'on' 24/7: a sense of returning to a simpler, more elemental time that plays on our imagination.

Of course, our fantasy cabin comes not only in a setting of great natural beauty but its interior speaks of immense cosiness and comfort combined with the instinctive style that results from vintage finds, artworks from the local charity shop, layers of knits and piles of cushions. Materials and tones that stay close to a natural palette work best – think stone coloured wool, slate linen, sage greens, muted blues and worn leather. Rugs are essential underfoot to stave off the cold and sheepskin fleeces on the floor or over a chair add a note of Scandinavian luxury.

Cabin fever Image via Pinterest (source unknown)


Small spaces require thoughtful furniture pieces and the best cabin owners know the importance of a daybed for reading in patches of winter sun which doubles as a mattress at night. Multifunctional use of furniture is essential – a milking stool is also a side table; a ladder is a hanging rack; a deep shelf is a table.

Cabin fever Image - Paul Massey


There is also a lesson in letting go. Propping things up where they please you, using daggy cups you had as a child, allowing a bit of personal creative expression to inform the décor of the space, because cabin life also encourages thought and reflection that in turn allows creativity to emerge. And then there is reading. If I had to do a word association exercise with 'cabin' it would go like this: woods, fire, blankets, cushions, tea, books, book, books. As some unnamed sage once said, 'A cabin with plenty of books is better than a storyless mansion'.

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