Modern-day cabin kitchens have a wide variety of styles. From the rustic modern log cabin kitchen ideas to sophisticated cabin chalets, there are designs that will interest anyone.
Above all, coziness is key in cabin kitchens. For her own cabin renovation featured in House Beautiful, Heidi Caillier valued comfort and designing a space that has a lived-in and layered look.
Cabin Kitchens: Popular Design Elements
As different as cabin kitchens look, there are some cabin kitchen decor elements that tie these spaces together and make them distinct from other kitchens.
- Wood Tones – Most every cabin kitchen has wood-tone elements on one or more features in the kitchen. This can be in the flooring, cabinets, exposed beam ceilings, or decorative wood accents.
- Cozy and Welcoming Textures – Each cabin kitchen has a distinct look, but the best ones create a warm and welcoming presence. You can do this with the addition of natural textures like wood, leather, wool, and stone. Also, be sure to include comfy seating for relaxing in the kitchen while the coffee is brewing.
- Natural Stone or Brick – Exposed stone or brick goes a long way to creating the cozy look that is common for cabin kitchens. It also gives the kitchen a more relaxed and rustic look that fits with the natural setting of a cabin. Also, natural stone is an important element of cabin kitchen backsplash and countertop design.
- Layered Lighting – One single fluorescent or bright white light will not create the best look for the modern cabin kitchen. Layered lighting is the best way to achieve a lighting style with depth and interest. Use pendant lighting, under the counter lighting, and recessed ceiling lights to create the best lighting.
- Open Floor Plan – Whether they are small or large, most modern cabins have open floor plans that open the kitchen to other rooms like the dining room and living room.
- Metal Accents – Most cabin kitchens feature warm metal accents like copper, bronze, black iron, or brushed brass. Modern and contemporary cabin kitchen designs also feature stainless steel and chrome.
Cabin Kitchen Design Ideas
There are some amazing cabin kitchen designs out there. We have rounded up some unique ones to give you some ideas for your own cabin kitchen. Or, you can just use these ideas to give your own kitchen a more rustic style.
Modern Cabin Kitchen
Urbaine Home designed this rustic modern cabin kitchen. The designers, Urbaine Home, used a mixture of wood colors and types in the wood cabinets and exposed ceiling beams.
The flush doors on the cabin kitchen cabinets help keep the style simple.
Notice the combination ofwood and natural stone for the backsplash and countertops.
Small Cabin Kitchen
For her own cabin kitchen renovation, Heidi Caillier chose to create a comfortable space in this small kitchen. She did this by painting the paneling a dark and moody hue and accenting the space with elements of warm wood.
Small touches like the copper tea kettle and the kilim rug contribute to the snug kitchen vibe.
Updated Log Cabin Kitchen
This is one of the most interesting log cabin kitchen ideas that we have seen. The designers, CLB Architects, remodeled this dark log cabin kitchen into this bright and cheery space.
They left the floors dark but painted the exposed logs inside.
They added simple and modern kitchen decor that contrasts well with the rustic look of the cabin.
Farmhouse Cabin Kitchen
Studio West designed this farmhouse cabin kitchen for the Pioneer Hotel. Farmhouse and cabin style blends well together as both feature simple but textured design elements.
These cabin kitchen cabinets feature a simple shaker style painted in light gray.
The light wood paneled walls and ceiling balance the warm wood elements like the open shelving and vent hood.
Rustic Cabin Kitchen
Studio Schicketanz designed this classic rustic cabin-style kitchen. They have kept the kitchen color palette simple, using the natural tones of wood and stone to be the dominant colors.
This is a small kitchen, but the galley layout gives the owners easy access to all the storage and appliances.
The exposed windows allow in as much light as possible to maximize the visual space and presence of the room.
Lake Cabin Kitchen
Whitten Architects designed this Pleasant Lake Camp cabin kitchen. It features light wood tones and medium green paneled cabinets and shelves.
Notice the mixed lighting of black ceiling and pendant lighting. They echo this black in the counter chairs to ground the design.
Contemporary Rustic Cabin Kitchen
This is a gorgeous contemporary rustic kitchen from Reid Smith Architects. The finishes in the kitchen are sleek and sophisticated from the flush panel kitchen cabinets to the natural stone waterfall island.
The rustic elements are subtle but definite. The leather bar chairs and the gray wood walls add depth to the sleek design.
Cabin Kitchen With Bold Color
Dotter and Solfjeld Architecture + Design created this striking rustic cabin kitchen. The warm wood ceiling and wall paneling contrast with the bright blue cabinets, but the warm tones blend overall.
While the cabinets create a gorgeous visual, the real focal point is the cathedral ceilings and the large gable window view.
Contemporary Lake Cabin
This kitchen layout from Arcanum Architecture features a U shape with an island in the middle. This is one of the most efficient ways to use space.
The designers used medium-toned stained wood on the walls and ceilings to create a pleasing continuity. They also used a mix of lighting elements including recessed lighting and the large home chandeliers over the island.
Vail Ski Cabin
The Reed Design Group chose to keep the design of this cabin kitchen simple and let the gorgeous view speak for itself. They keep the windows uncovered to maximize the view. They added rustic elements including the natural stone backsplash and countertops. The design balances these stark elements with wood to bring warmth and texture to the design.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)FAQ
What is a common color in cabin kitchens with painted cabinets?
Some cabins feature painted cabinets rather than stained cabinets. Most of the colors for cabinets in cabin kitchens mimic the colors of the outdoor spaces in which they are situated. Gray, cream, blue and green are all common cabin cabinet colors.
What are common features of a luxury cabin kitchen?
Luxury kitchen designs for cabins feature common elements like natural stone like slate and granite for countertops, backsplashes, and floors. They also have high-tech appliances, ample square footage, custom cabinet designs, gorgeous lighting,
What are some elements that I can add to my kitchen to make it more rustic?
If you want to add some rustic elements to your kitchen you can do it through accessorizing your space with items made from wood, leather, and stone. For example, add decor like rustic wood trays, leather baskets, wooden cutting boards and utensils. Add a textured wood accent wall to your space. Crockery like pitchers and bowls filled with fruit are good options to add a more rustic style to your kitchen.
What are the best kitchen layouts?
The best kitchen layouts are those that utilize the work triangle. The work triangle connects three areas, the sink, the stove, and the refrigerator. These areas should be connected by three legs. These legs should be between 4-9 feet in length. The total of all three legs should be between 13-26 feet in total.
Conclusion
Cabin kitchens have wonderful variation in style, but the best kitchens utilize elements like layered lighting, exposed wood and stone, and warm textures to create an inviting atmosphere. Use these elements to create a kitchen design for your retreat or just bring in some rustic elements to your own home kitchen.