Essential Elements of an Ideal Winter Cabin
If you dream of a winter getaway with lots of skiing, skating and hot-drink sipping, these tips will make your cabin as cozy as can be
As the days have grown shorter and a blanket of snow has draped itself over the ground in many places, thoughts have turned to skiing, sledding and ice skating for many.
Whether along the edge of a ski slope or nestled in a forest clearing, a small cabin is the ideal venue for enjoying this time of year and winter sports. Nothing cavernous, but something simple, small and cozy, with bunks for kids, a sleeping loft for parents and a large, open space for gathering — a place where you can sit by the fire and have some hot cocoa and rest your muscles from all the day's activities.
Let's take a closer look at some ideal winter getaway cabins.
Whether along the edge of a ski slope or nestled in a forest clearing, a small cabin is the ideal venue for enjoying this time of year and winter sports. Nothing cavernous, but something simple, small and cozy, with bunks for kids, a sleeping loft for parents and a large, open space for gathering — a place where you can sit by the fire and have some hot cocoa and rest your muscles from all the day's activities.
Let's take a closer look at some ideal winter getaway cabins.
Big logs and a simple gable roof are also ideally suited to a cabin in the woods. This archetypical cabin looks like it could easily have been built out of the Lincoln Logs set I played with many years ago.
Just make sure that the roof can handle the weight of all that snow, and the main floor is raised up enough to stay above the snow line.
See more of this guest cabin
Just make sure that the roof can handle the weight of all that snow, and the main floor is raised up enough to stay above the snow line.
See more of this guest cabin
An 800-square-foot cabin with a simple shed roof offers a modern update. While the roof provides the right structure to withstand and shed the snow, the slope creates a room that can be all windows.
A winter cabin can go unused for a time, so keeping the local fauna out of the cabin can be a challenge. Securing windows and doors with sliding barn doors is smart.
Don't forget to have a good-size front porch. No sense in letting all of that snow get tracked inside.
See more of this cozy Vermont cabin
Don't forget to have a good-size front porch. No sense in letting all of that snow get tracked inside.
See more of this cozy Vermont cabin
The cabin interior can run the gamut from a dark and north-woods aesthetic to something contemporary and bright. A sleeping loft or two flanking a larger communal space is usually all that's necessary. And keep the finishes durable and low maintenance. Materials such as wood boards on the walls and ceilings will allow you to enjoy the place with a minimum of fuss.
And try an attractive, clean-burning woodstove if you don't want a fireplace. A stove placed in the middle of the space will be just about all that's needed to heat the entire cabin.
And try an attractive, clean-burning woodstove if you don't want a fireplace. A stove placed in the middle of the space will be just about all that's needed to heat the entire cabin.
A winter cabin should definitely have a good-size entry room — a place for taking off the ski boots, storing the skis, hanging the coats and otherwise dealing with all the stuff for winter sports. The entry should have a seat or two and finishes made to last, such as porcelain in lieu of ceramic tile.
While a sleeping loft is a great place for the parents, you can't beat a bunk room for the kids. Certainly they will be too tired to stay up late and chat after a day of skiing, sledding and snowball fights.
Since chances are that there will be only one bathroom, make it large enough for multiple children to use it at once. Just make sure to place the toilet in a separate water closet so that some can be brushing their teeth while others are taking a shower or using the toilet.
Don't forget to have a spot outside with a fire pit and cozy chairs — a place for having a cup of hot cocoa and roasting marshmallows. A place that, even on the coldest of days, makes you enjoy the great outdoors and the crisp, clear and star-filled winter nights.
See more of this ski barn
See more of this ski barn
And it should have a warm glow emanating from the interior. The front door should act as a glowing lantern.