Cabin Living

I came across this amazing spread in the October issue of Country Living Magazine of a log cabin in New Buffalo, Michigan.

Armed with a sewing machine, a jigsaw, and an unerring eye, fashion designer Mark Heister and his wife, Linda upend the conventions of cabin living - while graciously honoring them.

Mark rejuvenated the dining room furniture that came with the house, replacing the table's Colonial legs with cut-down utility poles for a more rugged look, and outfitting the Old Hickory chairs with upholstered leather seats. But what really got me was how he stitched the amazing drapes from classic Hudson's Bay blankets. Now that's genius!

 

They used sturdy chains and hooks to turn a bench into a swing.

 

Their collection of cast-iron and enameled pans climbs the wall behind the kitchen's 1933 stove.

 

 Mark concealed the kitchen's Fisher & Paykel dishwasher with this pine front, which mimics the other cabinetry. He also crafted the window's trompe l'oeil valance - actually a wooden shelf.

Linda painted the master bedroom's 1930's maple bed and dresser black, then aged them with a sanding block.

 

I think my favorite though is the bathroom.

Mark constructed the shelf beneath the mirror from fragments of an old dresser; hard-wearing hunter green Rust-Oleum paint unifies both pieces with the flea market chest below.

Built in 1932 as the prototype for a planned community on Lake Michigan, the Heisters' embraced it and instead of fighting the lodge vibe, they tweaked things to suit their style.  As a result, the cabin reflects the urbane sensibility of its current owners, while retaining the rustic essence that roots the property in the past.