Spending time at a cabin is a great way to detach from the hustle and bustle of city life and reconnect with your mind. It allows you to enjoy the peacefulness and utter tranquility that nature offers at any time of the year. When it comes to setting up a log home, they pretty much have the same theme—rustic, warm, and of course, wooden. However, if you’re unsure where to start when designing the living room and bedroom in your new home, here are five home essentials for your rustic log cabin.
1. Kitchen Decor
Food is an essential part of human existence. However, accessing food while staying in a cabin can be a little tricky. That’s because living in the woods means little to no access to outdoor dining or food deliveries. As such, you’ll need to do the cooking yourself, which makes kitchen equipment and utensils essential. Also, as log houses are typically smaller and made for short stays, you don’t need to bother yourself with extravagant cooking equipment.
Essential cooking tools like a frying pan, pots, knives, kettle and a countertop cooker are sufficient to get you started at your log cabin. On the subject of countertops, it’s advisable to invest in a durable countertop that’s resistant to stain and scratches as this will give your kitchen a modern look.
Admittedly, installing countertops can be expensive. However, you can opt for a quartz countertop, which is less expensive than granite or marble countertops. In addition, if you aim to have a luxury log home, you can also use these quartzite countertops in your shower room. That said, remember to go only for the best quartz countertops coated in protective resin to ensure they last long.
2. Air Purifiers
Asides from the fire in the hearth and mother nature’s wind, it’s always a good idea to keep an air purifier in your log home to keep the indoor air quality clean and healthy. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), unhealthy air quality can be hazardous and cause health issues.
As such, proper ventilation is essential, especially if you’re a pet owner. You see, keeping an air purifier or a high-efficiency particulate air filter (like this amazon HEPA air filter) in your cabin will help you get rid of airborne pollutants like pollen, pet dander, pet odor, and mold spores. It also gets rid of toxic air contaminants, including VOCs and carbon monoxide.
While using an air purifier is good for keeping your indoor air clean, it’s important to note that all this extra effort will be in vain if you don’t clean your air filters regularly. That’s because a dirty air filter contaminates the air with particles like lint, pollen, dust, and even germs that aren’t visible to the naked eye. Also, air filters are cheap and easy to replace. Therefore, you can change these every six to twelve months or every two months if you are a pet owner.
3. A Bookshelf (Or More)
Many writers love the idea of escaping to a cabin in the middle of nowhere to write. Perhaps, this also your reason for getting a log cabin. Nevertheless, sitting at the fireplace to read is a great way to reconnect with the outside world, especially if you stay in an off-grid cabin with no network connection.
Because cabins are typically isolated and quiet, it could get lonely and boring. As such, books are an entertaining companion that will distract your mind and help you travel to other parts of the world. Also, the quiet cabin nature will increase your concentration level, making it possible for you to spend hours reading a book. So, a bookshelf to store your books is an essential worth having.
You don’t have to be an interior designer to know how to organize a bookshelf stylishly, as there a many easy and unique ways to do so. Even better, you can add a houseplant to bring life to your space. Hanging plants indoor serves various purposes, from adding beauty to purifying your cabin air. Some popular indoor hanging plants you can use to beautify your bookshelf include the Boston Fern, Spider Plant, String of Pearls, and English Ivy.
4. Standard Furniture
Many log cabins for sale come unfurnished, giving you the perfect blank slate to design and decorate to suit your taste. So, chairs and other forms of furniture are a must when staying in a rustic log home. Without good seating furniture, you’re less likely to enjoy your stay in the cabin. Besides, who wants to eat their meal standing up straight or squatting? That would be pretty uncomfortable.
Ensure you furnish both the inside and exterior of your home with suitable furniture to allow you to enjoy every area of the cabin. For instance, having outdoor furniture on the deck or porch of a mountain cabin allows you to enjoy a scenic view of the wilderness.
Also, other than seating furniture, items like lamps, beds, and tables shouldn’t be left out. However, remember to stick to the rustic theme of cabin homes, and don’t forget to note the size of the room and make comfort a priority when choosing furniture.
5. First Aid Kit
Irrespective of where you live in the world, access to first aid is essential. Therefore, don’t neglect your health and ensure you have a well-stocked first aid box in your cabin. Besides, you’re more susceptible to hazards in a cabin than in your regular home because it’s located in an isolated and wooded area.
Some common accidents and events that would require first aid include bugs and animal attacks, poor weather, intruders, and moving through rough terrains. As such, your first aid box should have all the basics, from insect spray to plasters, bandages, scissors, and over-the-counter pain drugs.
In addition to avoiding accidents, ensure you check the weather conditions before embarking on outdoor activities. If there’s no network connection in that area, ensure you carry a hand crack weather radio with you. Hand crack radios are relatively cheap, and they do not require internet, batteries, or any form of power to work.