PrecisionCraft’s new hybrid cabin plans: PrecisionCraft has announced a new line of luxury cabins. The four new designs include the French Country-influenced Trian (top photo — 2,039 square feet) and the Telluride (above), a 1,560-square-foot single-level cabin that combines stone, bark siding, character logs, glass, and milled log walls. Each plan can be customized in several ways — by size to accommodate your lifestyle; with different materials including handcrafted log, milled log, timber frame, or different combinations; or architecturally with varied roof ridge lines, roof pitches, or corners. www.precisioncraft.com

COVENTRY LOG HOMES

Six plans in Coventry cabin line: Coventry Log Homes has launched six plans in its new cabin line. The plans range from 192 to 920 square feet (the footprints measure anywhere from 14 by 20 feet to 32. 5 x 20 feet) and capable couples could build the smaller models in three to four weekends. Package prices range from $13,800 to $39,700. Coventry’s Mountaineer model (above left) is 564 square feet with two bedrooms one bath, and a loft. The Timbertrail model (bottom left) is 392 square feet, has one bedroom and a bath, and can sleep up to six. www.coventryloghomes.com

Make your cabin
look bigger or smaller

Experts recommend four ways to put “cozy” in your cabin.

• Mix up your textures beginning with the walls. Try hanging a favorite kilim or an old antique such as snowshoes, skis, or fishing gear above windows and doorways to add character while breaking up an expansive wall.

• Hang your art. Mounted and framed posters from favorite family destinations or copies of vintage art add color and personal touch.

• Don’t leave framed walls bare and white. Use a faux painting technique or texturized finishes in shades of golds, ambers, reds, and corals for a welcoming backdrop.

• Break up the flooring. Delineate kitchen/din-ing areas by adding borders or using a complementary material. For example, if the great room floor is wood, try slate or ceramic tiles with earthen tones in the adjacent foyer and kitchen.

If you want to make a cozy cabin look larger, try these ideas.

• Remove clutter to make the space feel orderly and open.

• Create open space. Avoid placing furnishings in rooms where

they may limit the view from one area to the next. Tall items such as clocks, bookshelves, and armoires are best placed along the wall where they create an appearance of taller ceilings. Another cardinal design rule: The more floor space you see, the larger the room will appear.

• Lighter colors and cooler shades help to illuminate and create a sense of openness.

• Natural light will make a room appear larger. Windows should be free of heavy curtains to maximize light in great rooms and kitchens.

• Placing furniture closer to the center of the room instead of along the edges makes the space seem larger and easier to navigate. Drawing furnishings toward the center creates an inviting and intimate feel.

• A few kitchen ideas: Use over-the-cabinet space to display collectibles, hang pots from a ceiling rack, and store cooking utensils in baskets or tins to maximize cabinet and drawer space.