Bring the look of a lodge into your kitchen.
Decorate a kitchen in a lodge look to express your love of renting a cabin by a lake, tucked away in the woods or vacationing on a mountainside. Perfect for the person who loves nature, this interior design scheme will bring the outdoors right into the heart of your home. Mix and match the ideas to fit into your personal style, budget, skill levels and time constraints. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Replace any existing countertops with wood ones. Choose the type of wood based on how much wear and tear they will receive in the room. For example, hard butcher block countertops fit well within this theme and are meant to be chopped and cut upon, while a softer wood would have to be better protected with a permanent finish.
2. Choose wood cabinetry that complements the countertops. Black hardware sets off this scheme well and is available in rustic designs as well as more modern takes on this theme. Options include scrolled iron handles, such as a "birdcage" design and simple square knobs with a finial design or an imprint of bear claws, moose antlers and other wildlife symbols.
3. Install wood beams on the ceilings, and posts as separators between the kitchen and any adjoining open space. Fake wood elements are available for rooms that have weight restrictions.
4. Install earth tone tiles for the backsplash. For a splash of excitement, work a few brick red or rustic orange accent tiles into the overall design.
5. Paint the walls in an earth tone color to coordinate with, or contrast with, the tile. Examples that work well when decorating a kitchen in a lodge look are a soft sunshine yellow, a muted orange or red and any hue of brown or tan.
6. Choose light fixtures that reflect the outdoors. Examples include deer antler chandeliers for above tables, or simple mission style black fixtures in a more contemporary space. Other options include wrought iron pendant lights, with or without wildlife cutouts, for above the breakfast bar. Look for styles that match or complement your hardware choices for uniformity in the space.
7. Upholster bar stools or chair seats in leather. Choose the color depending on your other elements: For a more rustic look, use a deep brown; for a classic feel, use a black to match the hardware; or for a modern take, choose a red, orange or buttercream yellow to coordinate with the tile work in the backsplash.
8. Replace any traditional blinds with wooden ones. Curtains, in coordinating colors, can be used to soften the look if necessary. Fabric print options include a gingham that reflects picnics in the woods or wildlife prints that remind you of creatures around a traditional lodge. For a more sophisticated lodge look choose window treatments in a solid color, such as a deep brown, with touches of leather lacing around the top and down the sides.
9. Bring in stainless steel appliances -- large and small ones -- to brighten up the space. When working with so many other wood elements, the shininess will add a polished feel to the room.
10. Hang artwork and place decor accessories that are nature themed, such as a painting of a cabin nestled among trees and forest creatures or photograph of a beautiful sunset over the lake. Place plants around the room when decorating a kitchen in a lodge look to finish bringing the outdoors in.
Tags: lodge look, kitchen lodge look, coordinate with, decorating kitchen, decorating kitchen lodge, deep brown