Western Living Magazine
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These views will make even city folk want to pack up and enjoy what cabin life has to offer.
There’s a sort of freedom that is attached to the relaxing vibes and calm, collected warmth of cabin life. Imagine what it would be like to hear the crashing of waves as they hit soft sands or rocks on the beach. Smell the salt air that is only just out-of-reach from the cabin’s front door. Feel the cool breeze as it drifts across the waters. Cabin life is a true escape from the grind of reality, a break from everyday constants. Does this sound like something you’d be into? If yes, keep reading to experience the breathtaking views.
This off-grid cabin was built on an island near Desolation Sound, B.C. overlooking the vast Salish Sea. The retreat was designed to bring visitors closer to nature and keep them cozy in the cabin’s interior. “The landscape is different from the other part of the island—it feels like an escape that allows visitors to experience a rustic approach to living,” the cabin’s architect, Laura Killiam, shares. Continue to warm your heart and explore the rest of this stunning cabin.
Our next cabin resides on Makwa Lake in Saskatchewan. This 3,989-square foot and six-bedroom property is a gorgeous home-away-from-home for the Puerto Rican couple who own it. Working with the Lloydminster-based design-build studio Rosswill Homes, the couple made sure the cabin was suitable for hosting as many friends and family as possible. “The outdoor living is so carefree: beach days, fishing, surfing, riding golf carts to the ice cream shop, lake views and all those summer sunsets too,” interior designer Cristina Rivett explains. Here’s a deeper look inside this cabin.
This historic red wood log cabin is actually a hotel! The Lodge is nestled in the Albertan Rockies on Bow Lake, and was originally built and opened in 1922 by Jimmy Simpson. Just over 100 years later, The Lodge is a perfect spot to go to if you enjoy the lakeside life and vast views of trees and the Rocky Mountains. Learn more about this unique old-school lodge.
This Naramata cabin on Okanagan Lake, B.C. is beautifully designed and offers a picture-perfect view of the lake. The clients wanted a space where their university-aged kids, extended family members and friends could relax, and a space that blurred the line between cabin and vacation home. Designer Robert Bailey passionately honoured their wishes. “This house will be around for the next 100 years,” says Bailey. “We never wanted it to be kitschy—we just wanted it to be authentic to time and place.” See more of this Okanagan cottage.
This home proves that cabin life can shine in every season (and for more modest budgets, too). It’s a flat-packed house-in-a-box that’s made by The Back Country Hut Company and sent directly to the build site. The cabin features an open floor plan and a cozy inside loft. It’s the perfect dry and toasty place to warm up after a rainy forest walk. Find out more about this breathtaking cabin.
Our final pick is this stunning waterfront cabin home on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast. Homeowners Andrew and Laura weren’t sure about the cabin home in Halfmoon Bay until they stepped inside saw the interior designs and breathtaking ocean. “You pull up to this place and it looks like nothing, and then you walk inside and see the view,” Andrew says. Outside the windows you can see views of Merry and Thormanby Islands. Step inside this mid-century coastal cabin and see what else it has to offer.
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