kensington bliss: A Little Cabin in the Woods.....

We recently decided to build a small, budget-friendly little cabin about 1.5 hours outside Cleveland. My husband purchased some investment property there a few years ago and has been using it for hunting and general outdoor adventures since. We decided it would be fun to have a little home nestled in the woods for weekend getaways, (and the storage of tractors, equipment, and such) and we are now in the 'selection' process. My husband, Bob, is the mastermind behind the design on this...He is planning an interior with a log cabin look with hardwoods, log (facade) lined walls and vaulted ceilings. So, he wanted fixtures, lighting, and accessories to go along with this design....Incidentally, I did a blog post several months back with photos of four different log cabins that I loved...(clink below link for detail)

http://kensingtonbliss.blogspot.com/2015/09/4-cozy-retreats-for-fall-cabin-fever.html

Collected below are some additional fun inspiration pics..I generally prefer the more restrained log cabin look (with all due respect, some of the Ralph Lauren cabin interiors are a bit over the top with cabin-y elements). Nevertheless, they are always fun to admire for his use/mix of color and pattern...But overall, I love the look (in small doses) of the lanterns, antlers, wagon-wheel light fixtures, plaids, exposed beams, aztek or kilim rugs, animal prints, etc....

I LOVE the use of over-scaled lanterns in these rustic spaces!

Ralph Lauren

1) PLUMBING FIXTURES....

Lowes Delta Victorian (Bathroom) $239

Lows Delta Olmsted (Bathroom) $179

Home Depot Moen Ashville (Bathroom) $179

Home Depot Moen Branbury (Bathroom) $159

Home Depot Pfister Courant (Bathroom) $109 (high ratings despite the price)

Home Depot Delta Cassidy Pull Down (Kitchen) $374 - High Rating

Home Depot Delta Cassidy Single Handle $303 (Kitchen) - High Rating

Lowes Delta Leland Kitchen pull down $312

Lowes Delta Victorian (Kitchen) pull down $398

Lowes Delta Victorian (Kitchen) $506

2) SINKS - For the KITCHEN, I generally prefer under-mount, double sinks (with no divider). For the BATHROOM, I could go either way....

I could not find any double kitchen sinks like this at Lowes, so I may leave up to the contractor...

I wasn't sure if we are doing cabinets in the bathroom, but I like this one from Lowes for a standalone....

Lowes Bathroom sink if we ARE doing cabinets

3) COUNTER TOPS - Throughout all of our previous homes, most have had granite counter tops. I love the natural look of this durable material, and the price point can be reasonable. Yet, in recent years, Quartz is becoming the hot new material in kitchens for its durability, ease of maintenance, and natural look (however it can be pricey). As a side note, I suspect there is a wide range in price and quality for Quartz. I did not research any higher end sources, only those from Home Depot and Lowes. But, my only gripe is that the patterns almost seem TOO uniform and almost Terrazzo-looking....of which I'm not a big fan. I prefer the ones that have a larger-scale pattern to minic a marble or granite. AND, I never thought I would consider it, but after looking online, I discovered that laminate (yes, you heard me) now comes in a TON of very cool, natural looking designs, making this VERY affordable option an intriguing one (particularly for a 2nd home)! After having both light and dark kitchens, my favorite is the lighter end of the spectrum. I particularly like the contrast of a lighter countertop and cabinet against a darker hardwood floor.