Log Style

Utter the phrase “log cabin in the woods” and all sorts of idyllic images rush to mind. But Niña Williams imagined nothing like an idyll upon her first sighting, in 2002, of the Wyoming cabin that would become a second home for her and her husband, Bill Sidley.

Built in the 1990s by the U.S. Forest Service, the 1,200-square-foot "Lincoln log-style" structure was home to a wildlife biologist, his wife, and, in nearby kennels, their 55 huskies. With its bare-bones basic construction, sheet linoleum floors, and solar power that had little effect during overcast, snowbound winters.

Guided by Williams's keen aesthetic eye, the couple gradually began to furnish the cabin in an eclectic style that not only seemed fitting for a second home but also suited the log cabin style, the rustic location, and Sidley's own century-long family connection to the area. "We had some family pieces and some antiques we already owned that we moved here," says Williams. "Then, on our four-hour drives here from Denver, we'd stop in old mountain towns to poke around in local antique shops and flea markets and farm sales." They even found an old sheep wagon, the portable residence used in the early 20th century by Wyoming shepherds, which they converted into a guest room for adventurous souls that now stands about a hundred feet from the main house.

A RUGGED GARDEN

"The site is so steep that we had to be like mountain goats the first few years we were working on it," says Niña Williams of the garden, above, that adjoins their cabin. "Our goal was to have it look very natural and to be very tough, because conditions are harsh and cold in winter and the deer are constantly eating everything."

With that in mind, Williams and her husband Bill Sidley focused on planting the following "very rugged perennial shrubs and trees and deer-resistant plants." Although, Williams adds with a laugh, "Deer will eat everything, so 'resistant' is a really relative term."

Perennials: Columbine, Cranesbill Geranium, Dianthus, Echinacea, Gaillardia, Iris, Native Hop Vine, Nepeta (Catmint), Yarrow
Shrubs: Common Lilac, Potentilla, Red Osier Dogwood, Siberian Pea Shrub, Silver Buffaloberry
Trees: Colorado Blue Spruce, Rocky Mountain Cedar

FURNISHING A RUSTIC SECOND HOME

If you plan to furnish your own cabin-style retreat, homeowner and design expert Niña Williams suggests you keep the following strategies in mind:

Make use of what is already there. Despite their cabin's original rundown condition, Williams and her husband, Bill Sidley, found a way to reuse such features as the existing kitchen cabinets, giving them new life with a fresh coat of paint. "We tried to retain anything that we thought would be useful for us and that we could make attractive," says Williams.

Find fresh uses for family heirlooms. A second home is a great opportunity to review what you're tired of in your first home or have put into storage.

Seek inspiration in your surroundings. Look for furnishings and accessories in nearby settlements, like the Colorado and Wyoming mountain towns Williams and Sidley passed through en route to their cabin from their Denver home.

Keep practicality in mind. Since many second homes are relatively far from urban civilization, frivolous furnishings can seem more of a nuisance than a pleasure. "When you're at a remote location," advises Williams, "comfort and utility are most important."

Make it personal. Don't feel you have to hew to one kind of look. "Trust your own eye and tastes," says Williams, who notes that she borrowed such Adirondack style touches as the rich, dark wood stains and her front-porch Adirondack chairs. "I love mixing periods and styles," she adds. "You've got to learn to trust your own eye and tastes."

For the full story, pick up the July/August 2008 issue of Mountain Living.