Sweet Flag Cabin
Transforming a 1990s rental into a rustic modern getaway.
Updated Primary Bedroom. Nested tables are from Rejuvenation.
Updated living room.
Welcome to the Sweet Flag Cabin! We’ve always wanted a home in central Oregon. It’s hard not to fall in love with hiking, skiing, views, people, and fresh air. We took on the Sweet Flag Cabin knowing there was work to be DONE! This dated 1990s cabin was a rental and the furniture definitely represented that. When we first walked in, it smelled like old linens and dust, as if nothing had changed since it was built and furnished (there were even phones with cords in the closets).
The original living room & furniture when we got the keys.
From a design standpoint, I was itching to refresh the cheeky fishing decor, baskets with fake ivy, ripped upholstery, and water leaks. The rental furniture was built for use, not necessarily style.
One of the original twin bed guest rooms.
First thing I wanted to change was new bedding and towels. Instant gratification with that one. Then I began purging what I knew I wouldn’t want to keep long term. Everything non-functional, namely those dusty ivy baskets, went straight to Habitat For Humanity. To bring in a modern touch, we decided to balance the wood with an industrial look. When mixing metal, stone, wood, and glass, you are harmonizing with the colors of nature. The original silver light fixtures with glass over the bulb did not compliment nature and instead created an eye sore, so those had to go fast. The new light fixtures create contrast with the wood without being too stark. Then to really bring the project together, we brought in a mix of materials like velvet & fur.
The above (left) shows the original nook. The above (right) is the updated nook. The new nook mixes colors and materials (metal, painted wood, rock) to enhance the natural wood. The painting of the man I found at Habitat for Humanity for $6. The green table is from Budd + Finn in Portland. The lantern is a Weems & Plath wind proof lantern that is manually lit.
Close up of the dining/gaming space’s Masaya & Co. chairs with furry/velvet/patterned accents in the back.
There were a few gems in the house we decided to keep! When walking through with the inspector, he commented on a signed fisherman drawing that was by a local artist (not pictured). I reframed it and now we have that local touch! The rustic dining table in the living room is staying for the time being. Rather than buying a new table, we liked the vintage, unperfect look of the original, especially its ability to weather the storm of kids and their endless creative endeavors.
Updated dining/games space featuring custom built in bench and the original table. I just adore these chairs from Masaya & Co.
Close up of the custom bench. We wrapped the cushions in washable Pendleton blankets with zippers for easy clean up. The colorful shoe basket is from a pop up shop in Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands.
In the kitchen, we kept the fish knobs on the cabinetry. Gotta have that quirky cabin character moment! One major note is that this cabin was not a major purge and refresh all in one go…
My strategy is to take everything out of a room, then only put back essential items. You can’t really feel the potential for a space with a bunch of crowded junk. Given today’s unreliable shipping times, save yourself the stress of being without and keep the important things like a bedframe, bedside tables, seating, etc.
But even doing that can be overwhelming. Taking on a new house or even addressing the home you’ve lived in and filled with things for years is a handful. So break it down. If there’s a room that's not functioning how you want it, focus on that. Go room by room.
For us, the living room wasn’t functional because the TV blocked the window, people weren’t facing the fireplace, and there was very random table placement. The question became how do we maximize the space for storage and allow people to interact with the cabin? To solve this, we had a custom bench installed along part of the wall. The bench offered seating, storage, and a pop of color. Then, we added swivel chairs which allowed guests to engage with the fireplace, the rest of the room, and look at the view when having their morning cup of coffee or evening cocktail/mocktail.
The original living room layout with no flexibility.
Updated living room.
New frame TV to the right of the fireplace. Relocating the TV preserves the natural beauty of the fireplace and decorates open wall space. The custom built-in bench provides storage for toys/blankets/etc. and is additional seating.
In the living room we aimed for “cabiny”, comfy, and durable; this Restoration Hardware couch is perfect for the space. To liven up the couch, we styled it with Rejuvenation & DWR pillows. These days, you don’t need outlets to have lighting, this battery operated lamp is the perfect mobile light (this lamp style is made by lots of creators, here’s an alternative)!
The next project was the bedrooms. The existing twin beds crowded the spaces and inhibited walking. We capitalized on the vertical space available and put in bunk beds with a double on the bottom.
The original cabin kids room, crowded with twin beds.
Updated guest room.
Updated bedroom with Room&Board bunk beds. The bookshelf is from DWR. I found the wood/metal sewing table at an antique shop in Sisters, OR.
Above are the updated bedrooms. Each bedroom balances the wood with mixes of color and materials. The red bed frame contrasts the wood in both color and material while bringing in that modern touch (top right). The Yaya&Co pillow creates a funky color pop (bottom left).
Next, I went through all of the art in the house. You’d be amazed by what a new frame can do for a piece. I love mixing old and new, so I kept some art, reframed it, and supplemented with art I sourced locally in Sisters, Bend, and Joseph, OR. In the dining room, we have a custom painting of my husband’s father fishing the Deschutes River. I found an artist in Asia who painted this from a photo I sent over. I framed this stunning piece at Beard’s Frame Shop.
Custom painting of my husband’s father on the Deschutes River in the dining room.
Art gallery wall with locally sourced pieces in one of the guest bedrooms.
Today, we absolutely love it. The layout, accents, and mix of old and new leaves us feeling cozy and warm. We reclaimed the function of the cabin whilst keeping some original pieces like the dining room table and the wood log beds that complement the walls so well. Yes, there are still things I’d like to eventually change, like the carpet, but again, we have kids, a dog, and a forest in the backyard. Plus, I like what the lightness of the carpet does for the cabin when it gets dark.
What to look forward to is we’re still solving for improving the lighting, but a log cabin means no can lights or new wiring. Track lights are in discussion. We have all new switch plates that we need to change out, but haven’t gotten around to yet. Eventually, I’d love to revamp the primary bathroom (inefficient use of space), laundry room, kitchen, redo the deck/landscaping as well as guest bathrooms. But that’s for another blog, ha!
Stay tuned for more WSD project stories, and if you have a space or cabin needing some refreshing, check out our services!