Lighting a log cabin can be trickier than you might think. Log cabin lighting should be cozy, but not dim; rustic, but not dirty. These subtle nuances will mark the difference between a comforting, welcoming home and a dreary shack. Here are some tips on how to use lighting in your log cabin. First of all, you should decide on the overall indoor décor of your cabin. Some of the best cabins I’ve seen have made good use of earth tones, especially burnt oranges that bring out the natural color of the wood walls. Combine burnt orange and mustard yellow, deep burgundy with forest green, or a classic natural tan with darker shades of brown. Earth tones create a warm, comfortable atmosphere. Using lighter or brighter shades will help brighten up your room, as well. As with décor, I recommend using brighter lighting than you think you need. Even the palest wood reflects light much less than your average painted wall. The light from a dim bulb will be swallowed by your cabin.
As for the color of your light, let me share with you a trick from stage lighting: The color you want to achieve, and the colors you use to achieve it, are rarely the same. In stage lighting, if technicians use a yellow gel over their light, suddenly actors appear to be afflicted with jaundice. Instead, a sunny yellow affect is created by blending different colors. The same is true with lighting a cabin. If you want a soft orange lighting affect, chances are that using a soft orange bulb isn’t the best way to achieve it. With cabins, I suggest working with bright bulbs, such as bright white fluorescents, and letting shades and glasses add color for you. Because original log cabins obviously had no electricity, lighting that mimics sunlight or candlelight feels most natural in the space. However, because the residents of original log cabins did not have extensive evening lives, it is necessary for us to improve some upon the log cabin lighting design.
There are several different themes of lighting décor that would be appropriate in a log cabin. If you wish, every sort of lamp and chandelier can be found to resemble deer horns. Other lighting fixtures have a rough hewn log appearance. Personally, I find fixtures that resemble old-style gas lamps the most attractive. Woodland and Things has some very nice, if pricey, examples.
In addition, I recommend using a variety of types of lighting in every room. For example, in the living room use a central chandelier coupled with table and floor lamps near the sitting areas. Turn on all the lights when you’re hosting for a warm, open effect. At night, curl up in your armchair with a single table or floor lamp with a heavy shade. In the kitchen and bathroom, you’ll want ample light, but don’t be afraid to commit to a rustic theme. Instead of modern track lighting, try using vanity lights and wall scones, such as those found at the Wooly Sheep Mountain Trading Company. In the dining room, make use of chandeliers for lighting the general room, but also use candles or oil lights on the table itself when entertaining. Use beeswax candles to achieve the true pioneer effect!
Finally, remember when buying lighting for a cabin that you want as much light per fixture as possible. Giant chandeliers with a few tiny bulbs or wall scones with more opaque decorations than translucence are made to be seen, not to help people see. Those sorts of fixtures are pretty, but will not help spread the light around the cabin. Make your lighting fixtures work for you.
