Cabin. A small, roughly built house usually with a wood exterior and typically found in rural areas

Chic meaning "stylish" or "smart", is an element of fashion

While the term may sound like an oxymoron there are so many chic cabins - stylish, rural homes (not so small) - in this area that it would be hard to count them.

Let’s play a little word association - if asked to visualize curtains for a log cabin would you think gingham or homey plaid? To add chic think of Ralph Lauren’s Stratford Damask, a large scale, tonal slubbed cotton fabric, which would bring a certain elegance without formality.

With a timber framed wood ceiling that is 27 feet to the peak would you install an antler horn light fixture or chandelier? Sorry guys, chic would call for a huge, over the top chandelier in a rustic or oil rubbed finish with prisms and crystals the size of your open hand.

Reclaimed wood floors are beautiful however there is noise component and cosy factor that is satisfied only with an area rug. Grandma would have used a braided rug in a cabin but the smart and stylish opt for veggie dyed, hand knotted carpets that look as if they came from an old mansion. Once again it’s the dash of luxe that steps it up from rural to relaxed rustic refinement.

There seems to be a passion for grey these days as well – Restoration Hardware and so many others have made the old and reclaimed chic these days. Now the fad is becoming uber industrial with steam punk adding cogs and wheels; bits of machinery and metal. (Picture) Fads fade usually for good reason so consider the issue of finish when making major furniture decisions – think how quickly one would have to wipe up that red wine spilt on a raw wooden table. The next generation of reclaimed wood actually has a wipe-able surface and is now available in flooring which is meant to be walked on. (Picture)

Barn board is back in vogue again and certainly speaks to cabin chic with its texture and colour on target. But if ever there was a mantra in design it’s to not go hog-wild with any one trend and buy the farm but to keep the basics simple, remember your roots and introduce the funky fads in moderation, one cog at a time.