40 Cozy Winter Cabins We’d Love to Hole Up In
Winter is the perfect time to rally family and friends for a cabin getaway with days full of adventures in the unspoiled snow and nights spent nursing hot (spiked) cider around the fireplace. If you’re dreaming about your own rustic retreat in the wilderness, look no further for inspiration: These modern winter cabins demonstrate a deep respect for their snowy, wooded surrounds.
A Family of Four Joins Hands to Build Two Tiny Homes in Washington
Located on the Chewuch River in northeast Washington, this wooded property is home to a two-room cabin and two 144-square-foot tiny homes; the latter were built by the family of four with instructions from Cast Architects.
Each tiny home houses a woodburning stove, a living space, a composting toilet, and a lofted bed tucked under a slightly pitched roof. Although compact, they offer all the comforts of home—including lights, outlets, and radiant floor heating. Floor-to-ceiling windows and lofted sleeping spaces make the tiny homes feel larger and brighter than their square footage.
A design-and-build duo liken their Woodland Hideout to building a tree fort in the woods—though with adult-level resources and tools, of course. "It’s one thing to design something and have someone build it, but oh man, when your blood, sweat, and tears are in it, it’s next level."
Starting from a 10-by-10-by-20 steel frame, the roof was sloped to accommodate the leaves and pine needles that regularly fall from the tree canopy. This move created a short side, where the toilet, desk, and wood stove now live; it’s also where you lay your head on the built-in bed. On the side with the high ceiling, you’ll find a compact but highly functional kitchenette and a luxurious shower.
The architect tweaked a basic A-frame concept to reflect the home’s Scandinavian context. Curved aluminum dormers were added to evoke the kåta (huts) used by the Sámi, an indigenous people of several Nordic countries, as well as the branches of the trees that surround the home. The front and rear elevations will also pick up the silvery hues of nearby birches as their Kebony wood cladding patinates over time.
The swooping roofline allows light to flow through large windows into a spacious interior discreetly divided by sliding pocket doors. The roughly 30-by-82-foot two-level house includes five bedrooms and can easily sleep up to a dozen people, a capacity meant to give the home longevity.
Locally harvested pine sheaths the house, while the siding and framing is local hemlock. Black locust from the site was used for the porch decking, and cherry and maple, also from the site, show up in the stair treads, flooring, and windowsills—many of which feature holes from when the trees were tapped for sap.
The interior is kept clean and pure, making it easy for the owner to live in, and creating a contrast with the "rough and shaggy" exterior.
Although the architects were constrained by an existing foundation, within the compact footprint they designed a protective yet translucent cabin that encourages environmental engagement.
Inside, the pine walls and ceilings received a dark stain, as did the oak floors. "When you are out in the snow, it’s quite bright, so we wanted a darker interior to provide some rest for the eyes," explains the architect. "The plan is arranged around a central core containing the kitchen and main living areas."
Inspired by the Ice Age rock formations found throughout the region, the Meteorite, so named for obvious reasons, is a faceted dwelling designed by Kivi and Tuuli Sotamaa, the brother-and-sister team behind Ateljé Sotamaa.
The Meteorite’s interior is clad in spruce from floor to ceiling. The living areas have been furnished with hand-selected works by Finnish designers. The dining area features a built-in corner sofa designed by Ateljé Sotamaa, with slipcovers and pillows by Klaus Haapaniemi & Co.
Two cabins sit in the vast, empty landscape overlooking the Hekla volcano, around three hours’ drive from Reykjavík. The front part of each cabin—for sleeping—is almost entirely glass, while the rear—where the living, kitchen and bathroom spaces are located—is clad in timber for privacy.
Watch the Northern Lights from the comfort of your warm bed at Panorama Glass Lodge Iceland. Designed by the Estonian company ÖÖD Homes, the two 200-square-foot prefab cabins are thoughtfully made for small-space living.
Montreal-based firm Thomas Balaban Architect (TBA) took on the task of renovating a gabled farmhouse, transforming the 40-year-old structure into a striking white volume with a contrasting addition clad in weathered cedar timber. The box-shaped extension plays off the familiar farmhouse typology, creating a series of intriguing contrasts.
The two distinct forms are united with a band of windows on the ground floor that wrap around the living and dining spaces. The glazed doors slide open, extending the living room onto the deck.
Taking advantage of the slight slope at its site in Hallvardøy island, the 2,150-square-foot cabin is divided into two parts: a larger two-story volume containing the bedrooms and sauna, and a smaller volume that houses the open-plan living areas located a few steps below.
The materiality relies primarily on locally sourced timber to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. Core pine treated with iron sulfate lends an even patina to the exterior cladding, and birch veneer clads the interior. Walls of glass frame breathtaking views of dramatic mountains in the south and the fjord to the west.
Sitting on a plateau over the rolling landscape of rural Quebec, the residence comprises three joined, gable roof structures, each oriented differently. It takes inspiration from the local farmhouses and barns of the area, whose steep rooflines help shed snow in the winter, and whose wood-clad facades traditionally used lumber from local trees.
Refining the farmhouse vernacular, Petellier de Fontenay incorporated simple, minimalist detailing and materials to make the residence feel modern. Its wood-and-metal exterior gives way to a mostly white, black, and wood interior, with polished concrete floors throughout.
Much like a couple’s ancestral Norwegian cabin, their new getaway is designed with the same rustic charms and deference to the landscape, as well as an inviting environment for friends and family to gather for generations to come. Set on an east-west axis, the home stays cool with shading south-facing glass, minimal west-facing glass, and operable windows that allow for natural ventilation. Energy recovery ventilators also bring fresh air into the home.
A connection to the outdoors was paramount to the design both in form—the low-lying building is topped with a roof angled to follow the sloped terrain—and accessibility. Large windows pull mountain views indoors while the house, carefully positioned to minimize site impact, feels immersed in its landscape of aspen groves, scrub oaks, sage, and spruce.
Named House With Gable, the 1,680-square-foot home has been beautifully designed by Austria-based studio mia2/ARCHITEKTUR. Constructed predominantly with native timber, a concrete foundation, and expansive glass windows, the modern dwelling also features a massive, eye-catching gable roof.
Inspired by the Estonian koda—a traditional hut that dates back to the third millennium BC—this forest hideaway tucked in the Northern Estonian village of Muraste consists of three light-filled cabins that sport modern, pyramidal roofs.
Together, the three modernized kodas offer 829 square feet, and their minimalist interiors look out to breathtaking views of the surrounding forest.
Composed of overlapping cubes of different sizes, the Gjøvik house by Danish firm Norm Architects gracefully embraces its hillside terrain—naturally blending in with its stunning surroundings near Mjøsa Lake an hour north of Oslo.
The floor and the wall merge into one as concrete, wood, and subtle, warm tones create an integrated look. Customized furniture and built-in pieces throughout add to the minimalist vibe.
Designed by Tham & Videgård Arkitekter, the low structure has a simple rectangular shape and concrete walls that protect a central atrium, with huge sliding windows opening up the interior towards the bucolic meadow landscape.
Inside, the flooring follows the terrain to create three levels as well as different ceiling heights when paired with the consistent plane of the roof. All of the living spaces circle the atrium: an outdoor area that offers a sheltered space to relax.
Designed by Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter for a family of four, the Split View Mountain Lodge is a holiday home near the village of Geilo, Norway. The main volume splits out to form additional annexes that frame individual views of the surrounding mountains.
Raised to capture views of Mont-Sainte-Anne, High House is a minimalist cabin in Quebec, Canada, designed by Paris-based studio DELORDINAIRE. White, concrete panel cladding and corrugated-steel roof panels give the cabin a crisp, geometric form that almost melts into the snowy landscape, while stilts allow sunlight to penetrate the space throughout the day.
Jason and Suzanne Koxvold commissioned Studio Padron to design a 200-square-foot guesthouse on their property in Ellenville, New York. The geometric structure’s dark cedar cladding contrasts with the light-wood interior, which is heated by a cast-iron Jøtul stove. A layer of built-in bookshelves made from felled oak lumber also helps insulate the building in winter.
This carbon-neutral residence by Helsinki studio Avanto Architects features a facade clad in dark-stained wood and contrasting light-wood interiors. Located on an island in Finland, the cross-shaped cabin has no running water; the structure is solar-powered, well insulated, and warmed by multiple fireplaces.
Designed by Minneapolis firm Sala Architects, the 820-square-foot Metal Lark Tower marked the first rental cabin to open at Nordlys Lodging, a 140-acre property in Frederic, Wisconsin. Small windows on the northwest side of the two-story structure provide privacy and protection from winter winds, while solar panels and natural heat insulated by the triple-paned windows add to the structure’s efficiency.
Throughout the cabin, Douglas fir appears as wall paneling, trim, and on ceiling beams. Wide-plank engineered flooring with a Nordic whitewashed oak finish stays warm with radiant heat. Floor-to-ceiling windows on the upper level immerse visitors in their natural surroundings.
Designed by architects Casper Berntsen and Aldís Gísladóttir of Danish-Icelandic firm Studio Heima, the wood-clad Aska Cabin—which derives its name from the Icelandic word for "ash"—is perched along the active geothermal pocket of Mývatn, a volcanic lake in northern Iceland.
To protect the 226-square-foot structure from extreme weather, the architects relied on charred-pine cladding made using the ancient Japanese method of shou sugi ban. The cabin’s light plywood interior offers a stark contrast to the dark cladding of the exterior. Emerald tiles span the fully equipped kitchenette, adding a playful splash of color.
Delo Design cofounders Arsenii Brodach and Anastasia Gulyaeva constructed this compact, modular cabin in a pine forest near St. Petersburg, Russia, for a couple with a young child who spend their weekends here while a larger country home is under construction.
The interior measures roughly 120 square feet but manages to fit in a kitchenette, dining area, half-bath with a shower, and bedroom with a fold-out bed and storage space. The Cabin also features a number of bespoke crafted details, including the gutter and windowsills, as well as furnishings by Delo Design, among them TRU chairs in cream.
After years of working at Oslo- and San Francisco–based Mork Ulnes Architects, Norwegian architect Erling Berg launched his own practice—and his first project was a cozy cabin in Norway’s Kvitfjell ski area with a minimalist, Scandinavian aesthetic and an eco-sensitive design. The cabin is clad in untreated, locally sourced pine that will develop a silvery-gray patina over time.
To achieve a spacious feel in the open-plan living and dining area, Berg drew design inspiration from Frank Lloyd Wright’s use of the "gallery," a low-ceilinged entry corridor that leads to a vaulted room, which feels more open due to the architectural principle of compression and release. The cozy living room features a refurbished Børge Mogensen chair, a Recover sofa from Bolia, and a coffee table sourced from Jotex. Oiled white pine makes the vaulted space feel light and bright.
Montreal firm L’Abri reinterpreted the classic A-frame to create a secluded shelter just north of Ottawa, Canada, in Poisson Blanc Regional Park. The serene cabin provides space for up to four guests. The exterior is clad in natural cedar board that will silver over the years, allowing the structure to blend into its forested site.
The minimalist interior of La Pointe cabin allows a large bay window with uninterrupted views of the wilderness to shine. A lofted sleeping area is suspended by steel rods over the dining table in the kitchenette and is accessible by a ladder.
In 2020, L’Abri finished a second, slightly bigger shelter called the Grand-Pic in Canada’s Poisson Blanc Regional Park. Under the cabin’s elongated, pitched roof, the architects tucked 321 square feet of living space and a 267-square-foot screened porch to accommodate groups of four.
Inside, the living spaces are clustered together on the main floor, and two sleeping alcoves, each with a queen-size bed, occupy the upper level. Plentiful storage nooks accommodate outdoor gear, while the material palette—including earth-toned laminate, stainless steel, and whitewashed pine—was chosen for durability and easy maintenance.
Seattle firm Olson Kundig Architects described this three-story cabin in upstate Washington as "basically a steel box on stilts." The 1,000-square-foot structure can be completely sealed off with four 10-by-18-foot steel shutters that are rolled over the glass windows when visitors clear out.
Delta Shelter’s steel exterior makes the structure fire resistant, and raised steel beams protect the cabin from potential damage from the 100-year-old riverside floodplain on which it was built.
Architect Håkon Matre Aasarød, partner at Oslo studio Vardehaugen Architects, led the design of Cabin Vindheim—an off-grid cabin deep in the alpine landscape near Lillehammer, Norway.
The concept was simple: To create a cabin that is small and sparse yet spatially rich. The 592-square-foot structure comprises a large living area, bedroom, ski room, and small annex with a utility space. The cabin’s exterior is clad in black-stained ore pine, while the interior is fully covered in light, waxed poplar veneer. The home functions off of the water and electricity grids.
This vacation home in Tahoe, California, accommodates three generations of skiers. "We call the house Troll Hus, with a reference to the otherworldly beings in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore that are said to dwell in remote mountains," says architect Casper Mork Ulnes. The home’s concrete base allows for ski storage and a changing area during the snowy season.
"The owners were looking for a relaxed and welcoming environment, so we suggested an interior atmosphere that is simultaneously cozy and airy," says interior designer Lexie Mork-Ulnes. "We went for a stripped down, almost purified aesthetic."
Architects Stéphane Rasselet and David Dworkind of Canadian firm Naturehumaine delivered a strikingly simple concept for a behind-the-scenes movie guy who wanted a secluded place to recuperate from exhausting projects. The architects anchored two stacked, rectangular volumes into a steep mountainside. The geometric silhouette of the 1,740-square-foot cabin echoes the classic typology of the region’s gable roof barns.
A horizontal strip window in the living/dining room frames the surrounding wooded mountain range and valley. The centralized fireplace was built into a custom, multipurpose cabinet welded from sheets of hot-rolled steel. In addition to storing firewood on one end, the built-in cabinetry also holds a TV and even acts as a guardrail for the staircase.
In a sloping, woodland site in Winthrop, Washington, Seattle firm CAST Architecture created a year-round family getaway that allows the landscape to flow through the structure. Super-insulated walls and ceilings, energy-efficient windows, and an efficient radiant heating system minimize energy consumption—even in snowy winters.
The Nelson Cabin has a commodious kitchen and living area that encourages family and friends to come together for meals and conversation.
In Hellerud, a borough of Oslo, Norway, local firm Wood Arkitektur + Design used heat-treated pine and bricks to fashion a cozy family retreat dubbed Stairway to Heaven, sited just steps away from the client’s childhood home.
"They wanted a very practical house with separate zones for kids and adults," says architect Johanne Taugbøl of Wood Arkitektur + Design. "Because of the split levels, the experience of the space varies when you walk through it. The acoustics are also great due to the wood paneling in the ceiling." The Raimond pendant lights are from moooi, and the fireplace seating is from Ikea.
Nestled in a forest near the Kawartha Lakes in Ontario, Canada, the two-story Lake Cottage by Toronto firm UUfie is partially sheathed in one-way mirror glass. The architects clad the 23-foot-tall roof in black steel and wrapped the exterior in charred cedar siding made using the shou sugi ban technique.
At the heart of the cabin is a large, light-filled living space punctuated by 14 openings, half of which frame views of the outdoors while the remainder reveal the peripheral rooms such as the covered terrace, dining area, and upstairs loft. A wood-burning fireplace with a playful, house-shaped surround anchors one end of the main gathering area.
I-Kanda Architects designed Cabin on a Rock, a modernist, prefab cabin in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. "The 900-square-foot cabin perches on one piece of granite, projecting precariously over a steep drop-off to afford dramatic eastern views across the valley below," says architect Isamu Kanda, principal at the Boston firm.
The team worked closely with Fire Tower Engineered Timber and Bensonwood to engineer and pre-package all framing offsite. In order to reduce the structure’s footprint, I-Kanda Architects cleared a minimal amount of trees and opted to enhance surrounding views by installing a custom, 24-foot-wide sliding glass wall designed by Architectural Openings.
To meet with strict building regulations when designing this home in the alpine commune of Manigod, France, Studio Razavi Architecture analyzed local historical buildings to understand what their forms accomplished functionally, and how they shaped the regional vernacular.
The upper levels of the six-bedroom, four-bathroom Mountain House feature large picture windows that offer sweeping valley views.
Chad and Courtney Ludeman, the husband-and-wife team behind Philadelphia’s design-driven Lokal Hotel, transformed this classic 1960s A-frame cabin in New Jersey into a Scandinavian-inspired holiday retreat in the woods.
The material palette consists of concrete, bleached flooring, pine plywood, and lots of matte, black-and-white finishes. A loft with a bedroom and full bath has its own deck and overlooks the woods and river.
Mork Ulnes Architects designed this pinwheel-shaped, pine-clad cabin north of Oslo with four wings that branch out for distinct views. Planning regulations required a gable roof, which the architects split into four shed roofs that were carefully designed to respond to heavy snow shed and meet spatial and aesthetic wishes.
To create a clean and minimalist aesthetic, only treated pine plywood and concrete was used for the interior of the 900-square-foot cabin.
Canadian firm Naturehumaine designed and constructed this 1,250-square-foot, three-bedroom holiday home over the course of two years. The compact and monochrome cabin is oriented to face the lake and slightly angled toward the south to optimize solar gain.
Simple furnishings match the minimalist design of the home. The eat-in kitchen includes an Ikea dining table and Structure chairs. The pendant lamps are from Luminaire Authentik.
Eivind Bøhn’s cabin on the outskirts of Hardangervidda National Park is a modern update of the classic Norwegian hytte. The design, by Snøhetta architect Øystein Tveter, features a sod-covered roof that blends with the grassy hillside in warmer months.
In the living area, floor-to-ceiling windows by Schüco frame a Gyrofocus suspended rotating fireplace by Focus. At night, a crackling fire appears to hover in the dark.
Nestled into a forested region of Finland near Salamajärvi National Park, the 387-square-foot Niliaitta cabin by Studio Puisto Architects is a modern adaptation of a traditional building type from nearby Lapland that serves as a safe place to store food outdoors in habitats with bears and other wild animals.
The cabin was built using ecological materials—including wood finishes and eco-wool insulation—and no plastic. The structure is supported by a single steel post and corresponding steel framing, and the exterior is wrapped in pine board with a natural, black-tone wood oil finish. The full-height glazing places the focus on the outdoors.
Cabin A by Bourgeois / Lechasseur architectes is perched on a mountainside overlooking the Saint Lawrence River in Québec, Canada. The "A" in the name references the nautical alphabet of the International Code of Signals (ICS), while the home’s angular form was derived from the maritime Alfa signal flag and the shape of a ship’s sail facing the wind.
The 2,400-square-foot cabin can accommodate up to 12 guests. Inside, the minimalist interior clad in natural pine plywood features contrasting, dark accents and furnishings. The straight-forward layout features a large, open-plan living space on the upper level with a south-facing wall of windows that form a viewing gallery of the surrounding wilderness.
Get the Dwell Newsletter
Be the first to see our latest home tours, design news, and more.