A Cozy Christmas Cabin

Christmas cabin family room with neutral furniture and decor.

Photography by Bret Gum

If you have a small home, it can seem clausterphobic to add Christmas décor during the holidays. But homeowner and blogger Rachel Bousquet of Hygge Home brings Christmas cheer to her Christmas cabin with small touches and an organized theme. “You don’t need much to get a cozy Christmas feel,” she says. “Simple things go a long way.”

The Christmas cabin family room with stockings above the fireplace and neutral furniture/decor. — Plaid stockings hang from the fireplace mantel, adding texture to the room. A small village is safely tucked under a side table, while Christmas trees, reindeer forms and a garland proudly sit on the mantel.

Mountain Retreat

Rachel’s 1,100-square-foot home transforms into a cozy Christmas cabin winter retreat during the holidays. Despite sunny skies and warmer temperatures, she manages to make her home feel like it’s located on top of a snowy mountain. “This year, I went with a cozy cottage cabin vibe,” she says. “I used pops of red and lots of plaid to achieve this look.”

A wintergreen Christmas wreath with natural and gold accents and a "Merry Christmas" attached to the front. — Rachel’s budget-friendly front door wreath is a Home Depot find she spruced up with a handmade metal sign from Vintage Metal Co.

Rather than swap her everyday décor for Christmas splendor, Rachel built upon the pieces she already has, with cozy elements such as pillows and blankets and natural elements like garlands and pinecones. This way, her holiday décor doesn’t make her rooms look cluttered. Plus, she doesn’t have to worry about storing heaps of décor during the off seasons. “In the dining room, I kept it simple and fresh,” she says. “I added a Christmas garland to the items I already had.”

A collection of Rae Dunn ceramics in an opened wood cabinet in a Christmas cabin — The dining room cabinet is filled with Rachel’s Rae Dunn pottery collection, which she’s been building for the past five years. The white pieces complement the neutral color scheme in the room.

Along with touches of greenery and comfy pillows, Rachel loves to incorporate wooden signs to reinforce the cozy cabin feel. Signs that say “Merry Christmas” and “Farm Fresh Christmas Trees” bring a rustic vibe to her spaces and refer to the holidays in a subtle manner that complements her theme. “A lot of my wooden signs are made from Instagram shop makers,” she says.

A holiday wooden Etsy sign that says " Farm Fresh Christmas Trees." — Rachel enjoys shopping for homemade signs on Etsy to add to her seasonal décor.

The Christmas cabin dining room with neutral colors accenting the wooden table. — Natural elements such as greenery and pinecones bring a seasonal vibe to the dining room. A Christmas tree pillow and a couple “Merry Christmas” signs bring holiday cheer to the space without overpowering the pre-existing pieces.

An off-white tea pot on the gas stove with a wooden Etsy holiday sign above it. — To keep holiday décor out of the way in her kitchen, Rachel placed a couple faux trees and a wreath print on a shelf above the stove. Switching out everyday functional items for seasonal ones, such as her Peace towel and snowflake spatula, are also simple options to bring festive charm to the space.

Neutral Noel

On theme, Rachel kept her Christmas cabin décor mostly neutral, using textures and patterns to create interest in the home. Her Christmas tree exemplifies the palette through gold ribbon, wood textures and black, white and gold ornaments. “I stuck with the cottage cabin vibe for my tree this year, too,” Rachel says. “I went with natural accents and pops of gold, and I love ribbon in a tree.”

The lit up Christmas tree inside their Christmas cabin living room. — The living room Christmas tree has a Christmas cabin vibe with natural accents and pops of gold ornaments and ribbon. Rachel used a fresh garland on the curtains for its fragrance and texture.

Christmas cabin present with brown wrapping paper and red, gold and white ribbons with a red felt "please hurry Santa" tag attached. — Hand-stamped farmhouse gift wrap decks the Bousquet family gifts this year.

Not only do the tree trimmings matter, but what’s under the tree makes a statement as well. “For wrapping gifts, I went with the same feel. Most of our gifts are for the kids, so I kept it simple and playful,” Rachel says. Stamped parcel paper with red labels pop under the tree to showcase the presents.

Small dining table in age corner with a brown paper, calligraphy banner hung on the wall. — The kitchen nook takes on subtle holiday charm through touches of greenery and a scroll with lyrics from a popular Christmas carol. “The bench is a thrifted item I painted gray, and I added cozy layers of pillows to it,” says Rachel.

While some of her greenery is faux, Rachel likes to include fresh greenery to bring the scent of Christmas indoors. The garland on the curtains next to the tree, for example, brings a magical smell to the space, allowing her to decorate a faux tree without the sacrifice. “I use lots of real and faux garlands throughout my home. The real garland smells amazing,” she says.

Even if the temperature doesn’t drop below 50 degrees, the Bousquet family will be nice and snug in their winter farmhouse cabin.

Side table with six small drawers and a wooden laundry sign from Etsy. — Not every space needs to scream Christmas. The star shape hints at seasonal spirit without taking over the small table.

Stained wood sliding barn door leading to the hallway. — To separate the living room from the bedroom hallway, Rachel and her husband built their own barn door. It provides privacy and adds a touch of farmhouse charm.

Christmas cabin bedroom with neutral colors and comfy pillows. — Don’t leave your bedroom out of the Christmas fun. Mini trees and festive garlands make great additions to this room, and cozy pillows are a must. “I kept it simple and added some plaid elements and a cute twinkle reindeer light above the headboard,” Rachel says.

Christmas cabin stockings has sparkly, personalized letters hanging by each one. — Rachel adds a little sparkle and glam to her Christmas cabin decor with personalized accents.

You can never virtually tour too many houses! Here’s a ‘White Christmas’ home to keep you inspired. Of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to get your daily dose of farmhouse inspiration!