Trade Secrets: How to Get the Cabin Couture Look

Designed by Tanya Peters and Renee Struthers, Ola Hiraeth Interior Design, Winnipeg

When you think “cabin,” a dark coziness often comes to mind. But this new build on the site of a 1930s cabin in Ontario by Winnipeg’s Ola Hiraeth Interior Design and architect John Duerksen is quite the opposite: white-washed cedar tongue-and-groove boards line the ceiling, which is angled to maximize light reflection through the space. “A drywall finish would’ve made the angles seem too stark,” says Tanya Peters, co-principal of Ola Hiraeth. “With the wood cladding, it’s intimate and cabin-like.” Finishing touches like a custom table (designed by the Ola Hiraeth team but built by Winnipeg’s Boreal Woodwork) and a cozy dining banquette upholstered in rugged, rust-coloured leather from Top Stitch Upholstery bring further warmth to the light-filled room—the perfect space for “long lingering meals and summer art projects alike,” says Peters.