What's your dream home? A beach cabana, sprawling farmhouse, historical brownstone? Our pal Erin, who writes at Faith Food Family Fun, recently fulfilled her lifelong dream of living in a log cabin.
Log Cabin Love
After 15 years in a city ranch house, Erin was ready to find a country home with some land. She and her husband came across into an 1800s hewn cabin, nestled in the North Carolina woods and knew it was their perfect match.
In the 1980s the house was disassembled and moved to a new location. Lucky for Erin and her husband, it has an updated design, but materials that are 100+ years old. The owners kept the original wood burning stove and claw foot tub which certainly add to the charm.
How to Brighten up a Dark, Wood Cabin
Erin and her husband have been working to make the home their own while preserving the historical look and feel of the home. One challenge was bringing a little more light into the cozy, wood filled home.
Erin's bathroom before.
Erin Says:
If I had to think of a “negative," it would be the lack of super bright light. There are plenty of windows, I just think it feels this way because of how the wood reflects the light. It’s naturally gorgeous but if you’re trying to put on makeup or find a lash in your eye, well, you better go outside for that (and don’t forget a mirror!).
Erin worked hard to remedy this without painting over the antique woodwork. She shared 7 tips to brighten any space and the biggest change was finding window shades that bounce natural light around the rooms. With help from her Blinds.com Designer, Erin landed on Blinds.com Light Filtering Sheer Shades in Ivory.
The tiltable fabric shades give her bathroom and kitchen door much needed privacy while letting in lots of light.
Erin Says:
The sheer shades on the front door and in the bath are made with soft translucent fabric vanes that are suspended between two sheer layers of fabric. This gives a glowing appearance while softly diffusing the light.
How to Install Sheer Shades in a 100-Year-Old Home
Erin Says:
I couldn’t believe how EASY these were to install! You literally screw in 2 brackets, snap the sheer blinds into place, and you’re practically done!
A light filtering fabric that bounces light around the room was the perfect solution for Erin's dimly lit cabin.
Erin Says:
What I really love about the light filtering sheer shades (other than, oh you know, everything) is the continuous cord loop lift system. If I want to make the room completely private, I simply pull on the cord until they are lowered and in the “closed” position. If I want to diffuse the light illuminating the room, I pull on the nylon cord just enough to open the shades (similar to the way traditional mini blinds work). When the sheer shades are in the up position, they are completely hidden behind the matching fabric insert cassette located at the top of the window.
Erin Says:
There is absolutely NO way I can portray in photographs or words how much difference these have made to our home. It’s so cozy and comfortable and at the same time, it doesn’t feel forced. As a matter of fact, some of the wood in our home is well over 200 years old and somehow the sheer shades blend right in.
Read More!
Head over to Faith Food Family Fun for 6 other tips to brighten a room, and see more of Erin's window reveal!
Get this look with Blinds.com Light Filtering Sheer Shades in Ivory.
