apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

The lines of the house are pretty simple - I think modern furnishings would go a long long way.

A new mantle might be nice - you can probably keep the stones on the fireplace and just put a more rectilinear top on it for a nice sleek look.

If you had to, you could also whitewash the walls, but I think you could make the wood work.

Looks like a fun project!

Absolutely! Go for it. I tire of seeing cabin decor in a cabin-type house. Too predictable.

1. If you can affrod it: paint the wooden walls white; keep the floors as they are. Let go of the nautical theme. Get a light set of furniture, large comfy modern armchairs and modern light fixtures. Embrace a cooler color palette, perhaps some greys and oranges.
2. If you're on a tight budget: leave the walls as they are but avoid wooden decorations inside the house. Better mix with some steel or glass accents, in order to vary from the omnipresent wood texture. Change the covers of the furniture, go for smooth graphic lines and maybe some bright color combos, instead of the pastel flowers. Get modern multicolored shades for the existing lamps. And paint the stones of the fireplace and maybe the coffee table.

Not at home with my books, but there are lots of vacation homes in old film noirs from the 50s. Used for getaways, hideouts and such. It's often interesting to see the originals for the modern look.

Totally agree that it's all about the furniture and squaring off the rounded-wood mantel - and any other rounded wood elements that are elsewhere in the house. Can probably just nail on facades with no demolition needed. I wouldn't paint the wood walls or ceiling but rather look at it as Scandinavian design and work from there. The wood is what will give it that 2nd-home, cabin, vacation feel. You want it to be a getaway, not just another home in a different location. You can go ultra contemporary in the kitchen and bathrooms, and it will drive home the contemporary context of the rest of the house.

Keep it simple. I think I would paint the wood white or at least white wash it but you can also leave it. Another thing you could try is to paint the window frames and door frames white. I have seen this (the other way round black frames in a white setting) a few times and it really makes the windows pop - and frames the views.
I would get rid of any knick knacks on the wall and elsewhere and get modern chairs and a sofa with clean lines to contrast the busy house and fire place. Also keep the colors light, maybe add a light colored rug.

I agree with the others-ditch the nautical stuff. Would it be possible to change the fireplace surround to something more like limestone? I'd flip through some Frank Lloyd Wright Books, too. Clean lines and a nice integration with nature, which would work for you in this space. I'm not a huge fan of the knotty pine walls, but I would probably leave them alone for now and work around them.

The accessories and fireplace are what makes this look so country. Stick with minimalist furniture, reface the fireplace if possible and style it as you would a loft. But, please, leave the wood. It's too pretty to deface.

I really like the stones around the fireplace and I see it totally working with the modern decor. I agree with everyone else that you need a new mantle though. I think that with the right furniture and disappearance of the nautical theme you could go a long way with this place. Have fun!

Two sources to check for inspiration:

http://www.remodelista.com/

They have lots of wonderful cabins, and rustic holiday homes with a gorgeous modern aesthetic.

Another site is:

http://www.canadianhouseandhome.com/

Every July they have a wonderful cottage issue, and have had great ones in the past. Unfortunately, you can only access online content with a subscription (I am not sure how to get access to older issues online).

Unless you love it, I'd cover the knotty pine paneling with drywall. The pine is very yellow, and looks very cabiny. If you love, it, I'd agree to think of it as a Scandinavian starting point, and use modern Scandinavian colors, lines, and details to offset the hard-to-escape cabin feel. Simplicity. No "country" details like the rag rug.

If you drywall, the stone fireplace might be less rustic looking. If you keep the wood AND the fireplace, then it seems to me going contemporary with furnishings is kind of pointless. It's goning to look like a cabin no matter what you include.

You could even paint the wood a light colour and go for a 'Swedish' style decor. The chintz has to go. Hope you enjoy your lakeside home.

Me and my wife own log home in michigan and we are stuggling with the same thing (trying to modernize.) After a year and a half we have come to the conclusion that we have the opportunity to live in a completely different type of home and we are going to embrace that rather than try and change the whole thing. Slight changes are ok but don't go crazy. At the end of the day it's still a log home.

Here are some AT links that might help - I like the first one the most, I think.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/small-cool-2008-southwest/southwest-8-the-white-lodge-047580

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/dc/a-modern-rustic-marriage-a-century-old-cabin-on-the-potomac-gets-a-mod-restoration-hopkins-porter-078190

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/look/look-modern-cabin-071787

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/inspiration/inspiration-the-modern-woodland-cabin-042008

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/painting-fixing-repair/saving-a-piece-of-historycottage-living-september-2008-064009

All this talk about painting over the knotty pine is getting me depressed. Please don't cover it up or change it in any way! Knotty pine is beautiful and the golden honey color that the clear coat brings out is not to be messed with.

(Had to come back and have my say on that.)

I absolutely think modern would look great. Much better than the horrible, traditional cabin decor. Like others that have mentioned it, the first think I thought of was Scandinavian design. Don't be too quick to paint the wood.

First of all, I would start out by NOT buying a second home. There are so many people out there right now that need FIRST homes and you are leaving a HUGE carbon footprint by having two homes. It's not a necessity.

I'm thinking scandinavian chic. Simple and airy.

And PLEASE don't paint the pine.

If you must paint, paint the window frames white. I think the place has good enough bones to go with any decor, so once you update the mantel top into something simple and modern, modernize your kitchen and bathrooms, and get new furnitures you will be good to go.

Do NOT, I repeat, Do NOT paint the wooden walls. It will ruin them.

Contemporary in a cabin? Going Swedish was a good suggestion. Rustic minimal might also work... Keeping simplicity is the key I think. As well as working with a neutral heavy color base with a monotone accent scheme. Embrace the heaviness and organic nature of the wood and compliment it with clean lines and light textures. Too many colors and too much frill will make it feel outdated.

Also, I hint to stick with lighter colors. Wood is a very warm and actually dark material (even lighter varieties) simply because of what it is. Light decor will allow more light reflection and brighten the space (aka make it bigger) which is often an issue in log cabins. They can feel very cramped and confining because of the visual weight of the logs.

P.S. I love traditional cabin decor... has/does anyone reading this post actually lived in a log cabin? (sorry for the awful syntax) It is really cozy to be in a cabin with pendleton blankets on the sofa, boots by the front door, and some antlers from a buddy hanging above the fireplace. If it's done well, it can be very cozy and, dare I say, even hip.

P.P.S. JamiB... relax... Owning property is a very good investment, it's my mother's real estate savvy that is going to ensure a safe retirement for her, so please don't attack Alison for making the same kind of investment? I think cars and plastic bags are a bit more pressing of an issue if you want to talk eco-politics. And Alison buying a second home is more likely giving someone the cash who needs it now than robbing someone else of their first home.

Had to comment...

I see this and I think "Sunset Magazine" from the 50s and 60s. If you can get your hands on some old Sunsets or the classic Armstrong Inspiring Interiors book you'd see some wonderfully rustic-mod rooms that I think would provide great guidance in your new awesome space. I completely agree that those walls should NOT be painted. You'd lose so much natural character by doing that. I think some leggy furniture, mid-century teak or black iron, would be a great counterpoint to those warm log walls.