An old college friend of mine moved last week from the relatively sunny, mild west coast back to the east coast...only to be greeted by a rather intense snow storm that appears to still be going on. As he and his girlfriend rolled up to their new home (pictured here), they were faced with the daunting (and chilling, har har) task of moving in. Wanting their home to seem more inviting rather than "serial killer living in the woods", we've been pulling together some really cozy-looking cottages for decor inspiration. Take a look...

I love these photos from Lisa's blog, Aesthetically Pleasing:
By the look of how dark the wood has weathered on the outside, it seems whitewashing the wood paneling inside might make rooms look brighter. It looks really nice in this photo, especially with the slanted ceiling.

This is a much more whimsical approach to a bedroom (and doubtful that my friend would go for it), but I think it's a pretty interesting alternative to say, a traditional bedside lamp. Perhaps it's more fitting for a kid's room (the canopy has that tent vibe with the mismatched sheets)...?

Of course, the ultimate cozy winter cabin has to be from The Holiday, although I think for my friends, it's a bit too feminine. But perhaps with a little adjusting (i.e., more stripes than florals, perhaps more boxy furniture, and even tweaking the color palette a bit), this could be a nice starting off point:

Got any suggestions or ideas for my snowed-in pals? Share it with us in the comments!

(Images: The Holiday set photos from Outnow.ch, Aesthetically Pleasing</a>)