This Cozy Cabin Screams Rustic Fall Charm

“More than just a pretty space” is Victoria Johnson of M. Victoria Johnson Interiors’ design motto, and it couldn’t be more present than in this lake cabin remodel.

The charming home is a cherished forest getaway for a family of four from the Twin Cities—a place where they can unwind and escape life’s hustle and bustle.

And it’s more than just pretty in every aspect. Here’s how Johnson and her team achieved a delicate balance of elevated modernity and rustic cabin charm.

Cabin Calling

The owners’ original ties to the cabin date back some 15 years ago, and the interior remained untouched over the years. Johnson knew she needed to incorporate natural design that didn’t overshadow the home’s original character.

“We were focused on achieving an organic feel that would harmonize with the existing wood elements in the space,” she says.

An Updated Footprint

To enhance the kitchen’s functionality, Johnson’s team made a few strategic layout changes. They added drawers and a pantry for more dedicated essentials storage, allowing everything to have a place to be put away.

The change that made the biggest visual impact? The removal of the more traditional (yet dated) upper cabinets—and replacing them with custom shelves—in pursuit of a more open and spacious feel. The shift “not only expanded the visual aspect of the kitchen but also made it feel less cluttered,” raves Johnson.

The final change was repositioning the range slightly to the right, allowing space for a specialty cabinet designed to house an efficient trash and recycling system.

The Perfect Hue

Johnson picked Semihandmade DIY Slab cabinet doors for their “remarkable flexibility.”

On the hunt for a just-right shade of forest green paint for the cabinets’ blank canvas, Johnson stumbled upon Magnolia Home Lemon Leaves. “It felt organic and served as a beautiful way to bring the outdoors inside,” she states.

Thanks to the green harmonizing with the existing wood elements, the new kitchen emits a tranquility that mirrors the surrounding environment.

Finalizing Style

Johnson added wooden knobs painted in the same green as the cabinets for a modern, monochrome look, honed black granite for the counters, and two 10” pendant lights that make a statement.

“The cabin now exudes a refreshing, contemporary ambiance without ever sacrificing its inviting warmth.”

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Renovation

We don’t believe that renovations should be daunting. The key is to arm yourself with the right knowledge, people, and products to achieve your goals. It also helps to ask the right questions: How much does it cost to renovate a kitchen? How do I find the right general contractor in my area? Where do I even start if I’ve never remodeled before? This is where we come in. Through hard-to-believe before and afters, first-person renovation accounts, and step-by-step DIY projects, we demystify every aspect of remodeling and give you a ton of full-house, bathroom, and kitchen renovation ideas. Semihandmade was built on a strong make-it-yourself spirit and we’re carrying that legacy beyond DIY kitchen cabinets (though we’ll certainly touch on those too) by bringing you a ton of weekend projects for novices (have you ever tried making your own planter?) and experts (try your hand at a full-wall media center). What do people really mean when they say a house has “good bones”? Before and after projects show first-hand what’s possible in a transformative remodel. How do you make the most of a narrow galley? Should you swap your upper cabinets for floating shelves? What would it look like if you opened up your small kitchen? Renovation ideas abound in our spotlighted projects. A lot goes into a kitchen renovation, but it’s usually hard to tell from a beautiful “after” shot. Our monthly series “Island Hopping” is about getting a behind-the-scenes account of what the process is like through honest conversations—you know, the kind that typically take place around a kitchen island. We’ll chat with designers, homeowners, and architects about their projects, hoping to peel back the curtain on picture-perfect spaces.

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