Kate’s rural cottage is ready for the holidays.

Quaint shutters painted robin’s egg blue and classic wreaths make a pretty first impression. New cedar dormers enhance the exterior appeal, as well.

Quintessential ski lodge style envelops guests in comfort.

This room is replete with patriotic design nods and pops of colour, like the cosy maple leaf-patterned rug. Ottomans covered in classic Hudson’s Bay Company stripes are used as seating, storage and a perch for drinks. Designer and homeowner Kate Thornley-Hall discovered the pillows, made out of old swatches of linen showing hunting and skiing scenes, at the nearby Bayfield Antique Fair.

Find more inspiration in our photo galleries of Cosy Winter Cabins and Kate Thornley-Hall’s Holiday Cabin.

A softly lit seasonal display.

“I love playing with lighting,” says Kate. Her deer sconce (which matches a chandelier over the dining room table) offers sparkle. Bits of glitter mixed into simple holiday greenery look great well into the new year.

Ample counterspace makes this small space user-friendly.

This kitchen was renovated in a traditional rustic log-cabin style in keeping with the home’s age. The cabinets were treated to a weathered patina in a custom grey colour that plays up the dark Italian marble counter — one of designer Kate Thornley-Hall’s favourites. “It looks beautiful, like the beach on Georgian Bay,” she says.

Find more inspiration in our photo galleries of Cosy Winter Cabins and Kate Thornley-Hall’s Holiday Cabin.

Update a rustic dining space with a few glam antiques.

This log cabin has been the site of many boisterous Christmas gatherings. A casual mix-and-match table setting is adorned with a simple potted evergreen and a few scattered boughs, and illuminated with playful antler candleholders. An antique Nova Scotia table and Windsor chairs offer a sturdy complement to the exposed wooden beams and log walls, while a 1920s French chandelier and stunning silver disc light add a surprising hit of sparkle.

Find more inspiration in our photo galleries of Cosy Winter Cabins, Kate Thornley-Hall’s Holiday Cabin and Christmas Decorating Ideas.

Kate staves off winter chills with hot, delicious treats.

Soup with fresh cheese or hot cocoa are always welcoming and homey on chilly winter days. Kate likes to keep it old school by preparing it on the stovetop. (She has a no-microwave policy at the cabin.)

French wallpaper elevates this country space.

A variety of patterns in this bedroom make a bold statement: the bird-motif wallpaper and Source UK’s Pom Pom rug, based on Japanese shibori, a tie-dye technique. The teeny bedside table is both charming and useful in this tight space.

Pretty, feminine touches mix with raw, rustic details.

New French wallpaper is juxtaposed against the original log wall of the principal bedroom, creating a panelled effect. Kate found the chest of drawers at an antique shop; the lamp “was once a dirty old dust-covered thing.”

A perfectly pretty room.

“The tradespeople were killing themselves laughing when I showed them this Ralph Lauren wallpaper,” says designer Kate Thornley-Hall. “‘That’s something my aunt had in her basement in the ’60s!’” Yet, she was absolutely certain it fit the provenance and look she was after in her daughters’ bedroom: quaintly vintage feminine.

See more of Kate Thornley-Hall’s Holiday Cabin in our photo gallery.

Heated floor tiles keep feet toasty.

The painted cabinets in the bathroom reference the chalet’s robin’s egg blue shutters, while a bit of greenery amps up the festive feeling. A patterned rug, which is more substantial than an average bathmat, lends elegance to the space.

See more of Kate Thornley-Hall’s Holiday Cabin in our photo gallery.