Painting a wall, ceiling or even the exterior of your house black is definitely a bold choice. But designers’ love affair with black-stained pine is showing no signs of stopping. In fact, they’re just getting more and more creative, leading to projects like this stark modern lakefront cabin.
With “3-Square House,” Studio Puisto Architects demonstrates one way in which cabins are evolving to remain in step with the modern world. The focus, as you’d expect from a cabin, remains on its connection to its natural surroundings. There’s plenty of glass to look out onto the lake, and take in the changing colors of the leaves on the trees outside. Thankfully, there’s also plenty of wood to be found, which might just be the second most important factor when it comes to designing a great cabin.
The architects went with a variety of species to give the interiors a well-edited but visually interesting contemporary look, introducing different colors and patterns to surfaces like floors, built-in furniture, cabinetry, walls and ceilings. But check out the beautifully glossy black pine seen throughout, which really gives the structure its modern edge.
Thanks to the glossiness of the oil stain used to get this deep, dark result, the grain of the pine still stands out, retaining its organic sensibilities. Ultimately, the home looks pretty far from any cabins you’re probably used to seeing in the woods – especially when it comes to its angular layout and jagged roofline. But the all-important connection to nature is maintained, and the moody feel is a perfect match for the misty woods.
