When it comes to decorating a hunting lodge, whether it’s for your family or for paying guests, there are a few different ways you can go about it depending on your personal tastes.
In the past, most hunting lodges have been decorated in a very traditional fashion, but modern hunting lodge decor has become a lot more popular over the last few years, simply due to changing tastes and aesthetics.
If you prefer a more modern approach to interior design, then stick with us as we share our five top tips on how to create modern hunting lodge decor.
Modern Hunting Lodge Decor vs Traditional
Like everyone else, I grew up surrounded by more traditional hunting lodge decor, which works well because of the atmosphere and sense of heritage it conjures in the space. It was only in the last decade or so that I realized that there was another option. And as it turned out, I actually prefer this modern rustic approach, especially when it comes to decorating certain rooms in a home.
The problem with modern hunting lodge decor is that it’s more difficult to design and decorate with the same air of sophistication and elegance that traditional decor exudes. But don’t worry about that because we’re here to help!
Here are our five top tips for designing your modern hunting lodge.
5 top tips for designing a modern hunting lodge
In order to create the right atmosphere in your hunting lodge, you want to aim for a luxurious look that exudes character, elegance and, let’s face it, money. We understand not everyone has million dollar budgets to work with, but just a few statement pieces teamed with some thoughtful hunting-themed details will achieve more than you think.
Your hunting lodge design, modern or not, also needs to provide comfort and warmth so, in our opinion at least, you should never sacrifice comfort for style.
We sell the accessories you’ll need right here, in our shop, but for larger pieces, we’ll refer you to trusted partners that can help.
1. Less is more
As a general rule, modern decor tends to be more minimal than traditional decor. But opting for a more minimal look doesn’t mean that everything has to be plain and boring, with no hint of a personality.
A more minimal look can be achieved simply by reducing clutter. Rather than hoarding a collection of deer ornaments you’ve found over the years and displaying them in a glass-fronted cabinet, choose one or two statement pieces and display them on a side table, cabinet, or desk.
Introduce more storage so you can neatly hide away any items that you don’t need or want on display. If something doesn’t directly contribute to the visual appeal of the room, think about how it can be hidden from sight but remain easily accessible.
Couches with center councils and built-in arm storage spring to mind, as do coffee tables with drawers and/or lower shelving.
2. Use neutral colors
Traditional hunting lodge interiors are adorned with red, green, and wood. Lots of wood. Opting for a more modern approach to your decor doesn’t mean that you can’t have those colors and features, just that you’ll want to introduce them a little more sparingly.
Neutral colors always manage to look modern, mainly because they literally never go out of fashion. They’re just too inoffensive to be subject to the same kind of popularity contest that other colors are.
Neutral colors have a way of making any room look and feel more calming and chic and they also go with everything. By sticking to a neutral base for all your furniture and hardware, you can instantly update your entire look by simply swapping out some of your accessories.
Rather than choosing that classic red or green leather couch, we’d recommend sticking to a neutral color for the couch and then accenting it with colored pillows, blankets, and throws.
Neutral colors include any shade of black, white, gray, tan, and brown.
3. Incorporate natural materials
As well as neutral colors, you should be aiming to feature more raw and natural materials in your home decor. Introducing features made from wood, concrete, and stone, will help you create more of a rustic, organic feel to a space.
You can use brick as a backdrop or a focal point and wooden furniture can add so much character. Untreated, raw wood will amp up the rustic hunting lodge appeal and if you can do it sustainably then you get double points because recycled and reclaimed wood never looked so good.
4. Masculine furniture
One hunting cabin interior design trend that hasn’t changed over the years is the presence of masculine furniture in this space, which is generally large, functional, comfortable, and sexy, all at once.
Imposing armchairs and leather couches will look as good in a modern hunting lodge as they do in a more traditionally designed one. Just remember to stick to neutral colors and think about playing with different shades to add more depth.
Oversized desks are also incredibly masculine, but in a modern hunting lodge, the space would be better served by a large games table.
5. Luxury textiles
Textiles will play a key role in injecting luxury, character, and warmth into your modern hunting lodge interior design. Again, choosing materials that speak to nature will help bring the magic of nature into your lodge or home.
Leather, fur, and hides will all add a touch of luxury to your hunting lodge bedroom, but they’ll also work elsewhere, including the kitchen, diner, and living room, whether you prefer a more subtle brown cow print or a more vibrant zebra print.
And don’t be shy about incorporating faux fur, shag, and animal prints. It doesn’t all have to be the real deal to create the right look and ambience.
A modern hunting lodge for a modern customer
Now you know the five main ways to create a modern hunting lodge interior that your modern customers will love. If you want to know more about general interior design trends for 2023, then we have another blog discussing the top ten trends that will work best in a hunting-themed space.
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Thanks for reading 🙂
