Autumn/Winter Home Ideas: Mountain Lodge Style Made Easy
Mountain lodge style is a staple of autumn/winter home inspiration. I’m a complete devotee of this inviting mountain-ready look, whatever the altitude of my real-life townhouse.
Best of all, it works whatever your commitment level. Drape an Aspen-inspired winter throw over your settee to add a hint of mountain style – and of course, it’s within reach when the evenings get cold.
The thing is, you want to stay well within the range of convincing everyday home style. You’ll need a stealthy dose of theming, if you want this look to work from early autumn to the last days of ski season.
Unless you’re out to craft yourself a winter wonderland… but we’ll get to that another time.
Three Chalet Looks Made Easy
If you get it just right, you can craft a convincing Alpine retreat that’s a natural fit for you home. Move the boundaries a little bit this way or that, and you can capture chalet style from a totally different angle without jarring with your usual style.
There are a hundred ways to do it, but I’ve whittled it down to three log cabin-ready looks:
Rustic Mountain Lodge Style
In the tradition of Ralph Lauren’s Colorado ranch, this mountain lodge home style is all about rough edges and the great outdoors.
Vintage Ski Resort Look
You can update mid-20th Century spaces with this ski resort look that’s totally on brand for your home, however far you want to take the whimsical side.
Chic Alpine Home Style
Gather together natural tones and subtler prints for an understated finish that’s more luxury mountain hotel than rugged Aspen lodge.
Let’s start at the top, with the timeless warmth of a rustic mountain lodge. Can you hear the crackling log fire? Or tealight – because you can make this wintry home style work in almost any space.
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A Rustic Mountain Lodge Home Style Icon
Ralph Lauren’s Double RL Ranch in Colorado is leading the way in the mountain lodge inspiration category, becoming something of a legend in its field. It’s the kind of place Ron Swanson would feel totally at home, but I mean that in a good way.
Here’s the takeaway from Ralph Lauren’s mountain lodge style:
- Chunky, rustic wooden furniture
- Darker metals like brass and cast iron
- Layered textiles, rugs over rugs
- Rich reds, natural wood and earth tones
Colorado tribal textiles and artisan crafts are a big part of the Double RL Ranch’s story. But bold tartans make an appearance too.
For obvious reasons, tartan is a fitting textile to borrow from Ralph Lauren’s mountain home style when you live in the UK.
Tartan: A Mountain Lodge Textile with Integrity
Tartan has been warming skiers and winter dreamers from Aviemore to Chamonix for years, and it never really goes away. It’s the go-to blanket.
And of course, it makes sense to emphasise our own local textiles. Let’s look to Scotland for this one.
Tartan Blankets: An Autumn/Winter Must-Have
You really can’t go wrong with tartan blankets. Go all-in with a 100% wool investment or add some affordable soft furnishing accessories. If you can source a blanket locally, take the chance.
Manufacturers like Lochcarron of Scotland have been whipping up Scottish tartan blankets for decades.
You can choose a family tartan if you have one. Otherwise, certain clan tartans are popular the world over, so don’t feel awkward about picking a ‘real’ tartan for a home trend.
How is tartan made? I’m glad you asked. There’s a virtual tartan mill tour if you want to see how your new blanket came into being. I’m an infamous ‘how it works’ nerd, so I’m not ashamed to say I enjoyed this sneak peek!
The only downside of traditional quality is the higher price. But then, I currently own a pure wool tartan blanket that’s older than I am, and still as fluffy as ever.
No guarantees, but the potential for long-lasting cosiness is certainly there!
Gorgeous Autumn/Winter Home Style on a Budget
Sometimes you’re not looking for a big commitment – I get it.
I’ve found some fabulous rustic autumn/winter home ideas on a budget that offer up the look without compromising on style.
Red tartan with a cream stripe can hardly go wrong. M&Co.’s Ewan cushion and bedding set lightens it up with plenty of pales that will see you through the year. Add a warm throw with plenty of texture to give your room an unmistakably cosy mountain lodge style finish, so your bedding does more than just look the part.
Catherine Lansfield Kelso curtains have the mountain lodge bedroom look spot-on. You can easily picture them against log cabin walls, with a pine bed below and the snowy mountains rolling into the distance.
They’re cheap and cheerful, so don’t expect a heavy weight – but sometimes that’s all you need. So they could be ideal if you’ve got a limited budget or you want an affordable swap-in for winter.
You get the ladder, I’ll hold the rail.
Animal-Friendly Antlers with a Natural Feel: Hear Us Out…
We’re staying with Scottish home inspiration on this too. I’m talking about animal-friendly antler prints.
I love the proximity to real nature that you get when you stay at a mountain retreat. Celebrating the amazing wildlife you can stumble across in Alpine landscapes or the Highlands is part of the magic.
This is news to nobody, of course.
But there’s a fine line between Christmas reindeer prints and autumn/winter deer patterns. If you’re happy with an all-out festive look then go right ahead. To set a rustic tone that will see you through from October to February, choose carefully.
The Catherine Lansfield Easy Care Stag duvet set walks right down the centre of the line. A realistic stag print gives it a definite lodge style, with a deep berry-red tartan reverse completing the look.
Red sheets and pillowcases will underscore the bolder tones nicely. You can add the warmth of a rich colour, even if you’ve got a smaller room and don’t want a large expanse of berry red taking over the room.
This autumn/winter bedding set is made from a lighter, easy to wash polycotton that works fine as a swap-in.
Brushed cotton can feel cosier, so take a moment to weigh up texture versus super simple laundry care. Not that brushed cotton is much hassle, but you might want to research the best ways to keep that fluffy texture at its finest.
If your house is full of visitors over the holidays then we recommend thinking closely about washing and drying when you buy. As well as considering what’ll keep your visitors comfortable, of course.
But of course, the best home style is one that fits your home and personality. Deep colours are a huge part of the look, but they’re also firmly in the natural range with berry reds and woodsy browns. With a light push towards the Highlands, you can pick up bracken tones that make a subtler impact.
Sainsbury’s Home’s Highland Lodge Living collection takes the rustic look in a decidedly British direction, and it works so well. Here’s why:
- Smudgy woodland tones, just right for any self-respecting Highland lodge
- Realistic antler designs as opposed to jolly, holly reindeer
- That all-important hint of tartan
Rustic Brass Lighting for the Finishing Touch
A cosy atmosphere is all-important to rustic mountain lodge home style.
Now, so far we’ve been looking at easily changed home accessories and textiles. But if you get it just right, the right lighting can bridge the gap between rustic lodge and modern living without stumbling into heavily themed territory.
And a brass chandelier will transition well through the seasons. Even when you swap out deeper colours for breezier summer designs, it can give you a year-round hint of rustic home style.
The thing is, rustic style can be complicated when it comes to lighting. It’s easy to wander off the path when you’re in antique look territory, and end up in ‘dated classic’ territory instead.
For absolutely faultless brass lighting, it’s all in the detail.
Look for an antique influence that’s been well-curated. Brighten your mountain lodge scheme with a a hint of rustic and styling that’s elegant enough to fit into so many rooms without looking too staged.
A hint of industrial styling can strike the right note here. A brass ceiling pendant like this could be the answer if you want to avoid the extra detailing that often comes with a chandelier.
You don’t have to go all-out with electric lighting though. Clever candle-holders can do the job too. And of course, it’s the perfect time of year to cosy up by candlelight.
However you style it, the great thing about rustic style is that, you can keep the rough edges and bring things as upscale as you like.