Grizzly Ridge Cabins, The Old Forge, The Thatch House these names take us back to simpler places and times. As architectural gestures, they are thoughtfully composed and organized around the ease of simply living.
Romantic? Aways. Rustic, perhaps, but not “countrified.” Quaint? In its strictest sense, that means “pleasingly old-fashioned, unusual, marked by skillful design, beauty or elegance. ”Never cute, self-conscious or—brace for it!—“twee.”
We present five delightful dwellings in picture-postcard settings to call home. Consider a log cabin in Montana’s Big Sky Country; a collection of chocolate-box cottages in the Welsh countryside; a palatial private compound on the shores of Lake Tahoe; a ski chalet in Hokkaido, Japan; and a Hobbit house (this one in the “shire” of Lake Michigan).
Seeking a life simpler, slower, calmer, and less complicated? Read on.
1. The Old Forge – Wynn Estate in Incline Village, Nevada
The Sierra Nevada and Lake Tahoe are the backdrop to The Old Forge - Wynn Estate in Incline Village, Nevada. Image Credit: Miles Minno Photography.
The Old Forge – Wynn Estate is a lakefront sanctuary like no other. This five-acre refuge on Lake Tahoe’s “Billionaire’s Row” comes with 210 feet of private waterfront, a sandy beach, a deep-water pier, boat hoist, Jet Ski platform, and two mooring buoys.
Nestled in the pines, the 12,661-square-foot main residence is built from native stone and sheathed in floor-to-ceiling glass to frame the vistas of Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada.
The interior spaces meld seamlessly with the surrounding landscape. The great room has a stone-walled wet bar and a glass-balustrade stone terrace rambling the length of the home. The adjoining family room has a free-standing stone fireplace. The kitchen, with its breakfast bar, custom cabinetry, and stainless-steel appliances, offers a vast-windowed view of the woods.
The lower level is devoted to resort-grade relaxation and recreation: media and games rooms, a wine cellar, and a fitness studio.
The huge primary suite, wrapped in its curved window wall, encloses dual, spa-worthy bathrooms and walk-in closets, and has French doors opening to the terrace and a private hot tub. The guest house offers an additional 1,536 square feet of living space with three opulent bedrooms.
The estate takes half its name from former casino mogul Steve Wynn, who built the property in 1994. The current owners undertook extensive renovations.
2. Clydey Cottages in Penrallt, Pembrokeshire, Wales
This former 18th-century farm in Pembrokeshire, Wales, has been reimagined as a country resort with 10 inviting dwellings, a spa and pool complex, woodlands, and recreation grounds.
Clydey Cottages is a residential/recreational complex set on a rise overlooking woodland, hill, and vale in the beautiful Welsh county of Pembrokeshire.
Encompassing more than 16 acres, this idyllic property has been a successful and profitable hospitality business since 2003—winning many fan plaudits on Visit Wales and TripAdvisor.
Clydey’s 10 dwellings include nine original 18th-century stone barns converted into beautifully appointed one, two, and three-bedroom cottages. The 18th-century farmhouse comfortably sleeps eight in luxury, and offers a private garden with a patio and hot tub.
Amenities begin with the heated swimming pool with its sauna, spa treatment room, changing rooms, bathroom, games room, and upper-floor recreation space. Bi-fold glass doors open to a sun terrace overlooking a sizable deck for year-round barbecues or alfresco dining.
The woodland and meadows at the rear of the property house a menagerie of animals in “The Clydey Experience,” as the current operators dubbed it. Juggling, circus play, and adventures in nature abound.
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3. Grizzly Ridge Cabins in Whitefish, Montana
Grizzly Ridge Cabins in Montana’s Big Sky Country has access to all manner of outdoor recreation year-round: Alpine and cross-country skiing, hiking, horseback riding, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and four-wheeling.
Grizzly Ridge Cabins is a multi-dwelling haven on 31 private acres, just outside the Rocky Mountain ski town of Whitefish, Montana.
Within this wooded refuge are six free-standing dwellings with a total 18 bedrooms, nine full bathrooms, and three half bathrooms. The main residence, newly built, is a custom-crafted log home with 2,663 square feet of living space above a 3,200-square-foot garage/workshop.
Five charming log cabins are situated in the woods. Three are turnkey, each offering 1,090 square feet of interior space with three bedrooms and one-and-a-half baths, a living room, chef’s kitchen, and ample parking. The remaining two cabins are currently under construction. These are 1,200 square feet with three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
This private paradise is on the doorstep of world-class, four-season recreation at Whitefish Mountain Resort, Whitefish Lake, and Glacier National Park.
Related: Explore 7 Deluxe Log Homes
4. The Thatch House in Charlevoix, Michigan, United States
A Hobbit-inspired wonderland, the Thatch House in Charlevoix, Michigan, would be at home in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Shire.
This idyllic thatched cottage overlooking Lake Michigan is an escape from the ordinary. The Thatch House, built in 1918, is the first of the “Mushroom” or “Hobbit” houses designed by the visionary local builder Earl A. Young.
In 2015, the property underwent an extensive three-year restoration by its owner, Dr. Michael Seitz. With meticulous attention to detail, he recreated the seven-bedroom, seven-bathroom home and the detached guest house in the essence of Young’s storybook style.
Within the walls of the Arts and Crafts-inspired main residence are 4,000 square feet of beautifully appointed living space with heated wood floors, timber beamed ceilings, arched doors, original wood-burning fireplaces, and dormer windows to frame the views of Lake Michigan.
The crowning glory is the gently sloping natural reed roof crafted from the finest natural thatch, hand-reaped in the Netherlands, and carefully transported to the United States.
A meandering stone path through the wooded gardens leads to the guest house, a Hobbit-like hideaway with 2,000 square feet of cozy living space.
Steps away is a sandy beach on Lake Michigan. Downtown Charlevoix, with its shops and restaurants, marina, and beaches, is a leisurely stroll or bike ride.
5. Moiwa Log House in Niseko, Hokkaido, Japan
The mountain chalet gets an upgrade at Moiwa Log House, a paradise for skiers and snowboarders in Japan’s Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort.
Moiwa Log House is a brisk walk from the slopes of Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort in Hokkaido, Japan, a mere 200 meters (about 650 feet) from the lifts.
The timber-framed residence encloses two distinct wings, making it ideal as both a private ski retreat and an investment property for short-term rentals. Angled log framing supports an eave-high wall of glass, which illuminates the contemporary style of expansive interior spaces.
The principal wing has two ample bedrooms and two elegant bathrooms, while the secondary unit has a one-bedroom, one-bathroom layout with its own kitchen, suited as a guest suite or rental unit. A sizable outdoor deck invites year-round barbecues or alfresco dining during the summer months and looks out onto a picturesque stream at the rear of the property.
Separately, a free-standing, rustic log cabin adjoining the residence has potential as a guest studio, spa, or recreational space.
