Tour Chip Wade's Next-Level Rustic Wood Cabin

Although designer Chip Wade has done more than 2,000 renovations, he’d never tackled a log cabin before buying this one in Milledgeville, Georgia, with his wife, Pauli. “I am not one to shy away from a challenge, but I did have some things to learn about log walls!” says Chip. The 2,300-square-foot house, built in 1988, needed updating; Chip replaced the roof, flooring, windows and doors, doing most of the labor himself, with help from his dad. And then, he rethought rustic. Instead of going all-out wood-tastic, he stained the exterior logs charcoal gray. Inside, he contrasted rough-hewn cabin elements with color and pattern. The couple named their place Misty Mill, after Pauli’s grandmother’s house in the town of Misty Mountain in North Carolina (“Mill” is short for Milledgeville). “The overall feel is a little whimsical and a little ’50s sleepaway camp,” says Chip. What better combo for a lakeside family getaway?

The original western hemlock logs that make up the house vary in size — some are more than 40 continuous feet long! With sanding and staining, they look as good as new.

Fireplaces surrounded by stone can sometimes look dark and heavy. This hex tile by Daltile has the opposite effect — and it adds a fun pattern.

The wall is the star here. Before, the chinking — the material that fills the gaps between the logs — was light brown. Redoing it in white created a crisp contrast. A console from Wayfair hides extra seating (by Arhaus) in plain sight. Chip’s sister Dena made the art.