This Lakeside Cabin Is a Great Escape

When Ben and Abby Leber first laid eyes on this lakeside cabin in Buffalo, Minnesota, they weren’t sold. “It was dark and creepy, and when we went inside, it smelled terrible,” says Abby. But neither of them could stop thinking about the possibilities. A week later, they made an offer. “I think most buyers walked in and walked right out, but we fell in love with what we knew it could be.”

The 1,450-square-foot home, built in 1960, sits on a wooded acre on Maple Lake, about an hour from the family’s primary residence in Edina, Minnesota. “It’s the perfect getaway for our hectic schedules,” she says. (Ben is a former NFL player who now does radio and TV, and Abby is a stay-at-home mom to their three kids.) The couple tapped local designer Carrie Ellington to help them transform the cabin while preserving some of its kitschy charm. “We call it The Lucky Little Cabin because we feel like we brought it back to life,” she says. “And we feel so lucky we took the chance on it!”

The original wood siding gives the house the look of a log cabin. New windows, a black metal roof and Dutch door (painted Hannah Banana by Benjamin Moore) were added. That giant moose head came with the house!

“One of the reasons we fell in love with the cabin was this wood-burning stove,” says Abby. She gave it a fresh coat of paint (Rust-Oleum High Heat Ultra in Black) and created a seating area around it with bouclé chairs and a coffee table from West Elm. Abby found the cheeky zebra-print rug and disco ball on Amazon. “Ben and I like to have cocktails here while the kids play games or watch TV."

Abby went big with all the light fixtures. This one, from Arteriors, adds a formal touch to the eating area. The concrete top on the CB2 dining table ties in with the stone elements in the living room and family room. Abby found the yellow wicker dining chairs on Amazon — they inspired the pops of yellow throughout the house. The teal blanket is from Loll Designs.

The Lebers kept the footprint of the cabin but knocked down a few walls to open up the kitchen. They went with dark cabinets (Off-Black by Farrow & Ball), but lightened things up with marble countertops, white subway tile from Lowe’s and a gray-ish pink island (Peignoir by Farrow & Ball). The scalloped pendant lights are from World Market, and the barstools are from CB2.

Abby picked furniture that the kids and dogs could lie on without stressing her out, like this West Elm sectional in a forgiving linen weave. “It’s a weekend cabin — I didn’t want to tell my kids they couldn’t sit on the couch,” she says. “Though I do prefer they dry themselves off from the lake first!” The antler sconces are from CB2, and the ottoman is from Crate & Kids.

None of the beds in the cabin have headboards, which helps make the small rooms feel larger. In this room, layered quilts from Target on a Pottery Barn bed create a cozy retreat for Abby and Ben. The textured wool rug is from Lulu and Georgia, and the woven chandelier is from Anthropologie: “I saw it in a magazine and loved it!” says Abby.

“The original bathroom was so dark and gloomy, I had to go in the other direction,” says Abby of the bold floral wallpaper from Anthropologie. The sconces above the mirrors are from Sazerac Stitches.

As the oldest child and the only girl, Ames got her own bedroom. Abby brought the straw hats back from a trip to the Bahamas and hung them up as wall art. She painted the trim around the windows a pretty pink (Calamine by Farrow & Ball) and chose shades from Lafayette Interior Fashions. The nightstand is from West Elm.

The family does a lot of boating, fishing and paddleboarding, so this drop zone is essential. The bench was custom built to fit in the little nook, with drawers for towels and sunscreen. The pillow and rug are from Target, and the pendant light is from Anthropologie.