Mountaineer's Cabin

There's something very appealing to me about the idea of a cabin in the woods. I think it's a combination of being out in the wilderness and that feeling of warmth and safety that good, cosy cabin should provide.

This creation tries to capture a sense of mountain adventure and simple home life.  The two mountaineers live happily with their dog in this remote dwelling.  Day-to-day chores like collecting wood for the fire and preparing meals mix with a few fun elements too. Just out the back, a bear is hibernating in its cave.  Out the front, the pair have made a snowman.

I wanted to make a set that looked good, but that was also very playable. So the whole cabin splits open on a hinge which allows easy access to the interior. I’ve always loved sets that hinge open rather than rooves that lift off because you get to see and play the inside much more easily.

My favourite sets also have lots of little details and things can easily become part of a story. So I added the bear to create opportunities for drama and action. How these two mountaineers didn’t know there was a bear sleeping so close to their cabin, I will never understand.

On the interior, there are little zones that you might find in any house.  First there’s a kitchen area with a sink and a handsome red oven and cooktop. A home office has a desk and chair set up to capture some great views of the outdoors. The lounge area is set around a roaring fire and features some patched-up sofas and an old fashioned record player. There’s also a bedroom built on a loft that makes the most of the high ceilings and features some cute little windows in the front façade.

Outside, there’s lots of space for play. An outhouse with totally inadequate doors and resident spider completes the necessities for these two hardy characters. An outdoor bathtub sits beside the outhouse and makes me cold just thinking about  it.

This set is designed to be stir the imagination and inspire your own mountain adventures!