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Cabins convey a sense of informality that encourages cabin owners to express their true personality. A sure sign people feel comfortably at home in their cabin is christening it. It’s an impulse cabins share with motor vehicle vanity license plates, only with the ability to use more letters and no need to omit vowels or use numbers to substitute for syllables, a la “GR842.”
Cabin owners choose more heartfelt monikers. Cleverness counts, but sentiment seems to matter more. We dubbed our weekend place “Ollie’s Folly” because it reflects our willingness to indulge our dog Oliver, just so he’ll have a place to run free in the woods and jump in the lake without having to worry about the county dogcatcher. The cabin next to ours is “Reel Happiness” because its owners spend their time there fishing.
These two names illustrate two principles of cabin titles: acknowledging that a second home is an indulgence and announcing a pastime associated with the place. Here are other prevalent categories and examples.
Location
Focus on geographical features, trees, wildlife: Bear with Us, Mountain Magic, Twin Pines, Northern Comfort, Lakeside Lodge.
Interests
Choose a name based on your favorite cabin activities, like Take a Hike, What’s Up Dock, and Angler’s Perch.
Descriptive
Perhaps add a touch of irony: End of the Rainbow, Casa Costalotta, Last Hurrah, Vacation Villa.
Associated lifestyle
What does cabin life mean to you? Great Escape, Hammock Haven, Still Dreamin’, Journey’s End, Camp Run-a-Muk.
Rhyming
These names feature both alliteration and internal rhyme: Cooks’ Cabin, Country Comfort, Bakers’ Acres, Memory Maker.
Some cabins simply display their owners’ name but embellish the sign with a caricature that either plays on the name, the location or some woodland symbol, typically a cartoon bear.
The best way to choose a name that’s all yours is to brainstorm with family and friends for words that fit you and your cabin. Hint: Wait until you move in before you start looking for inspiration.
Once you choose a name, where do you display it? Some folks carve it into the mantel, especially if it’s log. Others choose an overhead beam, perhaps the base of a truss. Most just plunk a sign down outside. Wherever it goes, the sign typically will be made of wood, preferably hand-carved.
Plenty of companies make such signs. You might even locate a local woodworker who’ll do a bang-up job. This way has the advantage of being able to see what you’ll be getting rather than looking at a sample on a website; plus, you’ll save on shipping. Better yet, make your sign truly rustic by carving it yourself.
By the way, names aren’t restricted to cabins. Many full-grown, full-time log homes also have names, which fall into roughly the same categories as cabins but may sound more profound.
After you’ve decided what to call your cabin, check out these websites that make and sell cabin signs:
The Camp & Cottage Store
207-944-3536, campandcottagestore.com
Beaver Cut Products
651-683-9420, beavercutproducts.com
Sierra Sign Carving
559-683-0301, fairsigns.com
LCI Signs and Ironworks
303-838-2326, lazerconcepts.com
Art Sign Works
951-698-8484, artsignworks.com
Custom Carved Signs
715-237-2169, cedarsignsonline.com
Wood Signs of Gatlinburg
866-436-9640, woodsignsofgatlinburg.com
