Home away from home: Cedar Cabin is an architecturally-designed escape in Thredbo

After a tough few months, it’s never been more important to stay local for an escape from the city. Lucky for Canberrans and Sydneysiders, Thredbo is an easy visit, with sweeping views as you climb the Snowy Mountains into town.

The Cedar Cabin by the Eastern Thredbo Village is the best kind of home away from home.

Architecturally designed and recently nominated in the Australian Interior Design Awards, it’s the perfect place to switch off your phone and focus on relaxing.

Everything has been thought of including underfloor heating, coffee beans from Coffee Supreme with a Gaggia espresso machine, complimentary Aesop toiletries, and linen from IN BED.

The cabin was first designed in the 1980s by Robin Dyke of DJRD Architects with the simple brief of “caravans in the snow”, while also taking inspiration from the Modernist Sea Ranch by Charles Moore on the Californian Coast.

Today, owner and interior designer of Cedar Cabin Monique Easton continues to be a champion of good design, reflecting on the contemporary mix of 1990s glamping cabins and the original mid-century-inspired architecture of Thredbo.

“The cedar cladding of the exteriors age and shift in colour based on exposure to weather, mirroring the colours in the surrounding trees,” says Easton. “The way the cabins become part of the landscape … was an approach I wanted to build upon, rather than compete with.”

Easton and her husband fell in love with the cabin in 2017 after seeing its hero views of the river and ski runs. And the design invites the exterior in with a muted and brooding colour palette that’s mirrored in the textures and materiality.

“I took aesthetic cues from items normally used when exploring the outdoors – a growler and camp stool from Filson, rimmed camp enamelware for the kitchen and referencing equipment like a camping tarp for the removable window coverings and shower curtain.”

Alongside furniture and objects by HAY, Menu x Norm Architects, the cabin features custom-designed furniture from Sydney-based designer Nicholas Gurney. “His strength lies in intelligent, multifunctional use of small spaces and I thought it would be a perfect match for my project,” says Easton.

For Gurney, it was the perfect project. “It was always going to be a project that was right for me because it has so many constraints,” says the designer. With construction only permitted in summer, Gurney relied on Easton’s photography of Thredbo.

“I knew I wanted the project to be outdoorsy and androgynous, but I also wanted to leave space for Nick to be able to bring his own ideas … So, I shot the cabin and surrounding area after a blizzard to share the beauty of being there in person,” says Easton.

Adopting dark and moody blacks with green and timber tones; the Japanese Onsen bath for two is the best example of the union between exterior and interior. Using dark, green Japanese Yohen Border tiles from Artedomus, the tub complements the river outside.

And throughout, the black charred-wood finish ensures continuity between all of the elements.

Following the project’s completion, Gurney and Easton got the final seal of approval – an email from Robin Dyke, congratulating them.

While in Thredbo

Design & Detail

To bring some alpine cosiness home with you, head to Design & Detail in Jindabyne for mountain-style homewares and clothes. They even stock a great collection of antlers!

Wildbrumby Distillery

Just 15 minutes from Jindabyne, you’ll find Wildbrumby Distillery halfway up the Alpine Way serving up home-brewed schnapps with veal schnitzel burgers and Austrian apple strudel.

Three Huts Guided Electric Bike Tour

Not just for the skiers and snowboarders, the Snowies can be explored by e-bike with Lake Crackenback Resort in warmer months. The Three Huts tour includes gourmet snacks and lunch.

Eagles Nest

At the top of Kosciuszko Express lift in Thredbo, the mid-century-inspired Eagles Nest offers 270-degree views of the mountain for an epic all-year-round drinking spot.