The cabins sit at the water's edge between rounded dunes. The landscape design is by MF Marti Franch.

Natural timber-lined interiors are in keeping with the surroundings.

Swedish architectural firm Snohetta designed this brand new treehouse hotel in Lapland near the Arctic Circle. The 7th Room, as it is called, is built to cater to visitors coming to see the Northern Lights.

The treehouse is built around the huge pine trees 10m above the ground and is intended to 'close the gap' between man and nature. Guests can lie on the netting to watch the lights.

The treehouse is built in the traditional Nordic cabin style.

This is the 175-year-old Captain's Cabin near Louisville in Kentucky, renovated by Jan Paul and Tammy Donelson. The pair have turned it into the archetypal mountain cabin, complete with rockers on the porch, a roaring fire and exposed beams.

The interior walls feature bagged timber boards, which enhance the rustic character.

Exposed trusses add to the drama of the upstairs bedroom.

Designed by Piet Hein Eek as a log house on wheels, this cabin in the Netherlands is a study for music-entertainer Hans Liberg.

When the windows are closed (as on the right), the log pattern is continuous.

As well as a desk, the musician has bench seats and cubby shelves.

These cantilevered holiday huts in Sweden were designed by Stinessen Arkitektur. The pared-back exteriors feature a mix of glass and larch wood, which will be left to weather naturally to a soft silver grey.

Natural wood features throughout the interiors, which have galley-style kitchens.

Nothing between you and the view - the architecture maximises the sun and the view.

The Hemmelig Rom, which translates in Norwegian to 'secret room' was designed by architect Brandon Padron for a client who had recently built a vacation home in Norway and wanted to add a separate, single-room library on the property.

The interior of the library cabin is, as expected, lined with bookshelves. These are made from interlocking timber beams.

Quite possibly the coolest cabin in the world, architect Tom Kundig of Olson Kundig designed Chicken Point Cabin in North Idaho for his own family.

And this is what makes it so cool - a huge 6m by 9m manually operated pivot door opens up the cabin to the great outdoors. The system can be operated by a child.

The dining table is a built-in extension of the kitchen benchtops.

A sliding barn window opens up the master bedroom to the living area, while views are maximised by a large steel window.

Calling all lovers, hikers and mountaineers - a stay in the winter cabin on Mount Kanin in Slovenia will be an experience never to be forgotten, but first you have to get there. The cabin was designed by OFIS Arhitekti and CBD structural engineers.

The cabin is fully lined with timber and features three lounging platforms.

Camp Graham in North Carolina is a Girl Scout camp designed by Weinstein Friedlein Architects. The huts are set on poles amid the trees.

Dappled sunlight flows into the interior through translucent roofing panels.

And at night, as the girls gather around the campfire, the translucent panels resemble giant lanterns.

Cleverly camouflaged by the building materials and green roof, this stunning cabin near Akrafjorden in Norway was designed by Snohetta.

The ceiling follows the curved shape of the roofline, echoing the form of the mountains beyond.