Nordlys Lodging - a Luxurious, Well-Designed Wisconsin Cabin Experience
Our stay at the MetalLark Cabin was a dream and the perfect winter getaway before the holidays! This property is Nordlys Lodging Company’s first build on 140 acres of land in Northern Wisconsin. The floor-to-ceiling windows in this stunning two-story building allow you to feel fully immersed in nature, no matter the season. It’s basically a luxury treehouse made of the highest quality glass, steel, and wood with a bird’s eye view overlooking a gorgeous meadow, small lake, and trees. The Scandanavian hygge style of the cabin made us feel at home right away.
The serene beauty and views of the property are a breath of fresh air from the hustle and bustle of daily life. While we visited during the winter, any time of year would be a great time to stay here. Cozy fires while watching the snowfall in the winter, the gorgeous wildflowers in the meadow during the warmer months, or stunning colors during the fall.
The fully stocked chef’s kitchen
This is one of the nicest kitchens we’ve seen in a rental property. They went above and beyond designing this space with top-of-the-line appliances, Zwilling Cutlery, Made-In Cookware, Staub Cast Iron Cookware, and so much more. We had so much fun cooking in this space!
Induction stove, stainless steel oven, microwave, refrigerator, freezer, and dishwasher
Drip and Keurig coffee makers
Pots, pans, dishes, silverware, chopsticks, cups, wine glasses, etc
Toaster, blender, essential cocktail tools
Baking sheets, several cutting boards
A charcoal grill with bamboo and iron skewers, tons of barbeque utensils
Trash, recycling, and compost
The thoughtful welcome basket is full of great local brands
Nordlys went above and beyond with their welcome basket. We especially loved using the pancake mix and maple syrup for breakfast in bed one morning.
Sturdiwheat Pancake Mix - Red Wing, Wisconsin
Morley’s Maple Syrup - Luck, Wisconsin
Beez Kneez Honey - Trade Lake, Wisconsin
Northmallow Gourmet Marshmallows - Golden Valley, Minnesota
Northern Coffeeworks Coffee - Minneapolis, Minnesota
Seven Sundays Muesli Oatmeal - Minneapolis, Minnesota
Rishi Chai and Green Tea - Milwaukee, Wisconsin
The Cabin features three ways to keep you warm in the winter
There is a Jotul gas fireplace on each floor that really sets the cozy and relaxing cabin mood. But the cabin also features in-floor heat, which I especially love having the bathroom. We didn’t need it, but there is also forced air heat as a third heating option. Ceiling fans helped spread the warm air and were practically silent.
The bedroom is a highlight of the cabin
From waking up to the stunning sunrises over the meadow, watching the deer from the comfort of the bed, to making coffee bedside with the fireplace going, this bedroom feels like pure luxury. The Douglas Fir beams and bed frame are such a beautiful color. We slept great on the king-sized Avocado Green Mattress and Quince bedding. The comforter was so plush I want one for my own bed at home.
The bathroom and laundry are also on the main floor
The bathroom features a spa-like shower with 6 waterjets, it is absolutely heavenly. There is a washer and dryer in the bathroom as well, which you don’t often find in cabin rentals. And I have to mention again how much I loved having the heated floors in the bathroom.
When you walk into the cabin, the bedroom and door to the balcony are straight ahead. The staircase to the second floor is on your left, and there is space to hang your coats. There is also a closet full of games, a first aid kit, a yoga mat and cleaner, a Dyson vacuum, and more.
The Living SPace
This area is perfect for playing games, curling up with a book by the fire, or watching a movie on the projector at night. On the coffee table are some great Scandanavian architecture books to look through for inspiration, as well as a cute little ‘concrete conversations’ container with thoughtful conversation prompts. I loved that they didn’t have a TV, but you could still set up the projector if you wanted to watch a movie or Netflix.
The blankets were from Faribault Woolen Mill Co out of Faribault, Minnesota, and most of the furniture is from Room & Board out of Minneapolis.
Other things to note
Nordlys is pronounced “nord-lus” and translates to “northern lights”
There is a work area/ desk next to the kitchen that has a hidden pull-down murphy twin bunk bed.
The cabin has high-speed wifi and a cell booster (service is not strong outside of the cabin for calls)
There is a 240v outlet to accommodate electric vehicle charging, you just need to bring your own cord.
In case of bad weather, there is a storm shelter under the cabin, a weather radio above the washing machine, and a backup generator should there be a power failure.
The property is quite remote, which we loved about it. There are a few restaurants in Frederic, but we brought our own groceries and had a blast cooking at the cabin. I recommend bringing some charcuterie items for an easy dinner one night.
They have recently built another rental cabin on the property called “LongHouse”. This property has two bedrooms and sits off of the lake.
The property offers so much to do outside!
They have a bike shed with top-of-the-line Priority and Surly bikes available to use with your rental. They also have tons of helmets as well.
They have firewood and starters stocked for you next to the Breeo firepit.
The boat dock has a canoe, kayaks, and a 4-seater paddle boat you can use too!
Use their snowshoes in the winter, or bring your own hiking shoes in the warmer months - they have several miles of hiking trails.
Bring your ice skates for a peaceful skate on the lake
They are building a cedar sauna in 2022!
It’s not surprising that the Nordlys Lodging Co cabins are booked a year in advance. The experience they have created here in nature is next level, and I will absolutely be on the lookout for future last-minute cancellations to snag!
Update: Nordlys was featured in episode seven of season 2 of “The Cabin Chronicles” on the Magnolia Network! Check it out on the Discovery+ network!