How-To Archives – Page 27 of 40 – Log Cabin Homes Magazine

Eco-Friendly Furniture Part 1

by Laura Cleveland | Jul 9, 2021 | Designing, How-To

Once you have finalized the plans for your new log home, it’s time to start thinking about how you are going to furnish and decorate it. If you did a lot of research and put a lot of effort into making sure your new home is environmentally healthy and safe, you’ll need to do the same for the furniture for your beautiful home. One of the first things to consider is whether you can reuse any of the furniture from your current home. Can a sofa or chair be reupholstered or refinished? Can a table be refinis…

Go Your Own Way

by By Mike Haskew | Jul 9, 2021 | Building, How-To, Planning

When the log or timber home they have always wanted begins to take shape, some homeowners bring their own personal skills to the project, pitching in with certain aspects of the construction process. For these individuals, the satisfaction of saving money is complemented by the hands-on participation in the completion of their long-sought-after home. Many times, owners enjoy that degree of participation, contributing to the finished project, but there are risks i…

Mixing Materials

by Mike Haskew | Jul 9, 2021 | Building, How-To, Planning

Log or timber? For many homeowners the answer may actually be both. A growing trend in construction across North America involves the inclusion of both log and timber elements in new homes. This combination brings endless possibilities to the look and ambience of a new home, and consultants have steadily warmed to the idea. “In my perspective, there are no rules. It’s wide open to the customer’s imagination,” observes Dave Carter, owner of App…

The Winning Team

by Mike Haskew | Jul 9, 2021 | How-To, Planning

The essence of a team is putting together the right group of people with complementary knowledge and skill sets to complete a project, and the concept stands up in just about any endeavor. It is true on the athletic field, and it is constant in building a log & timber home. Once the decision to build that dream home has been made and the notions of style and presentation are being considered, the next step involves the homeowner’s selection of a team that will make the theoreti…

Finding the Right Log Home Producer

by Donna Peak | Jul 9, 2021 | Building, How-To, Planning

For many, buying a log cabin home means owning their last home, because log cabins are the stuff of dreams—the place that will be the site of countless visits from the grandkids, summer evenings spent on the porch swing listening to crickets sing, and crisp winter nights sipping hot chocolate in front of a crackling fire. Dreams should never be left to chance. Keep these five essentials in mind as you shop for the log cabin producer who will fulfill yours. 1. Have land in hand b…

Outdoor Spaces That Inspire

by Jennifer Donahue | Jul 9, 2021 | Exteriors, How-To, Outdoor Spaces, Planning, Room-By-Room

Maybe you dream of a tucked-away sanctuary ideal for escaping into the pages of a good book; a cozy outdoor fireplace for gathering on crisp early autumn evenings; or a festive patio that lends itself to endless entertaining. We use our outdoor spaces in so many different ways—to entertain, to celebrate, to retreat—that we should apply the same care and attention to detail to those spaces as we do when planning the home itself. Planning for Perfection The design of outdoor spaces s…

Building with Green Materials

by Laura Cleveland | Jul 9, 2021 | Building, How-To, Planning

T he word “green” has joined the ranks of popular catchwords such as “natural,” “organic,” and “light.” It is used in advertising products and services to make consumers feel good about their purchases. Some companies are guilty of “greenwashing,” meaning they make unsubstantiated claims about the environmental benefits of the product that may be misleading, unverified, or untrue. It is up to the consumer to ask questions like those posed by Brian Milani in “Building Materials for a Green Economy” (www….

Build or Buy?

by Jennifer Donahue | Jul 9, 2021 | Building, Designing, How-To, Planning

Whether you’re building a cozy cabin, a modest retreat, or a big family getaway, the exterior of your home makes a memorable impression that gives people a sense of what to expect inside. “It sets the tone for the whole house,” says Cassandra Christensen, interior designer and project coordinator for Wisconsin Log Homes in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Curb appeal is important to a home’s resale value, too—prospective buyers may decide whether they even want to look insid…

Stock, Custom, or Somewhere in Between?

by Jennifer Donahue | Jul 9, 2021 | Building, How-To, Planning

Building a home from the ground up can be a dream come true: the chance to configure, room by room, the home you always wanted just the way you always envisioned it. You may have a file full of magazine clippings or favorite ideas bookmarked on your computer. But when the time comes to commit to a floorplan, it’s hard to know where to start. A log or timber frame home is a major investment, so it’s worth taking some time to make sure the home of your dreams truly…

A Welcome Change of Pace

by Debra Grahl | Jul 9, 2021 | Entire Home, How-To, Planning, Room-By-Room

Consider the roots of log home construction: Wikipedia cites the first were built in heavily forested northern Europe, during the Bronze Age, about 3500 bc. Reflect on the use of raw logs, wind fallen or otherwise crudely harvested throughout the centuries, for tipis, lean-tos, temporary nomadic shelters. We, ourselves, as kids, may have built these primitive fortifications in our backyard woods (my brothers and I did), or on hiking expeditions in the wildernes…

Mountain Life

by Karen Doss Bowman | Jul 9, 2021 | Entire Home, How-To, Planning, Room-By-Room

Many people dream about a relaxing getaway, and for log home enthusiasts, a home in the mountains may be the ideal choice. Not only do the mountains offer breathtaking views, but often they offer exciting glimpses of wildlife and proximity to outdoor activities such as skiing or hiking. “A mountain home is a place that’s laid back and away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life,” says Sarah Smith, marketing coordinator at Blue Ridge Log Cabins in C…

A Lasting Connection

by Tracy M. Ruff | Jul 9, 2021 | Building, How-To, Planning

There are different parts of a log home’s exterior that can make a real statement. It could be the log profile or the wraparound porch. Maybe it’s the roofline. But there is one element that is unmistakable: chinking. Chinking is that wide white strip between log courses that characterizes the exterior of some log homes. It is both eye catching and purposeful. “I find that customers are attracted to log homes with chinking for one of two reasons,” says Mathew Ste…