Planning Archives – Log Cabin Homes Magazine

Just the Facts

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

A myriad of decisions have to be made to bring the dream of a log, timber, or hybrid home to life. Style, floorplan, amenities, and location are a few that come readily to mind. The most challenging for many homeowners, however, comes down to the money. Financing a log or timber home holds a degree of mystery, an element of the unknown, and often enough it is a topic of real concern. Certain misconceptions and downright myths persist that financing of a specialty home is more difficult than financ…

Building a Legacy Home

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

For many of us, the opportunity to build a log or timber frame house is the realization of a lifelong dream. But what makes a house a home is the people we share it with and the memories we make there. That’s why it’s no surprise that many people build their log or timber frame home with the intention of passing the home on to future generations. If that’s your plan, there are some design considerations to keep in mind so that you build a home that will appeal to the whole family and be as cherished in …

The Cabins on Curly Creek

by Debra Grahl | photography Roger Wade Studio | styling Debra Grahl | Jul 9, 2021 | Building, Designing, Entire Home, How-To, Planning, Room-By-Room

Rebbecca Abair recalls having a passion for designing unique spaces and landscapes her entire life. “As far back as I can remember,” Rebbecca says, “I have been fascinated with small spaces and always pictured myself residing in a little log cabin in the woods.” Her father, a talented design and construction visionary in his own right, taught his little girl how to do roofing, mix concrete, and build all manner of things, from furniture to structures. To date, Rebbecca has designed and built eight diffe…

A Powerful Package

by Mike Haskew | lead photo Rocky Mountain Log Homes | Jul 9, 2021 | Designing, How-To, Planning

For many, building a log home is a dream come true, an opportunity to settle into a long-sought lifestyle combining the finest in comfort with the pristine beauty of nature. Making the most of this building project that may occur only once in a lifetime means research, quality shopping, and informed decisions. No aspect of the decision-making process is as challenging as that of balancing comfort, décor, and cost. Therefore, the inclusion of amenities is the subject for detailed discussion. Partic…

Setting the Stage

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

In your dreams, you imagined the builder handing over the keys to your new log or timber frame home, each inch of the house completed just as you imagined it would be. But for many of us, dreams are sometimes deferred—or at least spread out over time. Whether it is due to budget restrictions or lifestyle changes, there are many reasons you might want to build your home in stages instead of completing the whole project at once. Perhaps you intend to eventually retire to your new log or timber frame home,…

The Second Home Scene

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

If you’re like most Americans, you’ve spent the past several years watching economic events unfold with a moist eye and your fingers crossed that the worst is over. Well, we’ve got some good news for you—economists and housing authorities believe we’ve finally hit bottom and are starting to emerge from the recession. Not only that, but there are glimmers of recovery. The housing market has shown modest gains, and though it will be methodical and …

Expensive Look, Affordable Pricetag

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

It’s the classic dilemma when building a log home. Finishing with that expensive look without busting the budget is indeed a challenge. But it can be done. Log home professionals, from sales consultants to designers and experienced builders, are ready to assist in the great undertaking, lending a hand at decision time. Moving forward with confidence involves research and preparation. “Certainly, preplanning is important as far as determining what square…

Low-Maintenance Landscaping

by Margaret Haapoja | Jul 9, 2021 | How-To, Landscape, Maintaining, Planning

It’s never too soon to start planning the landscape around your log home to ensure you won’t spend every weekend on lawn and garden chores. In fact, Kent Worley, Grand Rapids, Michigan, landscape architect, emphasizes the importance of including site considerations when you begin to design the home. He asks his clients to make a list of personal preferences including types and seasons of outdoor uses, expectations of care and maintenance, storag…

Selecting a Log Home Producer

by By Karen Doss Bowman | Jul 9, 2021 | Building, How-To, Planning

For Jim McKinney of Chicago, building the log home of his dreams was an exciting, but substantial, venture. When he began planning the Jackson, Wyoming, home more than five years ago, McKinney did meticulous research to make sure he selected a reputable log home producer who would understand the look and feel he wanted to create in the home. Ultimately, he wanted to work with a company that could design a home that would be “100 percent me.” “You can expect that a log home is going to be a little more e…

A Home Away from Home

by Bridget McCrea | Jul 9, 2021 | Building, Designing, How-To, Maintaining, Planning

You’ve set your sights on your ideal second home, and it’s time to bring your dreams to fruition. You’ve picked the site, purchased the land, and decided that a log home will be the perfect fit. In your mind’s eye you see your friends and family enjoying the home for years to come, frolicking in the lake that it overlooks and exploring the wilderness that surrounds it. To make sure that vision becomes a reality, there are a few steps you’ll want to take during your second h…

Style & Substance

by Laura Stapleton | Jul 9, 2021 | Designing, How-To, Planning

Once upon a time a house was deemed a necessity for protection from natural occurrences, such as the weather or wild animals. It was a simple structure; something that would be built quickly with supplies available in close proximity to the building site. Today a “home” still protects you from the elements and the occasional wild animal, but it has evolved, morphing into a statement about each individual homeowner and his or her personal tastes. Fro…

Package Deals

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

Imagine you’re going to the supermarket, and apples are on your shopping list. You love apples and you can’t wait to buy them so you can sink your teeth into one. But when you get to the store, you’re faced with choices. Gala apples are on sale for less than the Fuji variety, but when you compare the two, the latter seem to be fresher, making the Gala seem like less of a deal. Then you spy the Honey Crisp—the most expensive, but also the sweetest, biggest fruit o…