Category
Great rooms, living rooms, dens

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Modern design’s clean lines and minimalist décor serve to enhance the structure of a log or timber frame home. Each of the great rooms shown here has a distinct personality and style, and the natural elements such as reclaimed wood and stone are the centerpieces of each space. The balance between rustic and modern can be adjusted to meet your personal taste.

What’s Hot in Great Room Design?

Once upon a time, a log cabin living room was a simple affair. Modest in size and design, it was merely another room in the house. Then, things changed. The living room morphed into a jaw-dropping showpiece worthy of grand get-togethers and cozy nights at home. This “great room” has been a log home staple ever since. And though its basic structure has remained unchanged, new log home owners have been finding subtle ways to improve upon perfection. We talked with Stephanie Gauthier,…

Great Room Design Tips

The next several pages feature floorplans from log home companies throughout North America.  The floorplans show a mixture of big homes and small, intricate and simple homes … there are myriad styles to choose from.  A common room nowadays in a log home is a great room.  Here are some ideas to consider when you are designing a great room for your log cabin home. What makes a great room great? “The primary design aspect people typically want to achieve is an open living space between the g…

Living Rooms, Great Rooms, & Dens, Oh My!

Once upon a time, long ago (in a faraway place) there was the Great Room. Architecturally immense, this centrally located gathering space existed in medieval castles, palaces, and villas throughout the “civilized” world, but not in your typical home. The great room concept did not become popular in the New World (USA) until the 20th century, beginning to trend in the 1950s and 1960s, gathering momentum in the 1970s and 80s, and becoming a common home feature by …

Designing & Decorating Great Rooms

Natural light pours into this great room from all directions, showing off the log walls and staircase. Windows in the open loft add more light at the ceiling level. The white cabinets in the open kitchen make the great room look even more spacious. The reclaimed wood beams in the ceiling and on the walls and the gorgeous natural stonework contrast beautifully with the more contemporary …

Four Tips for Greening Your Great Room

These days everyone’s favorite color seems to be “green.” In a log cabin, there’s no better place to showcase the benefits and the beauty of this eco-minded hue better than the great room. Whether your goal is to protect Mother Earth, save some cash on your monthly electric bill, or ensure your home has that natural, rustic touch, these four fantastic options will take your family’s everyday living space from good to great.  Reclaimed Wood Think you can’t do…

101 Design Ideas

If you are in the process of designing a log home, or just dreaming about it, this room-by-room list is designed to spark your imagination and help ensure that you include all of your needs and wants in your floorplan. Photo by Karl Neumann Great Rooms 1. Position windows to “frame” the picture of your view. 2. Anchor a large living area with a stone fireplace; it will provide a natural focal point in harmony with the outdoors. 3. Use hand-forged log straps to add a custom touch to your home. 4. Give yo…