There may still be snow on the mountain peaks in some parts of North America, but there are many signs of the coming spring. The sun is warmer and the trees are sprouting new green foliage. The crocuses are blooming and the daffodils, lilies, and irises are showing signs of life. Indigenous animals are coming out of hibernation and reclaiming their territory (note the deer at the tree line in this photograph). Being a natural material, the wood of log & timber homes never looks b…
The Northwest has a variety of climate areas, from the Pacific Coast to the valley and, once over the mountains, a desert region—all within a few hours drive of each other. There are spectacular mountains, clear lakes and rivers, and wide open spaces as far as the eye can see. You’ll see everything from contemporary timber frames to log homes patterned after the National Park lodges of the early 20th century. You’ll surely find your personal heaven in such a diverse region…
The different types of construction and terms used to describe log and timber homes can be confusing to home buyers, especially when it comes to timber frame and post-and-beam homes. While the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, there are important distinctions between the two types of construction, and key questions to ask when you are planning your own home. “There are some basic similarities to post-and-beam construction and authentic timber framing,” says Stephanie Jo…
The environment and the family are certainly two causes that are linked together and worth nurturing. This fact is what prompted Hershey and Renée Gillman to build their magnificent Laurentian, Quebec, lakeside retreat. Certified LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), which evaluates the environmental performance of a building, the house meets the highest international rating standards in construction related to health and the environment. This state-of-the art home uses less energy, wate…
A typical Sunday afternoon at Larry and Sandi Lott’s log home feels like something out of a classic movie that’s set in the South. Sipping sweet tea and enjoying a beautiful, 360-degree view of Cyprus Black Bayou Lake, the Lotts, along with their friends and family, relax and unwind on a one-acre peninsula where the couple built their log cabin home in 2009. The Lotts, who are both retired and the owners of several homes, built their three-bedroom Benton, Louisiana, log home with the intention of r…
When the opportunity to build a home in which to spend their retirement years popped up, Paul and Joy jumped at it. With two grown daughters and four grandchildren, Joy and Paul were looking for a place with a quieter pace of life that would allow them to welcome family and friends throughout the year. Known for stunning scenery, the Finger Lakes region of western New York offers an abundance of year-round recreation opportunities. Nature lovers can spend their days exploring one of the area’s 26 state …
Tom Grove remembers vacations spent at the family cabin when he was a boy. Originally, his parents owned a condo in northern Wisconsin, but they decided to search for a cabin when a fire damaged their building. The one they chose was built of logs at the turn of the century as a hunting camp and remodeled in the 1950s. It was small with just two bedrooms, but they enjoyed it for many years. “Then our family started growing, and we had more grandchildren,” says his mother, Jackie. “We decided we ne…
With more than 15 years of vacation memories and two previously owned homes under their belts, it seems only natural that Jan and Bob would consider the wilds of northwest Wyoming their home away from home. “We fell in love with the area and kept going back every summer for vacation. Then we were back two or three times during the summer,” says Jan. “Bob was still working and we decided to rent a house to see if he could be away from work. During that visit, we walked around the area…
Watching the sunset from the dock at Averill’s Flathead Lake Lodge in Bigfork, Montana, is a visual delight in stereo. Whatever alpenglow plays across the mountains and skies reflects below, across the seven-mile breadth of 30-mile-long Flathead Lake. Twin sunsets … but everything here is twice as nice. Another day closes at this historic guest ranch and folks are making plans for tomorrow as they dangle their feet in the lake’s cool waters. It’s a good thing the summer d…
For Todd and Sue Stokes, it all comes back to family—his, hers, and theirs. When the two met and married five years ago, they envisioned building a home their grown children and grandchildren would visit for years to come. Their log home, completed in 2016, brought that dream to reality. Their community in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, west of Pittsburgh, is adjacent to the borders of Ohio and West Virginia and is nestled in the farming region Sue grew up in. Todd and Sue are getting close to retirement, …
Acquiring something for the first time will always have a special place in one’s heart and memory, an extra sentimental value that the subsequent ones (even if they’re better, bigger, or more valuable) can’t match. When Danielle Deraiche and her husband Jean Lemelin started their log home-building company in 2007, this pretty and distinctive blue log home was their first project. Originally, it was destined to be a guesthouse at a hunting lodge, but the client abruptly cancelled the contract due to fina…
A stunning stone patio, boulders, ornamental grasses lined up in rows, and tall, slender trees all serve to enhance the beauty of this home. An old saying tells us that the devil is in the details, but so is the dazzle! Landscaping and hardscaping your log or timber home put the finishing touch on the self-expression that motivates homeowners everywhere. Rather than an afterthought or an add-on, the exterior finish of the home and surroundings bring the vision to life and complete the journey from idea …
