A private walkout lower level of a beautiful log home near Whitefish, Montana, is the perfect getaway rental for relaxation or enjoying the great outdoors. My arrival is met with smiles. The front porch of this custom Montana Log Homes crafted VRBO is decked out in...
Festive decorations, a tree full of lights, and a roaring fire are very much at home in a cozy log & timber home.
Making your dream home a reality is a step-by-step process. More people are opting to live in rustic residences than ever before. The warmth of wood, the solid construction, and that powerful connection to nature all add up to a feeling of safety and sanctuary that we...
Taking on projects that save money may be an option for homeowners with some log and timber building projects. 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...
“You will feel like you are on vacation all year long” is how the real estate listing described this property. And even if such a claim may sound dubious, it was no lie or exaggerated marketing slogan. Set in a quiet residential area of Ste-Julie and surrounded by tall mature trees, this pièce-sur-pièce log home does indeed look like a holiday retreat. Intrigued by the catchy slogan, Yves Leblond and Sylvie St-Pierre went for a visit and were immediately charmed by the look and setting of the house. Mor…
Fall is a particularly wonderful season for log & timber homes. The wood takes on a special glow when the light changes from an intense summer glare to a more mellow, lower sunlight. There may be snow up on the mountain peaks, but down below the weather is ideal for outdoor activities or just enjoying the spectacular fall hues. When the trees take on an autumn glow and there’s a hint of snow in the mountains, it’s a prime time for log & timber homes.
The large sprawling farm with fenced, hilly pastures appears to be a large ranch. In fact, it is home to Big Springs Resort, the idyllic site of five log homes built by partners Doug Spurber and Charles Rateliff in 2005. These retired Wal-Mart executives each owned a good bit of land near Gravette, Arkansas, and decided to join forces and create a low-impact cabin community. Rateliff had built a Satterwhite log home several years earlier and knew that this company could delive…
It can’t really be said anymore that Montana is a well kept secret. The state has boomed with tourism and a thriving vacation home industry for well over two decades. Montana’s ski resorts, national parks, and trout fishing industries allocate substantial funds for out-of-state advertising to attract year-round visitors and would-be residents alike. “We got really lucky,” says Jason, one such would-be resident, “when we ventured into Red Lodge for a day of sightseeing.” Jason’s mother had grown up in ne…
For those exploring options in building their forever log home, one of the first considerations involves the three basic rules of real estate: location, location, location. In this sense, the idea relates to more than resale value. Choosing to build in a conventional development or subdivision presents its own array of challenges—usually in conforming to the often confusing and always lengthy list of building restrictions that apply. Of course, such restrictions may well make const…
They say a man’s home is his castle. Such is the case for Mark Robbins, a Vermont native who after many career years as a pilot was happy to reset roots in northeastern Vermont, also known as “The Northeast Kingdom,” referred to by most Vermonters as simply “The Kingdom.” “My home sits on a prominent feature in the middle of my father’s farm,” says Mark. “It’s well back from the town road and, with its elevation, provides 360 degrees of incredible views and vistas of northeastern Vermont’s mountains and…
When Allen Morris’s father first purchased vacation property and built a cottage nestled in the hills of Black Mountain, North Carolina, in 1970, it was with the hope that his children and their children would gather there for years to come. Little did he know then that more than 40 years later, the family’s retreat would grow to encompass five homes, including Allen Morris’s log home and corporate retreat. “As our family grew we built a second cottage and a third cottage and a fourth cottage,” says Mor…
If you would like to get back to your roots when furnishing your log or timber home, rustic furniture is the way to go. Typically wooden and distressed looking, rustic furniture can invite a sense of simplicity and old-fashioned charm. “Rustic décor seems to relax people,” says Shirley Brown, owner of Papa Bear’s Northwoods Store in Baraboo, Wisconsin. “They feel like they’re in the great outdoors.” Rustic, by definition, is untamed. Furniture pieces look “lived in,” and chipped pain…
