Log Cabin Homes Magazine

Maintaining Your Log Cabin Home

by Mike Haskew | Jul 9, 2021 | Designing, How-To, Maintaining

From the design phase, through construction, and into a long, enjoyable lifetime, the maintenance of a log home is a critical element in retaining that like-new look, controlling present and future costs, protecting resale value, and preserving a significant investment. Owning and maintaining a log home presents ongoing challenges; however, an understanding of the available options during design, completion of construction, and future years facilitates informed decisions and simplifies the process. Rath…

Country House

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

Log homes have a nostalgic appeal for homeowners longing for a simpler life. And the relaxed, rustic feel of a log home seems right at home plopped in the middle of a grassy meadow, nestled in rolling hills, or tucked away in a thick forest. That’s country living, and many prospective log home owners today are yearning to build on a spread of land set apart from the busyness of American life as we know it today. “The country’s the only place to live,” says Ed Whi…

Selecting Doors

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

As the poet Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Be an opener of doors.” And if those doors happen to be works of art in their own right, so much the better! It might be tempting to think doors are one aspect of your home where it’s safe to cut corners. But details make a big difference, and the doors you choose for your home, both inside and out, can make a major visual statement. A high-quality door should last a lifetime as well as add to your home’s appeal. .

Cabin Crazy

by Debra Grahl | photography Roger Wade | Jul 9, 2021 | Entire Home, Room-By-Room

Every home is special, for the simple reason that the people who dwell in them are unique. In the case of homeowners Dan and Suzann Maughon, creating a one-of-a-kind home was a priority. “A long time ago,” begins Dan Maughon, “before Suzann and I were even married, we had a romantic dream of living in a log home in the woods, on a lake, of course.” The couple kept their eyes and ears open for that perfect 10-acre lakefront parcel of land, and then Suzann learned something that resulted in a manifestatio…

A Sense of Peace

by Mike Haskew | Photography Karl Neumann | Jul 9, 2021 | Entire Home, Room-By-Room

David and Melissa Hatter have always felt right at home in Big Sky, Montana, even though they are also quite used to the bustle of the big city of Atlanta, Georgia. Melissa works as a director of information technology, while David is an entrepreneur and owner of financial services companies with a “passion for leading people to financial security.” It seems the wide open spaces and breathtaking mountain vistas of Montana provide the couple with another sense of well-being—one that is priceless. They re…

The Best of All Worlds

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

Whether you’ve dreamed of a spacious, airy lakeside home or a cozy mountain cabin, there’s no denying the appeal of wood—from stately oaks to towering cedars. That appeal increasingly includes timber frame homes, built of massive timber supports that showcase the dramatic beauty of natural wood. Sometimes called “post and beam,” timber frame construction is one of the oldest forms of homebuilding. Timbers are typically fitted together with different joinery methods, including dove…

Raising Your Home’s IQ

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

The impact of harsh winter weather is a big concern for many homeowners, and Michael Leahy’s cabin in northern Minnesota is no exception. To help mitigate the effects of subfreezing temperatures, Leahy has outfitted his home with a customized system that monitors everything from furnace function and propane levels to activity on the property. “Roughly 50 to 100 things around the cabin can be monitored and controlled remotely,” says Leahy. “Beside…

Gallery of Log Cabin Exteriors

by Log Cabin Homes Magazine | Jul 9, 2021 | Entire Home, Room-By-Room

A milled log home basks in the afternoon sun, tucked neatly into a hill for protection against the elements. The strategic placement of vertical siding and subtle timber frame accents adds interest to the horizontal logs. This log home blends perfectly into its setting in the Michigan woods. Deep green trim and cedar shingles enhance the unique roofline. The covered entryway welcomes its owners and their visitors. Yankee Bar…

Zero-Net Energy Homes

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

With energy costs on the rise, it’s not just environmentally friendly to keep your energy consumption reined in—it’s wallet-friendly too! And the best time to consider your energy savings is when you’re building a new home. If you plan appropriately, it’s possible to build a “zero-net energy” log home. Also called “energy neutral” or “net zero,” zero-net energy (ZNE) homes actually collect or produce more energy than they use, making it possible to live independently from the energy grid. “A zero-…

High Among the Pines

by By Karen Doss Bowman | photos by Photos courtesy of Rocky Mountain Log Homes | Jul 9, 2021 | Entire Home, Room-By-Room

When Judy and Richard Steed of Fort Worth, Texas, began planning their retirement home, they wanted a place where they could retreat from the busyness of their normal routine. While visiting their daughter’s home in Montana several years ago, the couple discovered The Stock Farm Club, a private, golf-based community nestled in the Bitterroot Valley. They loved it and decided to purchase a lot in the Mountain Home sites, tucked in the foothills of the Sapphire Mountains. “We wanted to be …

The Undiscovered Jewel

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

It takes a unique blend of vision, entrepreneurial sprit, and artistry to see a piece of raw, undeveloped land and picture what it could become. Fortunately for folks who are interested in enjoying the splendors of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, Sandy Wood and Pete Pyles had all three in spades. This collaboration between Sandy, a real estate developer and builder, and Pete, a log home builder, has resulted in The Olde River Club —a spectacular gated log-friendly community perched high atop one …

Blue Ridge Beauty

by Jennifer Donahue | Photography Dustin Peck, Courtesy of MossCreek | Jul 9, 2021 | Entire Home, Room-By-Room

When builder Rick Riddle of R & R Builders Co. in Denver, North Carolina, saw the Bitterroot home design from MossCreek, he knew it would be instantly attractive to homebuyers. “MossCreek is a residential design firm that creates custom designs. We also work from a portfolio of existing designs that can be modified to a client’s needs,” says Allen Halcomb, president of MossCreek. “The Bitterroot is one of our most popular existing designs.” A strong, well-considered design will attract even the most…