Log Cabin Homes Magazine

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 …

What You Need to Know – Financing

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

For many log home owners, the most daunting task in completing the purchase or construction of their ideal residence is dealing with financing. Although economic pressures have weighed on the market and banks have often been described as reluctant to lend, even during the best of times obtaining a loan for a log home requires planning, patience, and understanding of the necessary steps. While the processes of financing conventional and log homes share similariti…

Westward Ho!

by Laura Cleveland | Jul 9, 2021 | Designing, How-To

Are cowboys and Indians and ranches and cattle the first things that come to mind when you think of Western style? It encompasses all of these things and so much more. Western style incorporates the Spanish, Mexican, Scandinavian, and Asian cultures brought to the American West by its many immigrants. Settlers who moved from the East to the West brought their own styles with them: Adirondack, North Wood…

The Ultimate Stress Reliever

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

Tim and Daphne Livingstone don’t have to change their latitude to change their attitude these days. All they have to do is make a right-hand turn onto the road where their log cabin home is located to enter a “stress-free” zone where natural surroundings, a tranquil setting, and a 2,632-square-foot log home join forces to create a sanctuary for good living. “Since moving into our home my whole temperament has changed,” says Daphne, an events coordinator at the California University of Pennsylvania…

Floors for a Lifetime

by Scarlett Barger | Jul 9, 2021 | Designing, How-To

When choosing flooring for your log or timber home, you don’t have to settle for second best. Selecting the best floors for your lifestyle will benefit your home for many years to come, says Richard Ragone, East Coast sales representative for Montana Log Homes. “Quality floors are one of the most important areas on the inside of a home,” Ragone says. “Short cuts should not be taken.” More styles of flooring are available now than ever before to fit your needs…

Old West Romance

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

The Madison Valley ranch had been part of Montana history for decades. Showing signs of wear and tear from so many years of grazing and ranching activity, it was in dire need of someone to love and preserve it. “The new owners wanted to bring the ranch back to its original state in the early 1900s,” explains JoDean Bing from Blue Ribbon Builders, “when it served as a stagecoach stop as well as a working livestock ranch. But the primary design objective, in simple terms, was to create a fly fishing haven…

Making Good Choices

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

The process of building a custom log or timber home is the crossroads of personal preference, cost efficiency, and technical necessity to produce the right balance of aesthetics and sound, quality construction. Each of the primary parties involved, the homeowner, log producer, and builder, plays a vital role in the construction process. Each one lends individual know-how to the experience, complementing the others. In the end, the goal is for homeowners to enjoy the log or timber …

How to Calculate Your Building Budget & Financing Timeline

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

No segment of the U.S. economy has been so battered and bruised by the prolonged recession as the housing industry. Today, however, leading indicators show positive trends. Along with the housing recovery, the Federal government has mandated new mortgage financing rules that take effect through 2013 and beyond. Building or buying any home now involves revised guidelines that touch nearly every aspect of the financing process, including appraisals, disclosures of terms, closing costs, and qualifying fina…

Universal Design Gains in Popularity

by Debra Grahl | Jul 9, 2021 | Designing, How-To

Though not everyone will be familiar with the term “universal design,” it is a concept that has been a part of the home-building industry since the 1980s. Gaining in popularity worldwide, it is, simply put, approaching the design and construction of a building with a focus on making it comfortable, usable and above all, safe as possible. It benefits all individuals, whether they are short, tall, visually impaired, physically or mentally disabled, young, old,…

Getting Competitive Bids

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

The experience of building a log or timber home, making the vision become a reality, is extraordinary and may take place only once in a lifetime. The advantage of previous experience is often absent. Therefore, consulting professionals becomes critical to the process—from the beginning. The first step in the journey is often a comparison of pricing and deliverables from qualified log and timber home packaging companies, and the advice of professionals adds confiden…

A Happy History

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

Kristie McAden was born and raised in the mountains of North Carolina. Her husband, Mike, had always lived on the North Carolina coast. The two met while attending college at Appalachian State University in Boone, and the rest is happy history. “Mike and I started dating and pretty much saw everything eye to eye right from the start,” says Kristie, “Throughout the years of our marriage, that compatibility has remained, including our tastes in home design.” After graduating from ASU Kristie and Mike bega…

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…