Y’All Go Wash Your Worries Away
Y’All Go Wash Your Worries Away

Perfect Lodging

One family’s annual vacation destination to picturesque Jackson Hole, Wyoming, became their home nearly two years ago. The outdoor enthusiasts, who enjoy activities such as hunting, fishing, rafting, skiing, and kayaking, designed and built Bighorn Lodge, a 10,000-square-foot home inspired by their many visits to the great lodges of the national parks in the Western states—particularly Old Faithful Lodge in Yellowstone National Park. “We love the outdoors and visiting the national parks,” the homeowner …

What You Need to Know – Selecting a Producer & Builder

Sam and Gale Easter, self-described “loggies,” are enthusiastic about living in the log home of their dreams. But during the planning stages for the house, the couple took time to carefully research log home companies and builders. They were looking for professionals that would not only turn out a quality product, but who also would deal with them fairly and honestly. “The company we chose answered all our questions right up front,” says Gale, now owner of Roanoke River Vall…

High Country Homage

More than a century ago, celebrated architect Frank Lloyd Wright initiated the Prairie Style. A departure from the residential architecture of old Europe that had been widespread in the United States, it was distinctly American and featured bold horizontal lines. Wright’s influence on modern architecture remains strong, and in southwestern Montana near the city of Bozeman a tribute to his legacy rises in splendor next to a quiet pond with majestic vistas of the Bridger Mountains in the distance. The own…

A Cabin in the Woods

A log home is a beautiful complement to any setting, no matter if it’s poised out in the middle of a wide-open prairie or hugging the shoreline of a lake or ocean. But there’s just something irresistible about a cabin in the woods. Nestled among the trees, a log cabin home or weekend camp against a deeply wooded backdrop just seems at ease and, well, right.  When designing and building your dream woodland log cabin home, there are a few factor…

Designed for Easy Living

Maintaining your log home is like getting on a physical fitness regimen: to keep it performing and looking its best, you have to take care of it. And like embarking on a nutrition and exercise program for your body, your log home maintenance has to stick to a regular schedule, or the health of your home will suffer, and you’ll have to have to start over from square one—which could be much more difficult than sticking to the plan in the first place.  If y…

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Using reclaimed and recycled materials when building your home is not just a good way to be kind to the environment—it’s a great way to save money and add visual interest to your home! Reclaimed materials make your home truly unique while keeping materials that still have a little bit of life left out of landfills.  There is a difference between reclaimed and recycled materials. Recycled materials are reprocessed and often turned into an entirely different product, while reclaimed materials are reu…

Nouveau Adirondack

When a Florida couple decided that summers in the Sunshine State were too hot and muggy, they began planning a vacation home in Banner Elk, North Carolina, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains where the average summer temperature tops out at a pleasant 70 degrees. They also wanted a log house with a distinctive look, so they called on Allen Halcomb, architect and president of MossCreek in Knoxville, Tennessee, to come up with a design that would suit their personalities. “The couple expressed a desire to…

Maximizing Your Property

Even the lushest landscape can present unique challenges, so it pays to enlist the help of a pro to ensure your landscape suits your lifestyle. Landscape architects work with you to maximize your property, from analyzing the site to designing patios and decks, selecting plants, and mitigating environmental concerns. They can help you transform your ideas into reality, down to the smallest detail. Choosing a Partner As you would with any professional partner, research potential landsc…

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,…

A Little Bit Country…

When you think of country style do you imagine large, overstuffed furniture, a riot of floral prints, and accessories on every surface? Those were the signature elements of country decorating decades ago, but the style has come a long way. Modern country style evokes warmth, comfort, welcome, and a connection with your personal history and that of the area you live in. Country décor can wander in many different directions: farmhouse, coastal, cabin, barn cottage, Am…

Comparing Bids from Producers

“Getting comparative bids when looking at log homes is very important, unless you are very well versed in log home materials and construction practices,” says Tom Kuhns, president at Kuhns Brothers Log Homes Inc., in Milton, Pennsylvania. “In fact, getting bids is actually a part of the learning process. No two log home companies are alike. Each company has different ways of doing things and different qualities and quantities of products so you need to decide what is best for you.”&n…