Sanctuary Hill
Sanctuary Hill

Red Wolf Falls Cabin

Ed and Mary May fell in love with the Hocking Hills region of Ohio and were married there 10 years ago. Over time they hiked the trails and explored the caves and hollows. After staying in dozens of log cabins in the area, they knew they wanted to build one of their own, so they collected ideas from some of them. “One of our prerequisites as we chose rental cabins was that there be no drywall,” says Ed.  “So that was one of our ideas for our own cabin. It would be 100 percent log con…

Hire the Perfect Builder

Somewhere in our youth, nearly all of us have pretended to be a detective. Looking for clues, asking questions, taking notes, searching for answers… back then it was just child’s play, but who knew you were arming yourself with skills that would come in handy as a homebuyer. Now that you’re ready to make one of the largest investments of your entire life—your log cabin dream home—it’s time to channel that inner Sherlock Holmes of your childhood and really put it to work. So don that inspector’s cap and …

Things We LOVE For Your Log Home

The Clay’s the Thing Clayworks Studio/Gallery has been practicing the art and craft of architectural ceramics in Austin, Texas, for over 30 years. Established by John and Chris Gray in 1978, the studio is known for custom architectural work, including historic tile restoration and large-scale seals and murals. Everything is made and fired on the premises, beginning with the task of clay mixing. Sconces are shaped by hand, tiles are individually cut and stamped, and plaques are inscribed by hand. Artisan…

Putting It All Together

There are some do-it-yourselfers out there who take on the task of building their own log home. But the average log home buyer needs to find a builder or general contractor to build it. This person takes all of the package components that you purchase and crafts them into your home. It is a very detailed and meticulous job that requires a true professional with excellent building experience and communication skills. Yet finding this person takes as much research as it did to select the right log home co…

Neighborly North Carolina

Richard Phillips isn’t the least expensive builder to be had in the mountains of upstate North Carolina. But he always pays his subs and vendors in a timely manner, has never been involved in a court case, and ends up being friends with the clients he builds for. That’s what landed him the contract to build a  one-of-a-kind custom log vacation home for a couple who wants to relax and enjoy time with family and friends. Phillips says, “In these parts, we’re all neighbors, everybody kn…

On Cobbetts Pond

“As a youngster,” declares Charlie McGonagle, “I had the good fortune of having an uncle who, along with his father, had built what he called a ‘camp’ in Wilmington, Massachusetts, near Silver Lake. He was a very gracious man, making his place available every summer to his numerous nephews and nieces and their parents. Sometimes there would be as many as 11 of us kids sleeping on the floor of the porch while the adults found room for their night’s sleep somewhere inside.” Despite the lack of running wat…

White Mountain Hideaway

Bob Dowell and Kevin Rainey have their primary residence in Florida, but you’ll find them in North Conway, New Hampshire, at every opportunity throughout the year. Truly a four-season destination, this resort community in the heart of the White Mountains makes an ideal getaway for the couple to enjoy the spectacular autumn color, hike throughout spring and summer, or hit the slopes of Mt. Washington in winter. Lucky for Bob and Kevin, their jobs allow them the flexibility to visit often, so the idea of …

Fantasy Island

On first approach to Liz and Danny King’s getaway you may think they have a conundrum on their hands. Their one-story cabin, situated in the heart of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, is a tiny oasis. Huddled in the center of town between a busy intersection and multistory lodges, the cabin’s location, on a sliver of land, hardly presents a dilemma. A Treasured Heritage Back in the late 1880s, Gatlinburg was a sleepy hamlet, home to early mountain settlers content to farm and log. Today, three communities—Pigeon F…

­Kitchen Trends

What’s popular today may look dated in a year or two, but there are a number of current kitchen trends that will stand the test of time. You can never go wrong with white subway tile. In this case, the tiles look hand made and the grout is charcoal gray. The black window trim and upper cabinet on the left contrast with the whitewashed oak lower cabinets, the gray quartz countertops, and the light floors. The industrial open shelving provides a lot of storage. The pops of blue on the …

Rooms with a View

Nestled in the mountains of Bitterroot Valley, Montana, this beautiful timber house is home to a pair of outdoor enthusiasts who had dreamed all their lives of residing in a quiet, serene setting away from the hustle and bustle of cities where they worked, including New York, Chicago, and Baltimore. When it came time to retire and build a dream home that would not only accommodate them now but also well into the future, they selected a timber home made to look like a traditional log home. “From the outs…

Plug Your Log Home into the Sun

If you are planning to build a new log home, now is a great time to think about energy efficiency and your carbon footprint. Log homes are already energy efficient because of the thermal mass of the logs—they require less energy to heat and cool. But there is a lot more you can do to hold your energy costs down and make your home both comfortable and healthy to live in. In this issue, we’re looking at solar energy, particularly the use of photovoltaic panels. Why Go Solar? Energy from the sun is renewab…