Some of my favorite time at home is spent on a quiet spring afternoon, sitting on my deck listening to the rain hit the metal roof overhead. Whether it’s watching the sun set on a long, lazy summer evening, entertaining family around an outdoor fire pit, or playing a friendly game of flag football on the lawn, our time spent outdoors is the stuff memories are made of. Many of us choose our home’s location specifically for the abundant natural beau…
Along the road to log home ownership, you will eventually hit the inevitable speed bump of wants versus budget. “Wants versus needs” might be the first thing that comes to mind, but a log home has to have the basic needs in order to receive a certificate of occupancy: logs, a kitchen, an HVAC system, a roof, etc. It’s when you you start putting in the wants from your own personal list that your budget gets stretched. You want to infuse your home with the things that will tru…
“I quite literally have it in my blood,” says Peter Spanos. “My mother and father bought their first hotel in 1952, before I came along. So I was born and raised in the hospitality business.” The historic hotel his folks had purchased was called the Winnecoette and was perched on a hill above the Weirs Beach area of Lake Winnipesaukee. They renamed it The Shangri-La and branded it as a luxury resort. “It really was something in its time,” recalls Peter. “People came from all over, and many returned year…
Are you looking for gorgeous Arts & Crafts tile or lighting, a handcrafted bed frame, or a mesmerizing fire sphere? We did a little shopping for things we think will complement your log or timber frame home. The Art of Tile Nawal Motawi started making tiles in her garage and selling them at a local farm market in 1992. Today Motawi Tileworks occupies a 12,000-square-foot facility in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and sells tiles through 400 U.S. stores. Shown here are several styles of tile from the Arts &…
The esteemed poet and author Maya Angelou once said, “I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.” What we know about energy efficiency has increased exponentially in recent years. So now that we know better, there’s no excuse for not doing better when it comes to homebuilding. Not only are energy-efficient building practices an important way to preserve the environment, they lead to a more comfortable home and can also save you money—…
North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Parkway traverses 252 miles of the state’s mountainous western terrain and is iconic for good reason. Take a drive, slowly mind you (the Parkway speed limit is 45 tops, with occasional areas of 35 and 25 mph) to allow the scenic views around each bend to become indelible memories. There’s nothing quite like a parkway meander—unless, of course, you can call it home, which is the case for Tony and Brenda Seaford. “Our log cabin idea started when Tony dreamed of purchasing mount…
For years, Sam and Gale Easter of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, dreamed of building a log home for their retirement. Though some well-meaning friends tried to discourage them from buying a log home—saying they were too expensive or required too much upkeep—the Easters couldn’t suppress their dream. Four years after purchasing a waterfront lot on Smith Mountain Lake in 1999, the couple moved into their custom-designed log home in Union Hall, Virginia. “We are loggies,” say Sam and Gale, who also o…
Oceanside Glasstile (www.glasstile.com) handcrafted these backsplash tiles from recycled bottles to form the jewel in the crown of a rustic kitchen. The traditional olive-toned subway tile sets off irridescent metallic tile that has been set on the diagonal. Glass tile reflects the light in what could be a dark space over the stove. 1867 Confederation Log Homes Who says you can’t mix materials and styles in an open…
Fractional ownership, also known as “shared ownership,” is a concept often lumped in with timeshares, but they’re only distantly related. Like a timeshare, you have access to a piece of property for a specified period of time each year, which varies depending on the number of owners who share each property. However, the key distinction between fractional ownership and a timeshare is that in fractional ownership, you buy deeded real estate—you buy a home—n…
Building a log or timber home in a rural area and/or on undeveloped land can present a unique set of challenges that most other homeowners don’t have to manage. Even if you’ve already selected the perfect plot of land for your new abode, there are certain considerations that must be factored in before moving forward with the site preparation and the actual home construction. If you haven’t found the right place yet, on the other hand, you’ll want to find a real estate broker who knows the intri…
Log home preservatives are primary weapons in the fight against wood decay and wood-ingesting insects, safeguarding these structures from the ravages of potentially destructive agents that can damage the beauty and integrity of wood over time. Damage from wood-ingesting insects such as termites, carpenter ants, or wood-boring beetles can be devastating and costly to repair. Fungi, mold, and mildew can cause wood to rot and eventually need to be replaced or create un…
Retirement means different things to different people. Some want to spend their time with family and friends, enjoying their free time away from a job. Others have retired from a full-time job but still want to have their hands in a project or two. To some, retirement means having the opportunity to travel the world but returning to a comfortable home base. Still others want to pursue their love for outdoor sports such as golf, skiing, or boating. Many retirees have hobbie…
