Innholdsfortegnelse for June/July 2023 i Log and Timber Home Living

A few days before we wrap up each issue of Log & Timber Home Living, I sit at my computer and stare at the digital equivalent of a blank piece of paper, contemplating the message I’m going to share with our readers. For anyone who’s ever had to write anything, that stark, white sheet can be intimidating. Writing those first few words is usually the hardest part (full disclosure … this was one of those times). But then, as I glared at my lonely, blinking cursor with contempt — literally on the morning we were shipping our files to the printer — I had an epiphany. This empty page isn’t a roadblock; it’s a launchpad to bring ideas to life. And that’s exactly what floor plans are to our readers,…

When Julie Engelmann and her husband Sean bought their home in Trenton, Illinois, nearly 20 years ago, it was just an old farmhouse, built in the 1960s and clocking in at just over 1,700 square feet. Now it has grown to approximately 3,700 square feet with six bedrooms and three bathrooms, and every space has been updated for the Engelmann family’s lifestyle, including a taxidermy room, as well as a pool and a pool house with its own custom bar. Here’s their farm-to-forever-home journey: Julie: We wanted a property in the country, and we saw the potential this place had. We love the location, and that’s really what it was about. You just can’t fix location, you know? Then, we just remodeled it little by little as we could until every…

Whether you have sommelier status or enjoy sipping on something simple, a space for your wine collection is a surefire way to take your log or timber home to the next level. These days, a wine “cellar” is anything but. Thanks to high-end home tech, you can transform would-be closets, bonus rooms and other spare space in your floor plan into a temperature-controlled shrine for your collection. Dial it up with fabulous, wine-inspired finds that combine the Old World with the Old West, and you have a space that’s not just smart for storage but satisfying to use. Get the look with these fine finds! Shop these looks and more by scanning the QR code!…

For many, their home is a sacred sanctuary. But sometimes, even within the security of your own four walls you need a place to get away from it all. Enter: “emotional escape rooms.” Custom floor plans present the perfect opportunity to take flex space and transform it into your own private way to retreat and relax — even if that takes the form of a rage room (keep reading!). Here are a few ways to get creative with your customizations: The New Rage Rooms Maybe you’ve been to commercial “rage rooms” — spaces filled with breakable objects where you can don some safety gear and let off some steam. Skip the (definitely tedious, likely dangerous) cleanup, and create a space for shedding stress at home: a punching bag or an…

Does your home need a refresh for the summer season (or any reason)? Start with the first thing guests see: your front door. Not only is it a prime place to express your personal style, it’s good for your wallet in more ways than one. Updating exterior doors can increase your home’s value — a 75 percent potential return-on-investment, according to Quality Overhead Door, (qualityoverheaddoor.com). Heed these ideas to put your home’s best face forward. Design The front door is often the first chance to set the tone for all that lies behind it. Pick complementary style choices instead of contrasting. A rough-sawn option with sturdy wood often fits the rustic log and timber home aesthetic. Paint/Stain Color Something as simple as changing your door’s color can have a major…

Before we can talk about the burgeoning new architectural style of the Mountain West, or even California’s crisp-but-casual influence on it – we must first take a trip across the globe to Barcelona, Spain. There, says Woodhouse, The Timber Frame Company architect Diana Allen, is an iconic example of the power of clean lines and modern design: the Barcelona Pavilion by Mies van der Rohe. A fusion of glass and sleek slabs of stone, it can feel geographically and aesthetically distant from the rustic, slope-side homes of the U.S. Mountain West, where log and timber structures are mosaics of local stone, wood and patinated metals. But it is, in fact, the iconic designs like the Barcelona Pavilion, whose modern strokes informed the cool and contemporary lines found across the West…

Many elements of log and timber homes require equal parts beauty and strength: from the giant timbers themselves down to the smallest stones in the fireplace. But nothing takes a beating day in and day out quite like your home’s floors do — and they provide the foundation for your home’s style to boot! Wood floors have long held a special place in the hearts of log and timber homeowners thanks to their timeless, natural look. But these days, there is an increasing selection of materials and styles to choose from. Whether you need something to stand up to muddy paws and rough-and-tumble toys or you seek the tried-and-true elegance of hardwood, consider these options both new and old that will leave you, well, floored. ON THE UP-AND-UP Luxury Vinyl…

When northern natives Brian and Lynette Price set out to build a retirement home in the Blue Ridge mountains of Georgia, they couldn’t have guessed that they would soon be running their very own (unofficial) luxury resort. The couple decided to put down permanent roots in the area after spending years visiting local cabins. “It all started when we would travel down South on our motorcycles,” explains Brian. “We would come down and rent cabins, and we fell in love with log homes.” But a simple, cabin-in-the-woods-style structure wouldn’t do. The couple had big plans for a grand forever getaway with spacious indoor gathering spaces, an outdoor entertaining mecca and amenities, like a weight room and sauna, outdoor fireplace, bourbon cellar and game room. “We probably could have added another…

No matter if the square footage of your log or timber home falls in the quaint category or teeters toward grand, chances are you want it to feel like a sanctuary, perfectly nestled into the landscape and offering a sense of respite and relaxation. But what if you’re near a road or a bit too close to the neighbors? It might feel a little less private than you’d like. To create a more secluded space, fencing is the obvious option, but you’d usually need quite a bit of height and width for that endeavor, and that runs the risk of making your cabin and surrounding landscape go from cozy to cramped. Fortunately, there are plenty of plants that can create a natural border without blocking you in. Keep these living-fence…

For Randy and Beth Pawluk, a summer without the water would be no summer at all. The Pawluks have celebrated the season with an annual trip to Lake Wabamun in Alberta, Canada, for a few weeks of sun and sand since their three college-age boys were small. The quaint summer village, with its laidback charm and easy access to water adventures, including fishing, kayaking and wakeboarding, drew them year after year — despite the drawbacks of their rudimentary cottage. Narrowing in on 60 years, the old cedar cabin served as a sufficient home base but offered little in the way of comfort. For starters, the family of five shared the poorly designed 1,200-square-foot space. “It wasn’t so much the size, but the layout that was a problem for us,” Beth…

There’s a reason certain stock plans are consistent favorites among prospective log and timber homeowners. As the saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. But something doesn’t have to be broken to be made better. When it comes to log and timber homes, it’s fair to want something that’s all your own … even if it started with stock. You wouldn’t be alone – most log and timber homeowners end up tweaking stock plans to suit both their wishes and requirements. After all, even if a pre-designed plan fits picture-perfect into your life, your property may call for alterations. To get your creative juices flowing on customization, we’ve corralled three stock-to-custom case studies that highlight just what’s possible when you’re start with something tried-and-true. The Wakefield Residence by…

It had to be just right. The line of sight from the entry of the spacious timber home all the way to the lake and beyond was too picturesque, and Steve and Susan Tilley were determined to capture it. “We spent about a year designing the house, and we wanted the center to dominate everything so that you could look straight through and see the lake when you walk in the door,” explains Steve. “When I bought the property and I pulled in to look at it the first time, I knew where the house and the lake would sit.” The Tilleys invested in 85 acres in the hills of an ancient glacier bed just north of Newark, Ohio, and right away they carved out the 10 acres for their…