Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2023 i Log and Timber Home Living

Budgets are a tricky business. Everyone has one — even the wealthy set parameters on what they’re willing to spend on a particular item. When it comes to building a home, however, there are more factors at play than simply a dollar amount. Location is obviously a major consideration, and depending on where you want to live and how much property you want to own, the bite it takes from your budget could be big or small. Likewise, lifestyle must come into play. Some homebuyers are happy with the basics in their homes — even if they can afford more; others are looking for mid-level upgrades. Then there are the folks who want all the bells and whistles, because, after all, when the custom home you’re shopping for is built with…

Greg:We live in Tennessee, but we motorhome in the summertime. There’s a particular area of Colorado that we like in the south-central part of the state. We heard of this very exclusive RV resort that caters to Prevost motorhomes. We went out there in 2019, and they were just opening up some very rare property along the Rio Grande. We bought two of those lots. They had restrictions on them in that you could only build living quarters of 600 square feet inside or 800 square feet under roof. We decided to build a beautiful cabin with fir half-log siding and, on the lot beside it, put a pavilion with a fireplace and an outdoor kitchen. We’re just below 9,000 feet in elevation. In that part of the country, it’s…

Even within the bounds of “classic cabin,” the design is in the details. Maybe it’s a fishing camp perched along a river in the Rockies where round logs and lighter stains reign. Or perhaps it’s a place for the family to post up at the lake in the Deep South, where “classic” implies tidy chinking and square logs. Here’s how exterior details can help you attune your cabin aesthetic to fit in with its environment. Southern With the Clayton, Honest Abe Log Homes perfectly captures the spirit of old Southern pioneer log homes. Originally designed for a Tennessee couple, a welcoming front porch, square chinked logs with dovetail corners, a wood-burning fireplace and a standing-seam metal roof create the kind of curb appeal that just makes sense on such pastoral…

A painter’s palette of reds, oranges and yellows cover the landscape in the fall. Trucks pass by stacked high with felled Christmas trees from local farms in the winter. Rushing waterfalls sing in the spring, and a rainbow of hard-to-find species of rhododendron and mountain laurel pop out of mountainsides in the summer. Any time of year, it’d be fair to mistake the Cabin at Squirrel Creek for the setting of a storybook. For the weekend, it can be your very own mountain-magic getaway. Situated above the banks of Squirrel Creek in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, this two-bedroom, two-bathroom rental invites visitors to experience the essence of cabin living. Before ever stepping foot inside (where charm abounds), the natural beauty of the region will sweep you off…

Making the most of the log and timber home experience has always involved a strong connection to the environment. So, it’s no great leap to think “solar” as an energy source when it’s time to build or renovate. And now, thanks to innovative new ways to incorporate solar into one’s design, log or timber homeowners who have dismissed solar in the past can now reimagine the possibility of comfortable, clean energy. “The first benefit is the solar alternative to the present reliance on fossil fuels and its benefits to the homeowner and society as a whole,” explains Portland, Oregon-based Jonathan Orpin, the founder of New Energy Works, which specializes in timber framing and energy-focused design. “Solar can do a lot with the use of the sun as it hits panels…

After all your hard work to make your dream home become a reality, it’s finally time to relax … once you’ve made a financial plan, that is. When deciding how much you can invest in your forever home, consider the following: The house and all that goes with it. This is usually the largest monthly expense, regardless of square footage. According to visionretirement.com, housing expenses represent 35 percent or more of annual expenditures. This includes mortgage payments, HOA fees, insurance, taxes and maintenance. Since no home is completely maintenance free, one way to cut costs is to find a company that offers packages of multiple services you’ll need frequently. Finally, don’t forget to consider utilities. Health care. This category, including insurance, medical services, supplies and medications, ranks high on large…

Windows When making your window selection, look for products with a low U-factor, a low air-leakage rating and a frame made of fiberglass or composite wood for the best insulating properties. Upgrade your current setup with caulking and weather-stripping around air leaks and by adding a protective solar film, exterior shades or UV-diffusing window covering. Lighting Lighting can be one of the most aggressive energy vampires in your home, but switching to LEDs can help bring your electric costs down significantly. An average LED bulb should last close to 20 years — a big plus in a 20- to 30-foot-high vaulted ceiling! LEDs use 80 percent less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last 15 times longer. Heating and Cooling Heating and cooling systems account for more than half of…

As with most things in the custom-home-building process, the first things you need to consider are your wants, needs and how much of your budget you’re planning to invest in those areas. Kitchens, baths and bedrooms are obviously all “needs,” but the design and materials you select to outfit those spaces are driven by your “wants.” Beyond this wish list, there’s another factor to the equation: ROI. Building a log or timber home is a huge investment. If it’s a forever home (the last house you plan to purchase) or a legacy home (one you’ll pass down through the generations), your approach may be quite different than if it’s an investment home (one you plan to sell for a profit one day). In other words, some amenities and upgrades may…

Lovingly referred to as “Colorado’s last great ski town,” Crested Butte boasts an air of bygone Western mountain-town ambiance that you’ll only find in the high-altitude havens tucked deep in the Rockies. So, it makes sense that this post-and-beam retreat, filled with reclaimed materials, heavy wood beams and rustic stone throughout, fits right in. Inside, an abundance of rustic finishes and vivid Western motifs cement the home’s rugged aesthetic. Here’s how to get the look in your own space. Shop these looks and more by scanning the QR code!…

Ceilings are often considered the “fifth wall,” and while often overlooked, they present a golden opportunity to insert extra character to interiors of any size. Fortunately, log and timber-framed homes automatically feature gorgeous beams and trusses to catch the eye above, but what about areas, such as basement-level rec rooms, bedrooms, baths and others, where exposed heavy timber isn’t a given? Here, we delve into a diverse range of interior ceiling treatments (some constructive, some purely decorative) so you don’t forget to give your log or timber home that extra boost of beauty above. Tray Ceilings. A tray ceiling is an elegant and sophisticated option that adds depth and dimension to a room. These ceilings feature a central section that is recessed or stepped up, creating a “tray” effect. Tray…

For Jim and Michele Ducharme, building their log home of a lifetime was an epic labor love, all set in the familiar surroundings of family and tradition. With it came plenty of emotions and opportunities; simply taking a moment to reflect on the process brings it all sharply into focus. When it was finally complete, they scarcely could fathom what they had accomplished on a home site within the 25-acre tract of land near the Salmon Falls River in southwestern Maine — land that has been in the family for generations. Clocking in at 4,380 square feet of living space (plus an additional unfinished storage area), the house features three bedrooms and three full baths as well as an office, fitness room and finished basement. The adjacent barn provides 1,600…

If you grow herbs, fruit trees or vegetables, you’ve likely thought twice about spraying highly toxic pesticides on these plants — but that reluctance shouldn’t be confined to edible crops. Although pesticides have a place in some gardening protocols, the fact is that they do far more damage than you might realize. Not only can they negatively impact soil health, the bigger problem is that these toxins also kill beneficial insects that boost garden vitality. That includes honeybees, dragonflies, ladybugs, butterflies, lacewings and many other pollinators that are “good” bugs — insects that eat destructive bugs and fertilize flowers and fruit-bearing bushes. Protecting these groundskeeping heroes while controlling the garden bad guys is a balancing act, but there are some simple strategies that may help: Make a homemade spray: There…

The phrase “classic cabin” conjures up a specific vision: a petite home, somewhere in nature, probably either made with — or at least embellished with — natural materials. Maybe there’s smoke rising out of a chimney and there’s probably a porch on at least one side. “Think of the country log home; it’s timeless and it’s what folks have always dreamed about having when it comes to a log home,” says Danielle Whorton, director of project management at Southland Log Homes. “That’s what it still all comes back to.” In the pages of Log & Timber Home Living, you’ve seen the way log and timber-frame construction can push the bounds of design — massive mansions, modern tiny homes, functional farmhouses and more. But Danielle makes a point: Cabins have a…

Timeless in both style and sturdiness, stone and wood are two of Mother Nature’s best mediums. Together, they’re a match made in heaven. From towering stacked-stone fireplaces to luxe marble countertops to river-rock trimmed exteriors to hardscaped back yards and rugged stacked-rock fire pits, stone is everywhere you look in custom home design (even the faux stuff!). For log and timber homes, it’s not just an accessory but a key player. To get your creativity flowing, we’ve corralled some hot stone products — real and manmade; indoors and out. OUTDOORS A big reason log and timber structures are right at home in remote and even rugged locales is their use of natural materials — including stone. Here are a few ways to put both the beauty and brawn of stone…

Marcus and Jamie Kelley’s log home sits just a few miles west of Nashville, a city known for its music. Fittingly, the couple’s building journey unfolded a lot like the start of a bittersweet country ballad. You see, long before the newly married couple ventured upon their wooded, 10-acre property (after viewing more than 200 others), another couple had made plans to build a home in the same spot. They even poured the driveway. Then came life’s curveballs, and for two decades, the pretty patch of land was marked only by a road leading to nowhere. Once a path to new possibilities, the pavement had become a monument to a dream that wasn’t to be. But, like any good story set to song, this heartfelt tale ends on a happy…

No homeowner goes into the building process wanting to squander resources — be it time, energy or money. But some take a particularly staunch stand against it. Such is the story of one home on the shores of Lake Lanier in Georgia. Saving money, materials and energy are the trifecta of smart home building, and this one nails them all. But the accolades don’t end there. The home also scores high marks for its stand-out style. Designed as a full-time residence for well-traveled owners, the home takes its inspiration from across the globe. “The owners had spent some time in Japan and also Germany — two countries with a storied timber frame tradition,” explains David Shirley, lead architect for the home’s timber provider, New Energy Works. “They really wanted to…

There are a lot of excellent reasons to build a brand-new, custom home. Of course, there’s the ability to tailor the layout to your needs and the finishes to your specific tastes, but there’s also peace of mind in knowing that components, like the roof and HVAC, are up to snuff and in perfect working order. The downside of a new build is that it can feel new — meaning that it can lack the character and sense of permanence of a home that’s been around the block for a while. “Many people find old housesile inherently attractive,” says Patricia Poore, editor-in-chief of Old House Jour  nal magazine (a sister publication of Log & Timber Home Living). “They come to us with a whiff of lives past, a softness as they…