The nation’s premier log home magazine, Log Home Living encourages the dream of log home ownership. Each issue celebrates the log home lifestyle, provides practical advice, and offers photo tours of the nation’s most beautiful log homes.
Humans are an impatient lot. Our thirst for shortcuts and instant gratification extends to everything from our first cup of coffee in the morning to ever-increasing internet speeds. And while the perfect log or timber-framed home is a goal many of our readers spend years — sometimes decades — planning for, when the decision is made to stop dreaming and start doing, they, too, want it NOW! We have a few ideas to help fulfill that need. For starters, it’s important to think about the construction process even as you are mapping out your home’s floor plan. As our resident builder Dan Mitchell points out, designing and building a home may seem like two distinct roads on the log and timber home journey, but they are linked more than you…
SEE HOW ONE COUPLE DESIGNED their ideal ranch-style home using a Western aesthetic as their guiding inspiration. Grab the floor plan and all the details at loghome.com/new-england-western-romance. NOT SURE WHERE TO START when designing a single-story home? At timberhomeliving.com/single-minded, find pro pointers for achieving the ideal plan for your needs. ONCE YOU’VE SETTLED INTO YOUR SPACE, you can make a positive economic and environmental impact on your new locale. Learn about alternative food networks and how to create one where you live at cabinlife.com/building-local-food-networks. CAN’T DECIDE between a log or timber home? Learn the key differences and then subscribe to our channel, @logandtimberhomeliving, for upcoming inspiring home tours, savvy building insights and much more! Connect with us on social media and sign up for our newsletters! Looking to buy your…
When Dan and Carolyn Rogers decided to give up life in a vintage, three-story Des Moines home for a charming ranch-style log cabin in the country, they kept their Victorian aesthetic — just not all their stuff. Here’s their story. Carolyn: The story of our log cabin stretches back six decades, when my family first became acquainted with the original (and only) owners of our cabin: Rev. Dick Kiefer and his wife, Shirley. After living in a church parsonage for many years, the Kiefers decided to build a home of their own – a log cabin – on three acres of land a few miles west of Dallas Center that they purchased from another good friend, noted Iowa architect and preservationist Bill Wagner. In the late 1970s, with the help…
Ranch-style homes have a reputation for practicality — their single-story layouts make them optimal for young kids and aging in place. But today’s ranch homes are more than the prosaic designs of yesterday. With all the same benefits of single-level living, modern ranches are aesthetically and functionally flexible — especially when built with log or timber frame elements. See how these unique designs prove today’s ranches have come a long way from the low-slung, boxy designs of the past. The Bowen Ranch By Wisconsin Log Homes Square Footage: 4,834 Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 5 full, 1 half This meandering design strikes just the right balance, lending itself to an indoor-outdoor lifestyle. Tom Steber, national home and design consultant for Wisconsin Log Homes, explains it was important to not just have 360-degree…
H. PrecisionCraft Log & Timber Homes eschews any old ideas about long, boxy ranch shapes with this design. Centered around an elegant entry courtyard with separate “wings” for privacy and entertaining, the footprint takes an H-like shape, which creates a sense of flow throughout the home. The laundry is cleverly placed in the bedroom wing for easy access, while a half bath and closet off the garage on the opposing wing provide extra utility. X. This plan, by Riverbend Timberframing, efficiently separates sleeping quarters from entertaining and living spaces – of which there are many. The foyer opens into a centralized, grand living room for more formal entertaining; off to the side, a cozy den closes off to the rest of the public spaces and makes for a quiet spot to…
Complete your home’s unique design with finishing materials that cement its singularity. Once you have your design dialed in, try these expert ideas for a ranch that truly stands apart from the rest: Make an Impression “In the Urban Oasis, the entry porch has a twisted timber post feature. It’s the small details like that which can really stand out and elevate the design of a ranch-style home to the next level, without overdoing it or being too extravagant.” – Nicole Try Some Texture “We find people often opt for different textures on the exterior, so they might add stone, cedar shakes or vertical board and batten in their home’s gables.” – Tom Mix it Up “On the interior, I’m seeing people use stone and plaster to create contrast with…
