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.
When my staff and I started to plan this kitchen and bath issue nearly a year ago, I had no idea that it would become so personal to me. This very week, as we’re preparing to send this issue to the printer, I started interviewing kitchen contractors for my own renovation. A year ago, I moved into a new place and inherited someone else’s kitchen concept. The good news is that I heeded the advice we’ve given our readers over the years: I spent some time using the existing space, figuring out what worked and what didn’t. What I learned is that, while it was superficially pretty, when it came to functionality, nothing really worked for me. I designed the kitchens of the previous two homes I’ve lived in, inherently employing…
FOR A UNIQUE SPIN on kitchen and dining seating, consider adding booth space. Learn more about this simple way to maximize space at loghome.com/kitchen-booths. STRIKING THE BALANCE between beauty and function is key, especially when it comes to bathroom lighting. Head to timberhomeliving.com/bathroom-lighting-guide for a primer on creating a lighting plan that’s just right. LOW ON SPACE in your cabin kitchen? Check out cabinlife.com/cabin-kitchen-strategies for our top tips to utilize every precious square foot in the heart of your home. HEAD TO OUR CHANNEL, @logandtimberhomeliving, to see a sneak preview of magazine content, learn about the key differences (and similarities!) in log and timber homes, gain savvy building insights and much more! Connect with us on social media and sign up for our newsletters! Looking to buy your favorite annual…
Rachel: My husband, Brad, and I love to hike in the mountains, either in the Great Smoky Mountains or the Rockies, and we always try to stay in a cozy log cabin when we travel to these places. So, when five acres of land on a hilltop became available near Nashville, we decided that’s where we wanted to build our own rustic dream house. We have a spectacular view of downtown Nashville from the hilltop. But we’re in a very tranquil wooded area, so it feels like you’re a world away. We have lots of wildlife around, including bobcats, coyotes and deer — even rattlesnakes. I knew from the beginning I wanted either a log or a timber frame home. Ultimately, we decided on a hybrid house. I wanted it…
In the ancient Chinese practice of feng shui, one’s bedroom should a be a minimalist place of rest. To achieve this, the philosophy offers simple guidelines: do place your headboard against a wall; don’t have electronics in the room; do create symmetry; and, importantly, do not allow clutter — not even hidden underneath the bed or in the form of extra furnishings. Modern home trends are catching on — contemporary bedroom design is focused on creating simple, serene sanctuaries, often even making them smaller. As it turns out, when homeowners get to choose, they’re pumping that valuable square footage into spaces where you need storage and function most, like the bathroom. A recent Houzz report finds that primary bathrooms are only getting bigger, and homeowners are getting that square footage…
Bathrooms are botched more than any other room in the house. The big problem is water. It’s central to the room’s function, but it also can be a source of damage. And designers unduly focus on cosmetics at the expense of critically important construction basics. Broadly speaking, the two causes of botched bathrooms are an unwillingness to spend the time and money it takes to construct a bathroom properly, and inexperienced people handling the work. After 10 years of remodeling bathrooms, I’ve torn out a lot of other people’s mistakes. Here are my seven sins of bathroom design. 1 Inadequate Waterproofing. Bathrooms are wet rooms first, design showcases second. Every aspect of planning and construction should take water exposure into account. If the waterproofing bill isn’t at least 5 to…
Imagine taking a deep breath in a gorgeous herb garden on a sunny day. Now imagine that you could bottle that fresh air and somehow use it to scent and sanitize your home. It is possible! Just ask Stephanie Rose. Stephanie uses all-natural, handmade cleaning agents at her home in British Columbia, Canada. Now a master gardener, permaculture designer and trained herbalist, Stephanie began her garden journey after a sudden illness left her bedridden in 2006. “I used gardening as rehabilitation,” she recalls, explaining that tending plants in her Vancouver yard helped her strengthen her body and her mind after many months of exhaustion. Gardening also led her to learn ways to avoid harsh chemicals that might trigger or exacerbate her health troubles. Store-bought housekeeping and self-care products often contain…
