Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2025 i Log and Timber Home Living

See the entire home on page 62. SPRINGTIME may think it has a stranglehold on the compulsion to clean house, but in the world of publishing, late summer is the season of change. It’s around this time when we begin to look ahead to next year’s lineup, nurture what’s been working and ditch what hasn’t. As our staff began to appraise the homes and topics we’ll cover in 2026, we found ourselves discussing what else we can do to can make readers’ experience even better. And then we had a collective epiphany: Why wait? With our fabulous new creative director Carrie Topp at the artistic helm, we decided this issue is the perfect time to refine Log & Timber Home Living’s pages with an eye toward functionality and beauty. As…

For farmers, midsummer has an ominous nickname: the Heart of Darkness. It’s the season when the heat is at full boil, the threat of drought is all too real and the list of farm-related tasks seems longer than a grocery receipt. But it’s not just farmers who can feel weary at this time of year. Whether you live in the mountains, desert, lowlands or prairie, maintaining a lush landscape can be daunting when it seems like there’s so much to handle and the heat and humidity are sapping your motivation to get it all done. However a bit of planning (even just a month in advance) can keep your stamina going strong without losing any plants along the way. Consider these tips for enjoying your log or timber home landscape—even…

ON NEW YORK’S CANANDAIGUA LAKE, this home strikes the perfect Balance-countering classic lake-home style with a hint of fresh farmhouse. The 26-foot-long and 18-foot-wide enclosed porch is case study in the aesthetic durt. A wingback chair in nostalgic wicker, nautical blue-and-white stripes and the hard-to-miss wooden boat overhead (a family heirloom curate a sense of place. But look closer, and you'll find that leather upholstery, galvanized metal and a long, live-edge table lend a rustic note. Overhead, a structural king-post truss that lifts the ceiling up 17 feet brings it all together. Nail the look in your own space with finds like these. Shop these products and more by scanning the QR code!…

It’s possible that no feature of Steven and Becky Rothenberger’s home was envisioned with greater care than the selection and integration of the timbers that grace the structure—and in such a carefully customized project, that’s saying something. The couple had invested years of research, planning and yes—dreaming—before building their dream forever home in southeastern Pennsylvania. Through this due diligence, they determined the optimal way to achieve the best of all worlds: they chose a hybrid home. Log siding defines the home’s exterior and creates rustic curb appeal (see for yourself at loghome.com/rothenbergers), but inside, elegant, tall timbers take center stage. “Along with the look and feel of the ‘Lincoln Log’ exterior, I have always admired and loved the look and feel of a structural post-and-beam system inside the house,” Steven…

It’s a warm, blue-skied day as Susan Schachtner gazes peacefully through her office window, taking in sun-drenched views of her slice of Montana’s pastures and forests. As she speaks, she reflects on the simple joys and wild beauty of life in a rural timber frame home: waking up to stoke a fire and sip morning coffee with her husband, John, in the shadow of the Great Divide; watching longhorn cattle roam their property; and every now and then, a cameo appearance by a wild elk or bear. Her sense of wonder for the land known as Little Prickly Pear Ranch (all 1,350 deeded acres plus 2,200 under state lease) is palpable. She speaks with well-earned pride about her strikingly beautiful home. But her tone takes a somber, wistful turn as…

PLANNING an addition to your current ranch home? At loghome.com/single-story-log-addition, see how one homeowner seamlessly integrated nearly 3,000 square feet into their log house. SINGLE-STORY timber homes are practical for sure. But boring? Never. Visit timberhomeliving.com/unique-ranch-floor-plans to explore some of our favorite floor plan shapes and styles. SMALL HOMES don’t have a trademark on coziness. Find all the ways to curate this feeling in your home, regardless of style or size, at cabinlife.com/keys-to-cozy. JOIN Log & Timber Home Living magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, Donna Peak, as she explores why single-level design works so well for log and timber frame homes. Connect with us on social media and sign up for our newsletters!…

People are creatures of habit. We have our rituals; our paths we follow. If you put a tracer on your body, I’d bet you’d find you follow almost the same route every day. Consider the average morning routine: You get out of bed, amble to the shower, go back through the bedroom to access your dressers and closet, make your way to the kitchen for a cup of coffee and to the great room to turn on the news. Then you head back to the bathroom to finish grooming, cross the full length of the house to get to the garage and head out on your way. When we’re younger, trekking all over the house like this is no big deal; but the older we get, the more challenging everyday…

For years, ski-lover Joe Horton and his family dreamed of owning a cabin in Government Camp, the highest elevation community on Mount Hood in Oregon. When he spotted a rundown 1926 Douglas fir cabin on Craigslist in 2013, he jumped at the chance to bring the neglected structure back to life. Fueled by sheer enthusiasm, Joe decided to do much of the restoration work himself, despite not having any construction experience. (“My friends who were in construction all wanted to tear it down,” he says with a laugh.) In the end, it took more than a decade and an abundance of blood, sweat and tears to turn his dream into a reality. “I never asked what it would take to do it. If I had, I never would have put…

Decades ago, Cindy and Peter Gonya would pack up their young kids and leave behind their New Hampshire Colonial for turns on the slopes of the state’s rural Sunapee region. “We are a ski family,” explains Cindy. “When we went on vacations with our kids, we always stayed in ski-in/ski-out, alpine-style condos. It was our happy place.” Inspired by those ski lodges, Peter dreamed of retiring to a log home of his own one day. He fed that goal by continually perusing log home magazines and websites. After Peter’s 20-year service in the U.S. Navy (followed by 25 years as a commercial airline pilot) and Cindy’s two-decades-long marketing career in the financial industry came to a close, the couple finally could anticipate moving. Naturally, their gaze turned to the Sunapee…

Readers Myra and Steve Billings may live on the eastern seaboard, but they found the inspiration — and the materials — for their log home on the opposite coast. Here’s how they built their dream forever home using 12-inch-round Engelmann spruce and lodgepole pine logs from British Columbia, inspired by the log cabins of the mountain west. Myra: My husband, Steve, took me out west about 25 years ago for one of our anniversaries, and we got a rental car and then just drove. We saw all kinds of places—Wyoming, Montana, Glacier National Park. But what struck me the most were the beautiful log homes. I was blown away by the way they used big logs. The dream started then, and I began ordering [what was then] Log Home Living and…

Single-level designs have an undeniable appeal. They’re beloved for their flexible layouts and they facilitate easy indoor-outdoor flow. They’re prime for aging in place, and they make certain chores (like cleaning windows or gutters) a lighter lift. And when designed as a log, timber frame or hybrid home, their innate charm only grows. “Single-story living is a perfect match for log and timber homes, enhancing their natural, open feel without an upper level to block the view,” explains Molly Cooper of Honest Abe Log Homes. “Vaulted ceilings and exposed beams add rustic beauty and spaciousness, while front and rear porches become true extensions of daily life.” And if you’re picturing the run-of-the-mill, humdrum designs of yesteryear, their customizability today is nearly endless. “This style naturally supports expansive layouts, providing flexibility…

Finishing a basement is a popular and relatively inexpensive way to add living space to a home. But given that at least part of every basement is below grade, managing water is always a primary concern. A wet basement not only will destroy the flooring you choose (and other building materials as well), it also can lead to mold growth and unhealthy air quality. Before any flooring options can be considered, all bulk-water issues need to be dealt with. This article will help you think about the most efficient ways to create comfortable, long-lasting basement floors while avoiding some common problems. It also explores flooring products and subfloor methods. While the focus is on basements, these tips and techniques apply to slab-on-grade applications, too. Manage Water Vapor Like bulk water,…

1 In addition to banks of crafted alder cabinetry, the cozy U-shaped kitchen offers an abundance of built-in bookshelves. The two that flank the wet bar (with three areas to store wine) provide handy access for cookbook collectors, while the low-rise shelving on the back of the peninsula organizes reading material for the living area. 2 Open shelving in the walk-in pantry keeps jars and small appliances easy to reach. 3 Comfortable as your favorite blue jeans, the denim sofa is strategically placed to allow guests to keep company with the resident chef or gaze upon the living area’s two-sided fireplace (not pictured) — a cost- and space-saving feature. 4 While the kitchen counter reigns for daily meals, the occasional formal affair can be enjoyed in the unassuming dining area…

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, this timber home is ripe for replication. Whether you’re in the dreaming, building or enjoying stage of your log or timber home journey, this house offers a wealth of easy-to-emulate ideas. Inside and out, the home takes its cues from the world around it. The unassuming mountain-modern exterior practically dissolves into its surroundings, while creative energy seeps from every square inch of the 3,000-square-foot interior designed by M.T.N Design, the architectural arm of PrecisionCraft Log & Timber Homes. A thread of natural details—from the strong architectural features to the earthy finishes and furnishings—woven throughout ensure you never have to look long for inspiration. Step inside and let the note-taking begin. RIVERSIDE RETREAT Embracing a classic mountain-modern vernacular, this single-story home features a…