Building a Median-Sized Home That is Anything But Average
We’re taking a break from our series on planning a log home, but will be back soon with details on the construction phase. For now, we will turn to a topic that is on the minds of many of our readers. Although it’s easy to only feature larger homes, most people looking to build a log home are seeking homes around 2500 square feet, about the average for all new construction. Consistently, people come to the blog week after week from searches like “three bedroom log home plan”. Since we feel that a median-sized home doesn’t have to be boring, we thought we’d review a few of our favorite mid-sized Real Log Homes.
Last week, we started a series about a log cabin build in Vermont. While this project is a relatively simple build, it allows us to highlight the important steps in the planning process. The first step was developing a program, a set of guiding principles and needs that would inform the design of the cabin. Now that the program is in place, this week we will focus on the design of the cabin.
Frequently, we like to feature floor plans of various Real Log Homes on the blog. These posts give you a great look at a finished project, but not a lot of insight into how that specific home was built. On the other hand, our Homepath™ series at the beginning of the year was an overview of the home building process, but only in a general sense. So, we decided to spend the next few weeks focusing on a specific Real Log Home project.
Since we’re just barely starting into fall, it may seem an odd time to think about holiday entertaining. Thankfully, we do still have over two months to prepare for Thanksgiving and the winter entertaining season. Still, putting off all the preparations until just before the holidays can create quite the stressful situation. Instead, it’s best to start preparing early so that you don’t have to undergo a last minute rush. Here are a few ideas for items to prepare now, that will both aid your guests and make your home more relaxing for you as well.
We think the great room is a natural fit for the log home, and our readers seem to agree. Consistently, “great room” is one of the leading search terms on our site. This comes as no surprise, since the average great room today occupies one-fifth of the total floor plan of a home. With such a great amount of space in one room, proper planning is essential for the great room to function properly. Here are a few ideas to keep in mind when planning a great room.
Lately, the concept of passive house design has come to prominence in building and design discussions. A passive house is designed to require minimum energy input for heating and cooling. While some of the techniques used are modern, such as geothermal heat pumps and heat recovery ventilators, many of the techniques have a long history in building design. Here are a few of these well-used techniques and where best to apply them.
The heart and soul of a Real Log Home is, naturally, the logs. Since the logs used in constructing a home have such a large impact on its character, they must be carefully selected when designing a home. In addition to selecting the wood species, you need to select a log profile that appeals to you. Given that the log profile has such a large impact on the log home’s appearance, we published a guide two years ago on choosing a log profile.
In March, we covered ways to modify your lawn so that it required fewer resources to maintain. However, some of the suggestions like using a more drought tolerant grass are long term suggestions. Now that we are at the peak of summer heat, many homeowners are looking for ways to water their existing lawn more effectively. Here are a few ways to make the most of the water you use for irrigation.
Without a doubt, the log home is a classic American icon. When thinking of the archetypal rural homestead, the log cabin is the first thing that springs to mind. What created this association between America and the log home, and why did settlers choose log homes when they are fairly rare in Europe?
Like any other home, a log home does not truly feel like home until it is decorated to your own personal tastes. Usually, the kitchen and great rooms are the focus of attention when it comes to interior decorating. After the public rooms, the bedrooms are also an easy space to decorate and tend to see a lot of attention. The bathroom, however, is a more difficult room to decorate due to its high humidity and smaller spaces. Here are a few ideas for decorating this oft overlooked room.