Log Homes Across the Country (and the World)

Mar28

There are a lot of ideas that pop up in peoples’ minds when they hear someone mention a log home. It’s true that many people associate log homes with northern climates in rural areas. And while we, as a New England based company, do agree that log homes are a perfect fit for our region, we also know that log homes can be built in any part of the country – even the world. Here are some of our favorite examples on how log homes are a great choice for any region.

California

This stunning log home has a truly grand exterior. Details on the home such as the front door, and exterior lighting, exudes a mission style which is a fitting choice for a California log home.

Oklahoma

This log home was built on Grand Lake o’ the Cherokees to serve as a gathering place for the whole family. The sloping site and access to the lake give this log home a real draw. It was built in a popular development and is right at home next to the other traditional homes (but with much more character).

Wisconsin

Home by Independent Representative Starview Log Homes

The log home above was custom designed and features Swedish Cope logs. The large overhangs and logs give this home a very western feel. Greeted by a friendly, custom carved bear pillar this home is friendly and functional.

Alabama

Home by Independent Representative, Lookout Mountain Log Homes

Log homes are just as at home in the South as they are in other regions. This log home shown above is a great example. It has many classic log home elements such a stone chimney and lots of windows.

Italy

Log homes are at home across the world. The log home above is a great example of how log homes can be designed to blend well with any region’s architectural norms.

Japan

Real Log Homes are even at home in Japan. The traditional building techniques and natural aesthetic are a perfect fit. You can see how this Japanese log home has been designed with clean lines and showcases simple and restful decor:

We hope you’ve enjoyed this global tour of all the places a REAL™ Log Home is so nice to come home to. Did we miss your region? Are you hungry for more photos? Leave us a comment and let us know. We’d be happy to showcase your region too.

Lighting Up Your Log Home with Natural Light

Jun22

We’re entering into the absolute best time of year; when the days are longer and it stays light until well past 8pm. The afternoon sun can be warm, but it also lights up your log home in a way that no table lamp could ever do. Through windows, sky lights and with the help of great rooms – the beauty of a log home can be found during the late afternoon when the sun hits the logs and your home is illuminated. Let’s check out some amazing summer sunlight log home photos to see what I mean.

Sky Light, Sky Bright

The log home sun room above doubles as a dining room and uses a ton of afternoon sun to light the room. The three sky lights above the three double-hung windows showcase the view outside as well as light up the view on the inside of this beautiful home. The homeowners also made a great choice not to have grilles on any of the windows which makes for unobstructed views of the property outside.

The log home addition above was strictly for fun and games. The home owners wanted an entertainment room addition and in order to create natural light in an area with mid-level knee walls, sky lights were a fantastic option. With three sky lights on either side of the ridge line, the area feels balanced and well lit as the afternoon sun fills the room.

Gable End Sunlight

The log home loft space above uses the gable end wall of windows to allow an abundance of natural light and creates terrific ambiance. The custom fixed glass windows make the room feel open while allowing those who sit in this amazing space to get a full view of the lush green property outside.

Here is another gable end great room where the room is drenched with late afternoon light. You may have noticed that all of the windows in the log homes featured so far don’t have grilles. Not using grilles on your windows can be less costly when building your log home and it may also help to display the beautiful views outside. Just outside the doors of the great room above, there’s a large deck overlooking quite the landscape!

Do you have any questions or comments about anything you’ve seen featured on Real Log Style? Leave a comment here, email us at info@realloghomes.com, call us directly at 800-REAL LOG (732-5564) or write to us on Facebook. Have a great weekend everyone!

Circle 9 Ranch: A Real Log Home Texas Retreat

Jun6

When I say Texas ranch – you probably think of cattle roaming on open plains, amber grain blowing in the summer breeze and of course, cowboys . This week’s featured Real Log Home is a beautiful country retreat nestled in the heart of Texas. It’s a true southern ranch, named Circle 9, that boasts classic country style with quintessential log home charm.

The Property

Circle 9 Ranch sits on 47 beautiful acres in Texas. The property has unique ancient oak trees and pecan orchards; the home owners built the retreat as their dream retirement home and as the saying goes, dreams really do come true!

The driveway entrance shown at right shows the expansive farmers porch that welcomes as you turn off the dirt road onto the property.

A Texas Welcome

After you park your car (or horse) step right up onto the porch where, if you’re lucky, an ice cold sweet tea awaits you. The porch faces the south towards the driveway and as you relax, gaze up to see the handiwork of the rounded contour half logs on the ceiling above you.

Stunning Interior

Real Log Home Texas Ranch

The scope of the great room from this vantage point demonstrates that this is not your run-of-the-mill log home. Circle 9 Ranch is a real treat for those who love interior designing and also, those who admire a log homes’ natural beauty.

The arched doorway as you enter helps illustrate the custom log craftsmanship found in this home. An open floor plan, like the one shown in the photo, above allows family and friends in different rooms to be unhindered by walls. Open plans create multiple rooms out of one big room – so the conversation and space never ends. The full round stairs balusters and railings with half log steps are wonderful to see with the stone back drop. I always love seeing a log home play off of different materials – in this case it’s stone and wood.

The log home photo above shows the great room, but from this angle, our backs are to the entry way. The wall of windows show off the beauty of a Texas sunset while the home is beaming from the finish on the interior log walls. From a construction standpoint, you can see the log frame clearly in this photo and the soaring ceiling heights make the room feel grand, yet cozy. The plush leather sofas mixed in with hardwood coffee table in a different finish are the best combination to bring warmth to such a large, open space.

As we continue our tour inside the ranch, we find ourselves in an enviable lavatory. It’s easy to forget that this is an important space that needs the right TLC – pedestal sink, perfect wall paper and well suited decorations. I love the plaid custom twig chair and wooden medicine cabinet the home owners placed here.

Our final view of Circle 9 Ranch is taken from outside in the pasture. From this view, we’re able to see the expansive home in all of its glory. I can’t think of a better way to end a day than an absolutely majestic Texas sunset adorning a Real Log Home!

Do you have any questions or comments about Circle 9 Ranch or building a log home of your own? Call us directly at 800- REAL LOG (732-5564), email us info@realloghomes.com or ask us on our Facebook page!

Real Log Style’s Top New Year’s Resolution: Plan Ahead

Jan6

There are a lot of lists out there of the top five or ten New Year’s resolutions, but we here at Real Log Style think there’s one resolution that trumps them all – Plan Ahead.

As many of you may have experienced during the holidays, poor planning can lead to stress, and according to a Scientific American article we just read, stress could possibly lead to more gray hairs. So dodge the grays this year, and get a plan! From planning for visitors, to planning your dream log home, don’t leave anything to the last minute.

Here are three situations that the log home lover should plan ahead for:

1) Having guests over to your home (this may be fresh on the minds of many)

If you live in a log home, then you’re going to want to show it off to friends and family!
Decide ahead of time who is staying in what room, and make all the beds 1 day ahead of time (set the clean towels for guests in their respective rooms so there is no confusion as to what towels are for them).
Plan any necessary menus and get your groceries the day before, or morning of your guest’s arrival (make sure to order any specialty items like large roasts so you’ll be sure they are available for you).
Know what serving-ware, stemware and table linens you’ll be using ahead of time and make sure they are clean and ready a day ahead of time (nobody wants to be ironing a table cloth instead of greeting guests).

2) Maintaining your log home

It’s difficult to perform maintenance in the winter, but the spring is a great time for staining logs and caulking any large checks. Schedule any log home maintenance now so you won’t have to worry come spring time.
When fall comes again in 2012, make sure you clear away debris, leaves and branches from around your home’s foundation before they get buried by snow.

3) Planning to build a new log home or addition

The planning process can take a fair amount of time as you work back and forth with our design department to customize every aspect of your log home. So if you are hoping to build a log home in 2012, plan ahead and start the design process now. (In 2012 design deposits start as low as $1,000)
Start the design process early and keep the experience enjoyable and stress free. You should never let yourself feel rushed into making compromises on your dream log home. After all, a Real Log Home is built to last a lifetime – so plan ahead to make sure it’s built just the way you want it.
Get your permits, financing and building partner lined up well in advance of when you’d like to break ground. Real Log Homes can help you find a local partner who is familiar with permits and financing in your area – just call them at 1-800-REAL LOG (732-5564) or email them at info@realloghomes.com

So while it may seem like a simple and straightforward resolution, planning ahead takes energy and commitment, but it is so worth it. Fight the procrastinator within, and free yourself from the unwanted stress (and gray hairs) that come from poor planning! Happy New Year!

P.S. – Share with us some of your tips for being a good planner, and any other New Year’s resolutions you’ve made and want to share. Just click “leave a comment” below.

Shopping for Log Home Plans

Nov25

It’s Black Friday today: A day of waiting in lines, hustling for door busters, and the looming threat that whatever you’re shopping for, will be sold out by the time you get there. Yikes, that sounds stressful. We have a much more fun alternative in mind – shopping for log home plans at Real Log Homes.

The Covington - Standard Real Log Home Plan

There are over 45 standard plans to get your log home shopping started right. And keep in mind, that almost every log home we make is customized in some way. If you want to modify any plan, or combine features from multiple plans, or even start from scratch, our in-house design department is ready to make it happen for you.

Here are 3 tips to keep in mind when browsing through floor plans:

1) Interior Layout vs. Exterior Looks

It can be helpful when trying to narrow down what you want out of a log home, to look first at only the layout, size and floor plan of the interior. Then, after you’ve seen what you like and what you dislike, go back and look only at the exteriors. It’s important that you love your log home inside and out, so you should never have to sacrifice the ideal layout to have an attractive exterior. If you can isolate what features you like on the outside, and what layout features you like on the inside, our award-winning design department can meld the two together, often quite seamlessly.

2) Your Needs Now vs. Future Needs

If you’re planning to build a log home for the long haul, Real Log Homes® is an excellent choice. And if you know you’ll be living in your log home for a very long time, it’s a good idea to plan for the inevitable changes that growing old will bring. While homeowners with young children often want all the bedrooms on one level (the second story), as they age they may appreciate a first floor master bedroom (since it will cut down on trips up and down the stairs.) So if your plans for your log home are long term, consider a floor plan that will allow you to transition to a downstairs bedroom later in life (or simply consider building a ranch style log home). Often a den, large office, or library can be easily converted into a bedroom.

3) Think About Your Building Site

If you own a piece of land on a sloping hill side, with great views – you’ll want a log home plan that takes advantage of all the best features of your site. A log home plan with a walkout basement, and large windows that face your best views would work great. So think of your building site when shopping for log home plans and make sure you get the most out of your land.

Of course, these three tips are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to designing a log home. If you feel overwhelmed or think of some questions while browsing our log home plans online, we hope you’ll give us a call: 1-800- REAL LOG (732-5564) . Our talented and dedicated staff can help guide you, and provide you with sample plans that match your needs (plans we don’t have on our website).

A bonus for shopping with Real Log Homes: we won’t make you wait outside till midnight – our doors are always open, and our log homes are always so nice to come home to. Click here to start shopping now.

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Log Home Plans, Design, and Decor

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