Tag Archives: log home bathroom

A Kentucky Real Log Home: Contemporary Meets Traditional

While Kentucky is well known for having the best bourbon in the world, it’s also known for having some of the most beautiful country style log homes in the country. If you’ve never heard of Shelbyville, it happens to be smack dab between Louisville and Lexington, in the heart of northern Kentucky. It’s also home for this weeks’ Real Log Style feature.

Log Home in Kentucky | Log Home Construction

A summer day at a Kentucky Real Log Home

Set back from the road, this contemporary log home has a fantastic wrap around farmers porch atop a walkout basement – perfect for enjoying the Kentucky scenery.

Kentucky Log Home | Log Home Design

Another exterior shot of the Kentucky Real Log Home

A bright and sunny summer’s day showcases a log home perfectly (although log homes love the snow, too). A large gable-end truss sits above custom fixed triangular windows. A two car attached garage helps bridge the storage/work shop and the main house through a cozy attached entryway.

Log Home Gazebo | Log Home Pool

Log Home Pool with Gazebo

The heat can be unforgiving in Kentucky and the homeowners of this log home wanted to make sure they could stay cool during the summer months. A gorgeous in-ground pool rests next to a post and beam gazebo in the picturesque backyard.

Log Home Kitchen | Country Kitchen

Log Home Custom Kitchen

Country living at its finest! This Kentucky Real Log Home kitchen is a great balance between classic log home and contemporary styles. For example, full log floor joists above the country style custom cabinets is a unique and a great way of blending old with new.

Kentucky Log Home | Log Home Great Room

Log Home Great Room

Maybe you’ve seen log home pictures in magazines or in other forms of social media, but had a hard time imagining yourself being in one. The photographer of the above photo was able to make us feel like we’re walking into this magnificent great room. Note: how enchanting are those custom triangular windows?

Log Home Great Room | Kentucky Log Home Great Room

Log Home Great Room

Here’s the other view of the Kentucky log home great room. This time, with our backs to the gable end wall of windows, we’re able to see how an open floor plan works beautifully for a log home.

Log Home Bedroom | Kentucky Log Home Bedroom

Log Home Bedroom

Why build a Real Log Home? The photo above answers that question without using any words! Full log floor joists provide an ideal canopy over the stunning master bedroom with walkout deck.

Log Home Master Bath | Log Home Bathroom Designs

Log Home Master Bath

A master bath fit for a king (and queen!) boasts gorgeous pine wood floors and expansive vanity. I love how the home owner continued the log floor joists in each room of the log home. Some home owners choose to install sheet rock and have a more traditional ceiling, but you can see the effect of keeping the floor joists exposed – beautiful.

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Also, if you’re interested in building your own Real Log Home, call us today and speak directly with a building professional: 800- REAL LOG (732-5564) or fill out a contact form directly from our website.

Circle 9 Ranch: A Real Log Home Texas Retreat

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.

Real Log Home Texas RanchThe 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

Log Home Porch

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.

Real Log Home Interior Windows

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.

Log Home Bathroom

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.

Log Home Exterior

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!

Log Home Bathrooms

There are rooms in the house that don’t often get the glamor or the attention they deserve.  They may be small, and in general we don’t spend a lot of time in them, but these are some very important rooms.  I am of course talking about bathrooms.

Bathrooms are where you go to get clean, get ready for work, and get ready for bed.  And while it’s generally regarded as a room for business only (no pun intended) there’s no reason why a bathroom shouldn’t feel just as cozy, welcoming and beautiful as the rest of your log home.

Some considerations when designing a bathroom:

Can the materials stand up to kids?

Will your bathroom be subjected to bath time splashing (a.k.a. submarine fights and pirate ship battles)?  Then it’s probably going to be easier to maintain a tile floor and tiled wall, than it would be wood floors and drywall which can become damaged over time from water exposure.  Although, if you really are set on the look of wood floors throughout, consider using bamboo floors in the bathrooms.  Bamboo has great resilience in moist environments.

Log Home Bathroom With Slate Tile

We love the combination of tiles used in this log home bathroom in California

Does it have exterior windows?

In general, bathrooms are small spaces which can feel cramped without proper lighting.  Windows are great for letting light in, but depending on where your log home is situated, they can also be great for letting people look right in.  On second story bathrooms, consider using a skylight to let light in.  But, if you have a problem window, consider using a window film to obscure the view but still let light in.  You can also opt for sheer curtains that don’t darken the room too much.  Read about privacy and light control at Hunter Douglas’ website.

Log Home Bathroom With Skylights

This log home bathroom feels light and bright thanks in part to the two skylights.

Are the bathrooms and powder rooms on the main level in good locations?

One layout mistake that people make, and often regret later, is putting a guest bath directly off of the formal dining room or other entertaining space.  While everyone knows what goes on behind closed doors, most people don’t like being that up front about it.  So it’s better to allow guests to actually leave the dining room to use the restroom a bit more privately, without all the dinner guests watching (and listening).  A good place to put guest bathrooms on the main level is off the kitchen, right near the front door, or off the mudroom.

Log Home Guest Bathroom

From light fixtures to cabinet hardware, this bathroom looks well put together and inviting to guests. The solid surface counter tops and under-mount sinks also make for easy cleaning.