October 2016 Blog Posts (23)

In New York's Catskill Mountains, one couple builds an Arts and Crafts log home.

This woodsy retreat presents a low silhouette with varied roofline. It’s modeled after a Greene and Greene home in California but, unlike its inspiration, it features 12-inch white pine…

Illuminating ideas for the lighting design that's right for every room of your log home.

By Murray Arnott

We all have been in homes in which we feel particularly relaxed and comfortable. Or we have worked in spaces that seem to energize us and spark our productivity. A well-lit home is much more than simply selecting and placing fixtures.

Once you have a grasp of the basic…

Summer is gone and the winter wind is stirring. While you’re looking for a break from the heat, you dread the struggle to fight off the chill of the season. The good news is you don’t have to drain your wallet to keep your home warm. Instead, indulge in one of the ways discussed below.

Sweet Heat

You struggle to stay warm without…

Extremely damp climates come with special challenges for those trying to keep their gardens healthy. In order to thrive, plants need their roots to be dry most of the time. If you live in a damp climate, don’t give up on gardening. Follow these simple tips for a stress free plant care experience.



Plant in Raised Garden Beds



Maintaining a…

Take one part architectural heritage and two parts highly functional design. Mix it well, and you have the perfect recipe for a beautifully rustic yet very modern log home... the new rustic log home!

There was a time when the word “rustic” was used to mean unrefined, artless — even backward. Those days are long gone. The term has come to embody the beauty and simplicity of nature, and in our technologically driven times, the pursuit of all things natural has become…

A Wisconsin hybrid half-log home mixes materials into a home that enchants.

Photography by Dan Hoffman

Courtesy of Tomahawk Log & Country Homes

Just as many log homes come to be, the “Beaver Creek” by Tomahawk Log & Country Homes is the result of taking ideas from other existing floor plans, combining them and then adapting them to suit the lot, as well as the owners’ desires and budget. And the result is nothing short of…

A Wisconsin hybrid half-log home mixes materials into a home that enchants.

Photography by Dan Hoffman

Courtesy of Tomahawk Log & Country Homes

Just as many log homes come to be, the “Beaver Creek” by Tomahawk Log & Country Homes is the result of taking ideas from other existing floor plans, combining them and then adapting them to suit the lot, as well as the owners’ desires and budget. And the result is nothing short of…

A log home dining space won’t necessarily improve your cooking, but it will make meals more satisfying. It’s as if wood whets appetites. So, log homes need a special spot for dining. Thanks to open layouts, many log homes lack separate dining rooms, preferring space near the kitchen or living room — or both — with a table able to seat a crowd.…

Need help fixing wood floors in your log home? With a little know-how, you can silence faulty floorboards, repair minor damage and restore a wood floor to its former glory.

By Mary Ellen Polson

Part of the charm of an old wood floor lies in its minor imperfections: the familiar creak of a floorboard; a gentle undulation in the hall; the gouge mark so ancient that the scar has a patina. Any older log home can be expected to have floors that…

Need help fixing wood floors in your log home? With a little know-how, you can silence faulty floorboards, repair minor damage and restore a wood floor to its former glory.

By Mary Ellen Polson

Part of the charm of an old wood floor lies in its minor imperfections: the familiar creak of a floorboard; a gentle undulation in the hall; the gouge mark so ancient that the scar has a patina. Any older log home can be expected to have floors that…

A mountain log home in New Hampshire with one-of-a-kind craftsmanship serves as a year-round mountain getaway for its Florida family.

Story by Stacy Durr Albert

Photography courtesy of Golden Eagle Log Homes

As you feast your eyes on this undeniably rustic retreat set in New England’s White Mountains, you’d never guess that its owners also have a sophisticated Tuscan-themed home in sunny Florida. After all, the two house styles — and their locations…

Over the course of the next year, we’ll follow the Murphys, a family who had big log home dreams to own their own & are working to make it come true. Each issue we’ll follow their progress, learn from their missteps and cheer on their successes.

In the end, we’ll see how they went from raw land to their own slice of log home paradise. So c’mon in and be part of their log home…

Combining the ancient wonders of nature with innovative design and technology, Tulikivi masonry heaters bring energy-efficient warmth and character to any home.

Whether a wood-burning fireplace, free-standing stove or masonry heater, modern heat sources can bring that instant warmth and style to a room or an entire house — often with energy efficient and…

After the spring and summer season of green grass, there is a time in the winter when the yard appears dull and lifeless. You can use the fall season to prepare the yard for winter so that it's as healthy as possible for the next year. If you make time to seed the yard and get…

Satterwhite Log Homes builds a log lodge rooted in Texas style.

Home by Satterwhite Log Homes

Photography by Franklin & Ester Schmidt

From all appearances, this country cabin looks to be the home of a Texan. On the entrance drive, a sign on the windmill says, “Luna-Tick Lodge.” There’s no missing the massive Texas Star and sun-bleached cow skull that greet visitors to the house. Even the interior strongly suggests a Texas tie-in, with cowboys…

Tom Cruise's log home mansion in Telluride, Colorado is still for sale - at a hefty $59 million price tag. Cruise's log home first went on the market way back in the fall of 2014.

Tom Cruise's log home in Telluride has been for sale since before we shared some photos of his and other celebrity log homes a few months ago. In fact, according to…

Everyone loves the thought of relaxing outside and enjoying the sunset out on a beautiful deck in the back yard. But no one likes the idea of having to sand every inch of their deck every few years, or even replacing and repainting warped, cracked deck boards. Installing a deck takes a lot of hard work, which is why you want to get as much use out of it as…

Tom Cruise's log home mansion in Telluride, Colorado is still for sale - at a hefty $59 million price tag. Cruise's log home first went on the market way back in the fall of 2014.

Tom Cruise's log home in Telluride has been for sale since before we shared some photos of his and other celebrity log homes a few months ago. In fact, according to…

Tom Cruise's log home mansion in Telluride, Colorado is still for sale - at a hefty $59 million price tag. Cruise's log home first went on the market way back in the fall of 2014.

Tom Cruise's log home in Telluride has been for sale since before we shared some photos of his and other celebrity log homes a few months ago. In fact, according to…

How do you know if your home is threatened by these irritating insects?

Here’s what pest elimination product manufacturer Ehrlich says you should look for:

• Erratic flying: Male carpenter bees are very territorial and fly erratically around humans to protect their nests.
• Noise: They emit a sound similar to bumble…