I Found Some Uncommon Goods For Log Home Owners!

joy-words-made-from-sticks-and-twigs.jpg My newest hobby is finding cool things made of twigs, sticks & logs… to use inside our new log home!

While searching for fun “twiggy” looking things that will bring a touch of rustic to an otherwise modern log home, I found the best selection and most unique items were all coming from a store called Uncommon Goods.

Here’s a sampler of some of their most unique items made from twigs…

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Birdhouses Made From Twigs, Sticks & Branches

birdhouse-made-from-twigs.jpgI first saw this birdhouse (pictured at right) when browsing through the May 2007 issue of Better Homes and Gardens.

See how to build this rustic birdhouse.

I thought it was yet another creative use of twigs and sticks that log home owners might enjoy.

And I especially like this one because it’s very colorful… it’s not your typical brown birdhouse.

I know that we are planning to build one or two unique little bird houses when we move into our new log house.

So I did some research and found a number of other cool birdhouses that can be made from sticks and twigs.

Check ’em out…

By the way, I don’t have detailed directions for all of these, but I’ve been using these pictures of birdhouses made from twigs as inspiration for the bird feeders that we eventually plan to build.

 

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FREE Home Design Tools To Help You Design & Decorate Any Room In Your House

I got an email from Jeroen Bekkers, the creator of FloorPlanner.com today:

Hi there. We made an online tool to create and share interactive floorplans. It can be found at floorplanner.com. I thought you might like it as we see a lot of people creating cabin/log homes with it.”

So I spent the afternoon playing with this free online tool.

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Check it out…

 

FloorPlanner.com Highlights:

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Pine Logs And Birch Hardwood Floors Have Light, Natural Stain… What Color Furniture & Accents?

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We have a pine log home and the great room is the kitchen, dining room and living room. The floor is birch hardwood and both the logs and the flooring are a natural stain. I am in the process of purchasing a dining room suite and don’t know whether to go with a natural stain or to go with a darker (cocoa) stain. What would you recommend?” — Karen T.

See my answer below…

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Log Homes And Hurricanes… Can A Log Cabin Survive Strong Winds And Tornadoes?

A few years ago, I saved this statement that I found in a magazine or online:

Log homes are stronger & sturdier and more likely to survive tornadoes & hurricanes, largely due to all of the inner-locking joints.

Unfortunately… I didn’t write down the source. (It was long before I had this website.) So, I recently decided to do a little research in hopes of determining a log home’s ability to withstand hurricanes and tornadoes.

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On websites discussing common log home myths, I found this…

Log homes are stronger than conventional homes. This is almost completely true, because it’s actually the massive log walls that provide strength. Even though other parts of a log home may not be as strong as the walls, the walls tend to hold everything together in times of storms or earthquakes. Source

And this…

Log homes have established a record of surviving other natural disasters in much better condition than frame houses. Ripped from their foundations by flood waters, they’ve been known to simply float intact down the river. During Hurricane Hugo, a log home was the only Carolina beachfront home to remain standing. Florida log homes survived the destructive winds of Hurricane Andrew in 1992 with only minor damage, and in areas of utter devastation during recent California earthquakes, log homes were among the few dwellings that escaped major damage. Source

With hurricane season upon us (June 1 through November 30), I thought it might be worthwhile to see how well log homes fare under typical hurricane conditions.

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Choose Paint Colors For Your Rooms With These FREE Online Color Tools

color-theory-pallette-sherwin-williams-paint-colors.jpgLooking for some colors for the walls inside your home?

Now you can experiment with color on your walls, trim, ceilings and accents before even picking up a paintbrush!

Check out these online paint & color tools…

Each of the following personalized color choosers are ranked according to my personal preferences, based on ease of use and variety of options.

paint-colors-by-skeddy-in-NYC

Enjoy!

 

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What Is Your Home Style?

I don’t usually do online tests & quizzes, but this one struck a chord because it had to do with home building and decorating.

welcome-mat-sm.jpgSince that’s where I am right now — smack dab in the middle of building my dream home and picking out all of the interior decorations — I wanted to see how “accurate” an online quiz like this could be.

This one’s called “What Does Your Home Style Say About You?” and it’s by the folks at iVillage.

I encourage you to try it. It’s fun… and informative. Really!

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