Real People. Real Experiences. Real Helpful.
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…
I first saw this birdhouse (pictured at right) when browsing through the May 2007 issue of Better Homes and Gardens.
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.
The first log cabin birdhouse I ever saw was the one pictured here.
Okay, so it’s your basic wooden bird house that just happens to be shaped like a log cabin.
Now, you want to see some log home birdhouses that are really cool?…
I couldn’t resist. Just had to share…
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.
Check it out…
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…
Pictures and details of our 5 acre property in Williamson County Tennessee.
I got an interesting question from a visitor to this site today:
My husband and I are looking at making one room in our home look like a log cabin. We just need interior log to put over our sheet rock. Do you have any suggestions? Where do I go to find this?” — Emily
See my recommendations below…
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.
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.
Looking 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.
Enjoy!
I don’t usually do online tests & quizzes, but this one struck a chord because it had to do with home building and decorating.
Since 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!
Here are the top 5 places to build a log home. Is your favorite not on the list?… Share it with others in the Comments below.
