stairs and railings

Tips For Creating An ‘Idea Notebook’ Filled With Dream House Ideas

My Idea Notebook goes everywhere that I go! It usually stays in the car, but I always have it handy should I need a measurement, a color, or a description for someone who’s helping us make this home a reality — such as a bank lender, blueprint designer, or cabinet installer. Or, if my friends & relatives have a question or make a suggestion on the fly, then I just grab the Idea Notebook and add it to my collection of great ideas.

How We Chose A Log Staircase For Our Log Cabin

We fell in love with the log staircase that Hiawatha had in their model log home. It was comprised of half logs for steps and fit perfectly into the home’s layout. It was something that we just ‘had to have’ in our log cabin. We researched the cost, and then compared the various log staircases that were available. Here’s what we’ve learned about log stairs…

Pictures Of Rustic Columns & Poles Inside Log Homes …Some Are Real Trees!

If log homes are your thing and ‘rustic’ is your game, then you’re going to love these pictures of REAL tree accents and the use of rustic looking logs — or heavy timber — inside a log home. You’ll also see photos of fun ways to incorporate trees and heavy timber logs into the EXTERIOR characteristics of your log home.

Why We Decided Against Composite Decking For Our Log Home

After a lot of research and homework, we’ve actually decided AGAINST using composite decking at this time. It wasn’t an easy decision. Far from it. In fact, we were honestly looking forward to trying it. But the cons outweighed the pros at this point in time. Here’s why…

See How We Incorporated The Craftsman / Arts & Crafts Style Into Our Log Home Bungalow

Without a doubt, our log home will be more like a bungalow with some interesting angles, curves & unique hardware, rather than purely straight lines and squares. But it wasn’t until we started fine-tuning the details like a big wooden speakeasy door with a dentil shelf — Arts & Crafts; prairie style windows — Craftsman; tapered columns and wide steps on the porches — bungalow that we even realized we were gravitating toward the Craftsman style of home architecture and decor which encompasses all of these things, and more.

Some Interesting Things About Composite Decks

What follows are some of the most interesting things I’ve learned about composite decks, along with some of the questions I still have about composite decking materials. Specifically, I’m interested in TimberTech vs MoistureShield composite decks.

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