Log Homes Journal

How To Choose What Log Home Floor Plan Suites Your Living Needs

Building a log home is one of the trends these days, isn’t it? Even though owning a log home was already alive since 1800s, it’s reviving itself and it seems that the number of log home owners continually increases.

Getting a log home used to be a struggle, because people know having one is too costly. Floor planning for their log home is also a struggle, as well. It’s like a hellish road that they need to cross by before reaching to their ever-dreamed log homes.

People need a log home they can afford, and one that fits into their lifestyle. Choosing a floor plan and elevating the design to satisfy their needs will require some research, examination of own self’s feeling and thoughts, and creative motivation. Here are some guidelines that will wholly help you on choosing the most excellent log home floor plan for you and your family.

Know your Location

This is one of the first things you need to consider. Of course you can’t build your own log home if you don’t have any place for it. What’s the type of the land plot you own?  Is it water front, wood type, or mountain? You must also know what kind your location is and its difference from the others. This is because not all floor plans fit with a certain building site. An illustration of this is, you must build your home on a slope or dug-in to a hillside if you have a walk-out basement.

Furthermore, some plans are constructed to achieve the advantages laid by the location of the home in relation to the sunlight. That’s why even though you already have a property you should still plan on how you’re going to position your home in your land. Do you want to it to face the big street in your place, or you just want it not to be noticed by the people on your street?

In addition to this, consider the exterior views of your log home. Is it too much eclipsed and the light can’t get in? It would be better if your house isn’t that darkened because if it is, you will need to use more light from your fluorescent bulb, and that will be an additional expense for your family. On the contrary, if you don’t want your log home to be so much lightened you may use overhangs to keep the sun out. And if you want people walking on the street to easily notice your log home, you may put double-picture windows to attract them.

In log home interiors and log home interior design, the shape and color of the log wood selected is most important since the log wood used will reflect a range of moods, complexities and emotions.

In general, the logs in log home interiors will be the most visual and dynamic element around which all else will revolve. How much log wood is used in log home interiors is a major decision. Log home interior design today seldom uses logs for every wall in the home.

Here are ideas to consider when planning your personal space inside log homes:

• Diameter of Logs – give careful consideration to the size of the logs you will use and how they will visually impact the space. For example, the visual effect of smaller diameter logs in rustic log home interiors can be subtle and somewhat subdued. If your log home is built with large diameter logs, they can be the most powerful and dramatic design element in the room and the entire home. Larger diameter logs will probably require you to build a larger log home, larger rooms, higher ceilings and consequently need more furnishings.

• Interior Light Levels – log home interiors can feel dark and oppressive with dark wood, insufficient natural light and inadequate windows or skylights. Windows give log home interiors natural light, enlarging and enlightening the room space. Orientation, size, location, shape, and style of the windows is very important in log home interior design. An east-facing window gives morning light, and a west-facing window brings late afternoon sun.

Using very small windows in log homes is a thing of the past. You may want the windows or the skylights to frame the view of the lake, the mountains or the blue sky. Skylights are great and they provide natural light all year around and will brighten any room and your logs. Why not have it all!

• Room Focal Points – each room in log home interior design should have a focal point, a feature that attracts the eye. The focal point could be a fireplace, a special picture or painting, a staircase, a beautiful chandelier or a window. If the room is large, you may want several dramatic focal points. If you have a large space, create several smaller cozy sections with different furniture arrangements to entertain small groups of people doing different activities. Use a variety of sizes and shapes of area rugs to visually divide the room.

• Flooring Materials – if you choose not to use carpet under the dining room table and chairs, consider using different types of contrasting flooring materials. Use different materials to create a dramatic look – tiles set into wood, for example, or wood timbers laid into stone. A smaller room will appear larger if you install a floor that is lighter than the walls. If your room has numerous windows and plenty of natural light, a beautiful wood floor or stone floor can create the perfect setting.

• Walls and Materials Used – how the logs in log home interiors are finished is important because of the resulting visual impact made by their color. With log home and rustic interior finishing, you can use sealers, stains, and paint in some areas, especially in the kitchen and bathrooms. Today, a variety of materials such as glass, stucco, stone, copper and steel are often used with the logs, creating striking contrasts. Or the materials used in log home interior design may be associated with the region or state such as combining logs and stucco in the southwest USA.

Creating beautiful log home interiors has many different ways in which the log home interior design can work well, ranging from informal handmade country style to a modern looking interior. The success of log home interiors, like any house style, may be measured by how much the space is enjoyed and by how well the space functions. Whether you are just beginning to have some ideas or are well along in your design, learn as much as you can about the process of creating your own interior space that is comfortable, cozy, stylish and inviting.

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