Years of building furniture of many different styles has given me much insight into what people like and dislike in the decorating world. One thing that is often common in many of my clients is that people seem to long for the simple life and cabin living. Like me, many of us are in search of the mountain sort of living, which gives us a sense of hope to return to the days when things were a more simple and not so confusing. There are all kinds of ‘cabin’ d?r websites, magazines, brochures, books, and how to videos for sale just about anywhere you look from your local grocery store to the Internet.
One reason for the phenomenal popularity of this particular type of home decorating style probably has a little bit to do with the simplicity of it. There are no hard and fast rules, there aren’t fancy faux finishes and textured painting that needs to be done in order to complete the look and there aren’t overly complicated rules for what is and isn’t acceptable. From the bear budget to the champagne and caviar crowd there is some sort of d?r available that will suit not only the home decorating needs but also the need for quality as well.
Another thing that many find appealing about a cabin themed home decorating plan is that it simply exudes warmth year round. From the dark colors to the flannel materials and the soft homespun simplicity of the design many find it simply irresistible. If you want the warmth of a Montana cabin in your home every day of the year this is one great way to do it. Bring the bears, the moose, and all the furry forest friends to frolic in your living room, on your light fixtures, and in your dreams as you fall into restful sleep each night. From the bedroom to the bathroom and the kitchen in between, the cabin style of home decorating is one that is making great waves in the market place.
You will find many stores online and locally that cater to the cabin loving audience for hardware, knick-knacks, and what knots galore. The thing to remember is that the design essence isn’t the little touches you add along the way, it’s the warmth of wood, fire, leather, and wrought iron. These are the materials that will establish the cabin appeal more quickly than any of the small accessories you may find. Drywall and plaster simply cannot carry the look. Knotty pine, cedar or some other rich style of wood is the best option for walls when pulling off a cabin home appeal.
More importantly than anything though is the need to include a little bit of yourself in the design. Do not hesitate to carve your initials with a heart into the wood of your walls. It is one more thing that will be not only endearing but also appropriate to the home and the atmosphere. There is a type of innocence about a cabin style home and your own little touches will leave a lasting impression and create the cabin living lifestyle you have always dreamed of.
Mike Powers
Watch the video related to log cabins
These are the real deal–18th and 19th Century log cabins located mostly in the South. As residences go, they are both a joy and a tarnation. Wish I could take credit for all the pictures, but I didn’t take all of them myself. MUSIC: “River Jordan” by Angela Easterling www.angelaeasterling.com .
Help answer the question about log cabins
how can I remove the musty smell from old historic log cabins?These cabins were built in the 1920s and 30s. Very interesting historically, but they smell yucky. I'd like to buy one, but I'm not sure if I could get rid of the smell. Any ideas?
About Author
Mike Powers is an entrepreneur, craftsman and internet marketer. His website, Clearwater Cabin Living, offers a variety of tools to equip you along the way in creating the cabin and outdoor lifestyle you desire. We offer articles on building and decorating your dream cabin, great trails to hike, camping tips, the best ways to hook a rainbow trout, outdoor cooking and much, much more.
Visit Mike’s website: http://www.clearwatercabinliving.com
Tags: Appalachian, Blue, Cabin, log, mountain, music, Ridge, Virginia
sounds ugly
i remember this from sesame street!!! i always wanted my own little cabin as a kid, and still i dream of one.. the music is wonderful and haunting, but i dont really remember it like i remember those guys making shingles for the roof. thanks for the walk down memory lane!
After a log cabin is built, they used to mix up a type of concrete, or else a clay and mud mortar and do what it is called “chinking.” It’s simply stuffing the mud in between the logs to seal them up. usually done after the wood has dried down. they still do it with modern log cabins, only it’s more of a caulk than a mortar.
ehh i think it looks easier than it is. dont sweat it!
Hi Forest,
I live in western NC and before I got my real estate license, I used to own & manage my own rental near Lake Fontana several years ago. I did pretty well overall – primarily because I had a low monthly mortgage payment and I handled the property management myself, which by the way, are the two largest cost considerations for you to factor into your cash flow projections.
The eastern TN, western NC and north GA vacation rental markets are similar enough to almost be considered one in the same, although there are "micro markets" scattered around that are home to the best performers. You'll find that the top performing log home rentals in our area are in proximity to a useable body of water (lake or river) +and+ a local "main attraction" which is the primary draw for the tourist guest base. For me, it was the home's proximity to whitewater rafting in the Nantahala Gorge, and its easy access to the lake. Only drawback was that it was too far away from one of our ski areas to enjoy year-round occupancy, making the rental a little too "seasonal". If I had it to do over again, I'd look more closely at winter occupancy rates when analyzing my investment's financial records…
Be prepared to perform A LOT of due diligence prior to making your final decision on location and purchasing your investment property. You may seriously want to consider having a real estate buyer's agent work on your behalf for this acquisition. It typically won't cost you anything, (as we are paid via commission split with the seller's agent at closing), and you'll have an experienced advocate on your side. In addition to identifying properties you're likely to find of interest, they can handle obtaining the rental financial records and should ensure you have all of the information you need in order to make an INFORMED decision on what to offer for any particular property.
Hope this helps, and good luck!!
here's a place to get some ideas: http://www.loghome.com/home_tour_gallery
and here's an area where you can browse through companies who offer log cabin kits:http://www.loghome.com/companies/
I'm not sure of your budget or what size you'd like these cabins to be, but if your budget is very, very low, you may want to check into: http://www.townandcountryplans.com/ but they really aren't as pretty…
There are.
But I think it depends on your definition of "authentic"
I've seen cabins advertised as authentic, with all the modern amenities!
It will be a matter of you looking thorough and finding what appeals to you both.
You will find some on this website, ranging from modern cabins to rustic:
http://www.ruidoso.net/visitors/cabins.htm
Campbells Log Cabins are neat too:
http://www.campbellslogcabin.com/
And:
http://www.cozycabinsruidoso.com/
I saw this film clip, it was in the DVD Sesame Street old school on show 666 from 1974.
This impacted me as a kid- I am building one now, with hand tools. I love it!
The music from this film short stayed with me all these years. That bird-like whistling & banjo.
Wow!
Keep it painted and pressure wash any mold or dirt.
There are a lot of places in North Ga. Helen is a small town in an old school Alpine setting that sits right on top of the Chattahoochee river.
There are many log cabins you can rent there.
http://www.helenga.org/
an angry young Dan Aykroyd at 1:14.
Green is a neutral color that compliments the natural wood tones of the cabin exterior. Like wood tones, green blends into nature, which is the whole concept of a cabin, to look rustic and outdoorsy.
If you don't want to do any damage, and keep it "historically correct" you will need to air it out for many days. Or you could put activated charcoal around the cabin and do light treatments.
to do the light treatments put sunlight bulbs in the cabin for about two days, then switch to ultra violet bulbs for the next two days, then air out for a day and you should be good
I believe it is Lincoln logs. Some years ago we were looking to build a log cabin and we found many beautiful homes. But I don't have that information anymore. I think you can look on line http://www.lincolnlogs.com.
http://www.redwoodsinyosemite.com/
those look pretty nice
Wait, what’s all the space between the logs?