Interior Updates to the Log Cabin

The Log Cabin is still progressing - soon it will be a log home!

The stove was finally connected yesterday. We have to stain the lower cabinets but 3 of the doors still have not arrived. Now I'm convinced the cabinet maker is out with the electrician man fishing. They may even be brothers.















I added some small decorative touches to the bathroom such as a mosaic candle holder and a silk flower plant to which my husband exclaimed "What is the chick thing doing here?"


















I found this wildlife tapestry for the hallway.















Still need a headboard for the bed but doesn't this cat look great on it? (To those not familiar with previous posts - my husband has stated he does not want the cat on our couch, bed and kitchen counters.) Well one out of three isn't bad. :-)

Friends I've made at the Log Cabin

I've made several friends at our log cabin. Being in a wooded setting, all sorts of great creatures come your way. My noisiest friends are by far the Chickadees and the Nuthatches who clearly like to inform me when to fill my bird feeder. The black and gray squirrel need some manners about the bird feeders but they do make up for it with all their chases and amusing antics. My turtle is a little shy but does make an appearance here and there. The Bald Eagles that fly over the lake are great teachers of beauty and freedom. The Loons treat me to the most beautiful, haunting music on the lake. The chipmunk has shown me how the dead tree in our yard is actually the "tree of life" for him and the birds. For that, I will never cut it down. I'm looking forward to the many more friends I will make and the lessons they will teach me...

Who typically buys a log home?

I've been discussing a foray into becoming a log home dealer because I have such a passion for these type of homes. To me, it represents a return to nature and a simplistic lifestyle. My friends and family have seen the pictures and/or visited and they do think it's beautiful and admire the craftsmanship. One of my friends asked me last week "well who buys a log home?" As of 2006, there were more than 500,000 log homes in the United States. I did some additional research and found out that there are two growing groups that purchases these type of homes - baby boomers (not me) and nature lovers (now that's me and Greg!) To me it makes sense, the baby boomers have already saved their money for retirement and look to these homes either as a second home or a permanent residence. They can entertain their kids and grandkids as well as outfit these homes with the latest conveniences. The nature lovers can appreciate what the log home represents and perhaps (and I'm just guessing here from my own experience) it exemplifies a path towards "green living" and becomes the center of their outdoor recreation and nature activities. I had contacted the Log Home Council - www.loghomes.org and it's been about 4 years since they have put out any detailed log home statistical reports - but they did confirm the "baby boomer" and "nature lover" profile. They usually put out a report in conjunction with Log Home Living magazine. They couldn't confirm when the next report would come out but I would personally hope it became an annual one as this seems to be a growing industry.

Door to the log cabin

Here is the side entrance to our log cabin (log home now!) I'm looking at the door we went with (it met our budget at the time) and I'm already making plans to replace it - maybe a carved wood door. Check out these doors at Rich Door http://www.richdoor.com/ . There's just so many laws when you own a log cabin -You have to mount a deer head on one of your walls, have a cozy fireplace, a carved wood door, rocks and the list goes on. But that's another post....

Staining the cabinets

I've been looking at the rustic pine cabinets for the past several weeks just thinking something is missing. Greg and I had thought about putting a clear coat on them and just letting the cabinets darken over time with the sun hitting them. 10 minutes before we were due to leave the log cabin and head back home downstate, I was dragging Greg to Lowes. I had to stain the cabinets, it was driving me crazy. We ended (well really I ended) up deciding on a pecan color. Then we headed back to the cabin w/ our tarps and brushes and stained about 50% of the cabinetry. It really compliments our maple hardwood floors. Now I just need those 3 missing cupboard doors. The builder had thought the cabinet maker would have them this week but I think he had another job. I'm dropping down on the priority list..... Also, the stove guy never showed either to hook up my gas range. Do you think the cabinet maker and the stove guy are out fishing together?!

What's a Log Cabin without a deer head?

My husband's 8 point buck that he shot (I'm not allowed to say killed) 8 years ago has finally found a home. What's a log cabin without a deer head? Log homes seem to typically have moose, deer, elk, etc. all mounted like a trophy above the fireplace. I'm a little conflicted because one - I'm a big animal lover - so once my friends see this deer I'm sure they'll be shaking their heads wondering how I fell in love with a deer hunter. (It was easy - he was handsome and agreed to go skiing and birdwatching with me!) Second - I don't have a fireplace....yet. The hubby keeps suggesting various places in the log cabin (under our 2nd story loft windows, in the dining area, etc.) and I keep stalling. I'm not sure yet...but eventually I'll find a place for him. Now I just have to make sure that he doesn't add to the collection....

Quote of the Day

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.

Henry David Thoreau, Walden (1854)