Everyone needs a place to live. However, for those who choose to make their home out of logs, well they’re in a class of their own.
There are plenty of technical reasons that make a log home an excellent choice, but there are other intangibles that drive the decision as well. Whether the logs are milled, handcrafted, engineered or reclaimed, here we see what they all have in common … passion.
Engineered logs
After a devastating wildfire consumed their original rental cabin in 2020, for Frank and Betsy Pitcher, there was no question they would rebuild with logs, but this time they turned to engineered timbers (sometimes called “glu-lam”) as their home base. Now they’re happy to share the peace and tranquility of their 1,200-square-foot, engineered-log cabin with vacationers once more.
Milled logs
Bob and Lee Kennedy, who own a 2,100-square-foot milled-log home, got everything on their wish list — and stayed within $1,000 of their original budget. Having a plan and sticking to it was the key to keeping the project on course. “We have to pinch ourselves,” says Lee. “We are so blessed.”
Reclaimed logs
Sometimes a new log home starts by looking to the past. Enamored with its authenticity and historical significance, business partners and friends Josh Shultz and Nathan Imperiale saw a ramshackle 1760s cabin as the perfect blank canvas. The original one-room cabin (today’s living room and main entrance) is now 3,500 square feet and filled with luxurious amenities. “There was a careful balance in selecting materials that were authentic but also functional,” says Nathan. “There’s something magical about a log home.”
Handcrafted logs
“A log home is comprised of a balance of design, joinery techniques, craftsmanship, log quality and beauty — plus attention to countless little details,” says Lloyd Beckedorf, owner of Moose Mountain Log Homes, as he reflects on this exquisite 7,800-square-foot handcrafted log showstopper built in the Canadian Rockies for a Hawaiian family. Interior designer Rochelle Zemlak agrees: “For me, a space that [will have] everyone talking for days comes from how people will experience it, more than how lovely it may look.”
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