Log and Timber Home Living January/February 2022

See more of this home on page 44 I’m one of those people who has a bit of withdrawal at the abrupt end of the Christmas season. After all, there are months of build-up designed to get us into the spirit. Around Halloween, advertisers start trickling out their holiday commercials. At Thanksgiving, the yuletide carols start to materialize on the radio. The first three weeks of December are a frenzy of shopping and baking and card mailing and wrapping. By the 24th we’re all revved up and ready to celebrate, and finally, the big day is here! And then December 26 rolls around, and it’s gone faster than a snowflake melts on a child’s tongue. The lights turn off. Carols are replaced by today’s hits. Life is suddenly supposed to go back to…

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There are a lot of reasons to love log and timber homes. A huge part of their appeal is the Norman Rockwell-esque picture of family gathering together at the holidays. As enticing as that vision is, it’s never a good idea to design a house specifically around once-a-year events. Even so, as you’re planning your own log or timber home, it may not be a bad idea to keep certain milestone dates in mind: Will your dining area accommodate the whole family for Thanksgiving? Do you have adequate space (and height) allocated for the Christmas tree? Is your backyard patio big enough for your annual Fourth of July blowout? Each holiday has different needs, and you won’t want to go overboard by adding excessive size or specialized rooms that otherwise will sit…

Whether you have only a small area for planting, you’re not sure about the health of your property’s soil or you simply don’t want to break your back or bruise your knees, raised beds can be the answer to many a casual gardener’s prayer. Not only do you have the convenience of being able to set up multiple beds, they’re a boon for controlling gardening conditions. You can prevent soil compaction, provide pest control, increase drainage and cut down on weeding. Here are five tips to keep in mind: Choose durable material. When creating a raised bed, durability is key. Popular options include cedar, cinder blocks, stones or corrugated metal. Gardeners who want a less-permanent raised bed may choose straw bales or felled logs, but if you want it to…

American families are carrying record amounts of debt as home, auto and food prices surge. Inflation is at a multi-year high, thanks to supply-chain disruptions and increasing costs of raw materials and shipping — particularly building supplies. All of these factors combined are causing home buyers to reexamine their square footage needs, with many opting for smaller and more efficient houses. But sometimes, the motivation is more of a yearning for cozy quarters than it is a financial need. “A lot of our clients have already had the large home before, while raising their family,” explains Johnny Miller, president of OakBridge Timber Framing in Loudonville, Ohio. “Now, when they’re building their forever homes, they look to downsize.” If you, too, are opting for a more compact log or timber cottage, whether it’s for…

Pantries rank high on future log and timber homeowners’ wish lists, and for good reason — they’re the ideal way to maximize storage and keep everything from edibles to appliances orderly. If your house is on the smaller side, you may wonder if you can spare the space to include a pantry in your plans. Well, we have good news: There’s more than one way to weave this storage wonder into your own kitchen. The key is to be realistic about the amount of space you will need, how much you can carve out of your total square footage to accommodate those needs and which type of pantry will bring it all together. Consider this medley of options as you craft your kitchen’s storage solutions. BUTLER’S PANTRIES This is the penthouse of pantries…