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.
It is not growing like a tree
In bulk, doth make man better be,
Or standing long an oak, three hundred year,
To fall a log at last, dry, bald, and sere:
A lily of a day
Is fairer far in May
Although it fall and die that night;
It was the plant and flower of light.
In small proportions we just beauties see,
And in short measures life may perfect be.
—Ben Jonson (1572–1637)
• 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.
There was now no road further, the river being the only highway, and but half a dozen log huts, confined to its banks, to be met with for thirty miles. On either hand, and beyond, was a wholly uninhabited wilderness, stretching to Canada.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
• 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.
Copyright 2006 InfoSearch Publishing
Read about the 3 major ways to custom build log homes at http://www.yourdreamloghome.com/custom-build-log-homes.html plus country decorating, fireplace design, rustic decor and more. David Buster is VP of InfoSearch Publishing and webmaster of http://www.com - a popular website about log home living.