Log Cabin Designer Arrives This Weekend

I haven't said much lately, but we are still proceeding with plans to build a small (under 1500-square feet) log cabin on our Stokes County property.  To that end, we've hired a designer to work with us so we get a design we'll be happy with for years to come. She flys in late Saturday and we'll be walking the property on Sunday, and will hopefully have a working design by the time she leaves on  Tuesday.

Blair and I have spent many an evening pouring through back issues of Log Home magazines, ripping out photos of fireplaces, decks, kitchens, and lofts that appeal to us. We've done almost a 180 in what we think we want for the cabin versus where we were 2 years ago. Then, we wanted a big golden-hued cabin with round logs, a full wall of glass arched out in the shape of a ship's bow at the back of the house, a fireplace big enough to walk into, decks off every bedroom, etc.

However, seeing as our plans to win the lottery to pay for all of the above have come to naught, we've scaled it back a bit. Now we're looking at handpeeled in perhaps a natural, weathered state of gray on the outside, with more of the tawny, golden hue on the inside. Flat logs, to cut back on dust. No wall of glass, which turns into a great big BLACK wall of nothingness at night. Still must have a real fireplace, but on a much smaller scale. And we are looking still at a wraparound deck.

I don't care about space as much as I do about unique. I don't want a cabin that looks exactly like every other cabin out there. I want the nooks and crannies used in surprising ways. I want a flow among the rooms and the feel of the cabin to be that there is more space than there actually is. Above all, we want simple. "Less is more" is our mantra for this experience.

I'm VERY curious to see what the designer comes up with. We found her quoted and used as an expert in several of the national magazines on log homes, and she always impressed us because her view was to look at where can you get the most bang for your buck. Huge fireplaces are lovely, but they're also drafty and cost a huge amount of money in stonework.

So, exciting weekend ahead of us. I'll keep you posted.