You’ve always dreamed of a log cabin…Where Do You Start?

People who find a way to build their dream home have a lot in common. Are they adventurous? Yes!  Are They persistent?  Definitely!  Are they wealthy? Not necessarily. Here’s a story that began with a dream and ended with a home.  How will your story go when it’s time to build your log home?

“When we found a wonderful lake view acreage bordering the back country, it challenged us to reconsider how we wanted to live. The dream of a log house became our next goal. After a couple years to get basic services to the property and work up the courage to make the leap, we sold our house in town and moved most of our belongings into storage. We were officially committed….and temporarily homeless.

“Camping was fun at first but we live in Canada and it wasn’t something I wanted to do indefinitely. My hardy husband had no trouble imagining us living like pioneers in a tiny bunk house all year round, but I couldn’t picture showering with the garden hose after October.  It was time to build our log home.

“Familiar with the work of North American Log Crafters, it was easy to trust them for premium logs and fine craftsmanship. Next we needed a log home plan. We wanted a log house that made the most of our setting and our active lifestyle but, although we looked at many home plan ideas, nothing seemed exactly right.

A stock plan might work for you…but it might not

“There were plenty to look at. Log home websites offered plans, house plan websites presented thousands to sift through, and stacks of house plan books and magazines (Log Home Living, Country Home Plans, Farmhouse Favorites, Log Chalets, Traditional Home Plans, Award Winning Log Home Plans, etc) gave me more ideas than I ever thought possible. It was easy to get distracted.

“The reality of our own budget challenged me to narrow the searches to a certain number of square feet, but there were still hundreds to choose from. Sitting down with my husband and a stack of house plan contenders led to a growing discard pile. So many plans were close, but not quite right.

Maybe some couples agree on everything as they begin planning a home, but it turned out we had some startlingly different tastes. I secretly dreamed of complex roof lines, balconies and maybe a turret.  He wanted a low, level rancher. We learned a lot about each other. “It’s a good thing we have 40 acres,” I sometimes thought, “since we might have to build separate houses.”

But the reason we couldn’t find the right house plan no matter how many websites or books we looked through was actually simple.  These plans were designed for other people, for other locations.  A couple of empty-nesters on a remote view acreage might want something different than a family with school aged children building in the suburbs.

The solution? A custom log home.

“I began with coffee and graph paper, trying to transform plans we kind of liked into the perfect home plan for us and it all came together after we found a patient, understanding draftsman through North American Log Crafters. He asked me to send him our ideas.  The first email had numerous attachments including :

~images of log home exteriors we liked

~log home plans we kind of liked

~my drawings on graph paper (photographed with my cell phone)

~photos of our land and view

“In my message I listed features that were important to me and to my husband. (I wanted to be able to enjoy the lake view from my bathtub, my husband insisted on a roomy entry-way)  After enjoying our outdoor life, we both knew our living spaces had to have windows that would make us feel like we were still outside…but without the wasps and dust.

At first when I heard the phrase “custom log home” I pictured spectacular showpieces like we see on TV: outlandish, outrageously expensive, or at least out of our budget.

“A custom log house could be any of those things, of course, but it doesn’t have to be. For us a custom home meant:

~being able to choose the size and style we wanted

~space thoughtfully organized for how we live everyday and for when friends and family stay

~open living, dining and kitchen area

 ~big windows to frame a lakeview and for passive solar heat during winter

~three bedrooms plus a separate TV room

~upstairs master bedroom with a lake view from the bath tub

~covered front porch for summer shade 

~high ceilings to make the bright rooms feel unusually spacious

~strategically placed wood stove to gather everyone around as it quietly heats the house.

“In spite of our early differences, the home we have created together absolutely satisfies us both. Our wide entry draws you into the heart of the home where you’re speechless for a moment at the panoramic scenery.  Like living outside…only better.

“I hear my husband saying,”I just love this house!” sometimes right when I’m thinking it myself. Over the years we’ve lived in a number of beautiful places and enjoyed many things about them, but this home feels like it was made especially for us…because it was!”

Your perfect log home plan will be unique, of course, but take note of things you love in each planyou look at, and make lists of what features would make a home function perfectly for you and your family.  Print off a couple plans and draw in the changes you’d like to see. When you contact North American Log Crafters, send any plan ideas that catch your interest! Get some graph paper and experiment.  Maybe you’ll only want to make a few modifications to an existing plan, but you might want to start from scratch.  Whatever you choose, our talented log home designers can help you create a warm and unique home with lasting value and quality!

Log HomesLog Home Plan IdeasContact Us

1-877-955-2485 or 1-250-682-2485

info@namericanlogcrafters.com