Welcome to log cabin designs . . . an exciting collection of some of the warmest and most inviting dwellings
ever to grace the landscape. With a rich historical legacy, their ambiance and period charm continue to
cap- tivate us!
Chalet Style Cabin in Taos, New Mexico
Though
log cabins
have been in exis- tence for centuries, tracing their roots to Scandinavia and Eastern Europe, the design and
construction of them has never fallen out of favor. Fre- quently associated with rustic and rural North America,
they reached their peak of complexity and elabora- tion with the Adirondack Great Camps
in the Adirondack Mountain region of Upstate New York in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Extremely
popular, the
Adirondack Style
-- and variations of it -- quickly spread west- ward and can be seen in many of the lodges and resorts built at
that time. Today, in the resort communities and mountainous areas of the Western United States, regional
variations of the style continue to be popular . . . . from tiny cabins to large, rambling log homes.
From the moment you approach the front entry, the rich aroma and warm embrace of cedar logs draws you in
like a magnet. Once inside, lured by the distinctive scent of burning wood and sounds of crackling embers, you
gravitate to the warmth and comfort of a great stone hearth with a blazing fire. It just doesn't get any better
than this!
The following log cabin designs reflect a variety of sizes and looks . . . . . . from cute and cozy to rambling
and roomy. A great stone hearth such as that pictured above is typically vented through a massive stone chimney
like the one shown in the photo below left. Just as the hearth is often the "heart" of the cabin, the chimney
is the "anchor" that ties it all together and anchors it to its site.
The images below reflect the outstanding craftsmanship employed in these designs and provide a sampling of
different log and corner styles. Below left, the
hand-hewn
logs come together in a dovetail corner. Below right, the round logs with the beautiful flared ends are full-
scribe, or individually scribed and custom-fitted to one another at the corner. The large round logs in the
bottom image have a saddle notch corner design.
The unique cabin design pictured below, left, is clad with wood shingles between the log framing members.
Below right is another unique design, albeit with a more traditional hand-hewn log look. The mountain retreat
pictured at bottom is crafted from round logs.
Log cabin designs are easily adaptable to meet the size and lifestyle needs of virtually everyone. For
instance, the two designs shown here provide a good example of this. Though they differ dramatically in size
and scale, each maintains its architectural integ- rity. The small log cabin at right is loaded with charm and
looks like something out of a storybook. Ideal for a couple or a small family, the ef- ficient arrangement of
interior space . . . .
. . . . . as reflected in the Level 1 floor plan . . . . . makes it seem larger than it actually is.
(Log Cabin Design at right from Hearthstone Log Homes)
The attractive design pictured below is perfectly suited for a large family and/or large scale
entertaining -- both indoors and out. A spacious interior opens onto an outdoor balcony that spans the entire
width of the home. Directly below, double glass doors open onto a large flagstone terrace with a built-in fire
pit.
For more information about any of the log cabin designs featured here, please
let us know
and we'll be hap- py to provide it for you.
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as we frequently add new images of log cabins to our site.
