While the front of our custom log home looks quite tame and quaint, the back is an altogether different story!

Remembering that the front looks to the road (nestled well behind rows of pines) the back of the houses faces the pastures where our Rocky Mountain horses graze.

This is why all the windows and doors are facing southernly (again good planning for energy efficiency).

Points of interest:

• The shed dormer I discussed earlier that allows for full height in the loft and upper bedroom area.
• The upper deck that opens from the loft living room/den/office. Right now it is Veronica’s upper deck.
• The full length deck on the main floor - entrance from the dining room.
• The windows on the main floor are, left-to-right: kitchen, dining, bathroom.
• Full walkout basement with one large window (my office area).

Yes, my office is in the basement in this house. Only because I saw a desk at Ikea that I just had to have and it doesn’t fit anywhere else in the house! The desk is a glass top with the word “love” in 50 languages etched into the surface. Now who could resist? So now I have a new task added to my ‘later’ list - decorate the basement suitable for working.

Due to the very nature of architectural plans (they’re massive) I’ll be posting some pieces of our custom designed log home (view by view and floor by floor) individually as images.

The front of our house will look like the image below. The roof is at a steep pitch (very dramatic) with two dormers. You’ll note this is similar to the artist’s rendering I have on another post.

Although the roof pitch is steep, plenty of height is given to the loft and upper bedroom, thanks to a shed dormer on the roof in the back (visible in the next image I’ll post).

The main and upper floors have a ceiling height of 9 feet, except for the cathedral ceilings in the kitchen, great room, and foyer (20+ feet high).

The differences between this custom log home and the artist’s rendering I posted earlier are:

• a smaller covered front porch (we incorporated a full length deck at the rear of the house),
• larger dormers on second floor (to allow Veronica an ample reading nook),
• front and double entrance into the foyer (allowing more light and to accommodate the smaller covered porch)

I know, I know, the artist’s rendering looks prettier than this image, but remember this is full on frontal view and only in black and white.

With the help of primitive and rustic decorating specialist Dagny Musclow (The Old Tin Shed in Bird’s Creek) we’re pulling together the ‘look’ for every room in the log home.

To whet our whistle and get us thinking about original and themed room designs, Dagny had us sit down with a stack of magazines and imagine what it would be like living in those rooms.

Barnboard for the Bathroom

Veronica found this and we all adore the look…

Attribution: Canadian House and Home - August 2004 “Summer Places”, Article: Urban Idyll, Written by Elizabeth Kelly, Photographed by Stacey Brandford (page 52)

It is only fitting, after all, that Dagny introduced us to this style of decorating - her home office is floor to ceiling barnboard and she sells many barnboard home decor items at her shop (Check out The Old Tin Shed - Rustic Decorating Catalog to get some great rustic ideas for home decor.)

Salvage Shopping Anyone?

Having decorated a few houses of my own in rustic style, I know full well what this means for us and I just love the idea. We need to hit the salvage shops - now in nearly every town, as well as online - to find some antique sinks, mirrors, and plumbing hardware. As I buy pieces, reproduction or actual antique, I will show you the deals I find and the prices we paid.

The loft in our new log home is dedicated to our daughter Veronica. She has to share though when her aunt comes to visit.

The loft will contain one large bedroom, one ensuite, double-access 4 piece bath, and a large living area. There will also be a 6′ x 12′ private deck off the loft that overlooks the pastures of our hobby farm.

Although looking at the house plans it may appear that the upper floor (loft) of our log home, is more suitable as a master suite, our girl is getting it anyway.

Why? Well I won’t try to cover up any sad family secrets here. Our house fire that took the farmhouse to the foundation, devasted her. It stole her security. It shook her to the core. She lost all her childhood momentos - photos of friends, yearbooks, clothing from Europe of our 2007 trip. What better way to help heal the hurt and loss but to replace it with something far better - and more suitable for a teenage girl.

She’s a great kid. Responsible and polite. Mature and, well maybe just a little spoiled by her mother. But she deserves it. And she’ll also help build it!

Loft and Upper Bedroom

Other than furnishing selection, Veronica has asked for only one layout consideration that hasn’t been vetoed by her dad or dismissed for financial reasons. Being an avid reader she came across this photo in the August 2005 edition of Canadian House and Home, “The New Country. Rural Retreats with Acres of Style.” The loft photos of the feature story got her dreaming.

She just loves that reading nook and window seat. Since she will have a dormer in her room it looks as though this teen will get her wish!