Today I hid out in the house – doing research for my upcoming book alternating with sweeping up sawdust – and had time to layout the kitchen between tasks.

No doubt Eric would have preferred I helped him outdoors – even just to hold the 40′ ladder or pass TyVek up to him through some secondary hole – but the black flies were so thick I’d just run screaming into the house, basement, truck (whichever was closest) after 3 minutes outdoors.

I did manage to get my snapdragons planted though. After all, this girl knows her priorities!

Speaking of priorities…back to the kitchen layout. This has been something that has eaten away at me since the very first discussions on layout and design of the house. Cathedral ceilings (so beautiful) do not deserve to be chopped off by the eye by a leveled-top bunch of upper cabinets that have no personality. They are there only for function (bah! who cares about function!) and only because that’s what everyone else has!

I tire of that lack of creativity. There is actually a long list of alternatives to upper cupboards, that will meet your needs and look hot to boot. Mostly, they won’t make your log home kitchen look like every other picture in a magazine or neighbor down the road for miles to come.

Back on track – you can tell it is getting late at night, the end of a long weekend, I can’t hold a thought…

With off-cut chunks of sheeting and chipboard and plywood today I laid out my kitchen. This little rectangle is the fridge, this triangle the stove (it will be angled in the corner), and these five pieces stacked haphazardly will be the island…

I then paced back and forth between the three. The island will hold the sink and will also provide a visual stop from the living room. Pretending to cook a meal I walked to the fridge, washed my vegetables in the sink, returned to the stove to cook them, decided that was a pain so designed a counter area between fridge and stove…well you get the drift. Once I had all the pieces and place and cooked and entertained 10 people (in my mind remember) I started taking measurements and layout out the plan on paper.

Then I got hungry…

I’ve decided to start playing house for real with just an island. Later (after we get some other orders of business out of the way), I’ll build my cupboards.

The center area of the island will have a concrete counter top with a sink built in (also concrete). These are awesome, if you don’t believe me I’ll show you the book and the magazines that are coming out with these rugged, innovative and personalized counter tops. Veronica and I are going to embed LED lights in them so they twinkle throughout the depth of the counter top, day or night.

On a higher tier, of wood (perhaps butcherblock, but that’s Eric idea – personally I think it’s too much work for so much normal) there were be a lunch counter on the dining room and on the living room side. Two people on either side if we so choose.

And yes, I did ‘pretend-sit’ in every ’spot’ imagining what the scenery would be from each vantage point as well as whether or not I could see the TV from here.

(Priorities right?)

These colors are ’so last year’ if you’re a decorating guru who follows the trends or match your own home decor to magazine clips and articles. In fact, they’re nearly 2 years old as the modified image below is a snippet from Canadian Home and Country April 2007.

Before the fire, in my last home, I was more about earthy tones – browns and coppers, with a venetian red bedroom that was to die for. Since I’m starting from absolute scratch with this log home, changing the color palette won’t be hard.

Are these colors ’so last year’?

Not if you were raised on the east coast. These are the colors of weathered cape cottages, November evening skies, and the ocean’s edge as it splashes on rocky shores. Something about them just says “home,” and “peace”.

The color palette provides calm in a busy, stressed world, while having enough style to make a statement, “kick off your shoes and stay a while”. They also pull me out of the kitchy, traditional log cabin decorating style that seems so overdone these days – but keep me within the country style of decor. Every room will have a personality of its very own – but these colors will weave their way into each room as scattered accents.

Will they match the striking black and white toile plate set we own? The stainless appliances? The white washed walls? Sure they will, with the right arrangement and accessories – I can’t wait to show you the finished product, but to do so I’ve got to get away from my computer and back to building this log home of ours!

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The article mentioned above showcases 2006’s annual country home show in Toronto, a show that takes in over 30,000 people interested in home decor and country style, over a weekend. This year one of our small local shops have been invited to attend – The Old Tin Shed, a bustling theme store located in Bird’s Creek, Ontario that does country decor proud.

Could I sum up The Old Tin Shed in a paragraph? No. You have to go there to experience the charm of this destination for yourself. Or, if you’re in Toronto, get yourself to the Home and Country show this fall and visit The Old Tin Shed’s corner. The Old Tin Shed’s web page of country shop photos is at http://www.theoldtinshed.com/tourtheshop.html if you just can’t wait to see what makes this primitive country store so unique.

The issue of kitchen cupboards that work visually in a log home – particularly when the ceiling is vaulted or cathedral ceilings is an onging concern for me. This week I will be visiting with a local kitchen designer – who offers ideas and advice for free – and will report back on what an expert has to say about the matter.

If you’ve just landed here, and are interested in seeing many other photos of log home kitchens, use the search feature at right to retrieve a list of all posts on the subject.

Today, I have two photos to share with you of kitchens that do not have upper cupboards, that do work visually and are not an eyesore from every other room in the house.

The first is similar to my current vision for our kitchen. Windows above the counters at left and right, no upper cupboards, vaulted (angled ceiling) on the left and straight up at the back. I likely will not have a table within the kitchen workspace, but to the right will be another set of lower cupboards (perhaps a river rock covered kitchen island) containing a small produce or wash up sink.

From Country Home Magazine (April 2003), “Trading Places” Written by Jill Connors, styled by Joetta Moulden, and photographed by Brad Simmons

The next kitchen photo is provided for reference only. I wish I could show you more about this kitchen as it also doesn’t have upper cupboards, but to the left and right of the sink are open shelves. A pretty and tidy kitchen all in white.

Country Home (April 2003), “Signature Style” Written by Mike Butler, and photographed by Reed Davis

I’ve been battling the kitchen design ideas for the last month, for our log home.

I like the idea of a backspash – I’m thinking copper colored tin, perhaps a little burnished to look vintage or antique. However, I just ran across this photo, below.

Attribution: Country Home, Februray 2003. Article: Cabin Bliss, written by Helen Thompson, photographed by Brad Simmons

This is definitely not for sloppy cooks, but if you’ve sealed and stained well and you take care to keep your kitchen clean, this is a beautiful look. Note the lack of upper cupboards in the log home kitchen. This is an important consideration if your kitchen is open concept and/or has cathedral ceilings.

Another Kitchen Look for High Ceilings

Although this isn’t to my taste, I do see some clever ideas and products at play in this photo scanned in from “Country Decorating Ideas”, Fall 2005 Edition. “Into the Woods”, written by Gladys Montgomery and photo by Bill Mathews.

White cupboards in a log home kitchen are not easily ‘pulled off’ but this works well with the yellow walls behind. However, the workspace between the upper cupboards and the counter top, is very limiting. And there is that annoying, stark line of where the cupboard stop and the long wall expanse continues. Just doesn’t flow.

Notes of imagination and interest. I love the wood post protruding from the wall. This is a great idea (if it wasn’t over the lunch counter) for a pot rack, or (over the counter) for lighting. Some lighting – dropping down from 20+ foot high ceilings – looks very wrong, this may be a viable and interesting alternative to bring the log look into your kitchen – even if you don’t own a log home.

Be sure to note the lunch counter bar stools! Perfect for a log home on the lake or a cabin by a stream.

Be sure to leave a note or comment on what you like or don’t like in either of these styles of decorating a log home or cabin.