Blue and grey
Noah Bradley2019-06-29T10:28:07+00:00
This cabin impresses me in how well all the colors from various building materials blend together so well.
Originally posted 2016-03-18 14:45:23.
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06, 2019
29
06, 2019
No chinking
Noah Bradley2019-06-29T10:28:06+00:00
No chinking required on this old tobacco barn. The owner chose to fill in all the gaps between the logs with wood making the barn easier to maintain and to keep animals out.
Originally posted 2016-03-18 14:36:37.
29
06, 2019
Hobby time
Noah Bradley2019-06-29T10:28:05+00:00
Imagine, if there was an enjoyable hobby to be found, one that provided a person with a good bit of exercise and fresh air, one where a person could create something beautiful… something that would last for centuries. Wouldn’t it be great if there was something like that?
Originally posted 2016-03-16 21:48:06.
29
06, 2019
Cozy cabin
Noah Bradley2019-06-29T10:28:04+00:00
This is about as small as a cabin can built and still be useful for habitation.
Originally posted 2016-03-16 21:37:58.
29
06, 2019
The same height
Noah Bradley2019-06-29T10:28:03+00:00
One of the “rules” in architecture is that the tops of doors and windows should be at the same height. Obviously the builders of this cabin hadn’t read the rule book. lol
Sweet little place, don’t you think?
Originally posted 2016-03-16 21:33:02.
29
06, 2019
An epiphany
Noah Bradley2019-06-29T10:28:02+00:00
I received a great inquiry this morning from a member of this community who made a comment about how she had considered the merits of cob construction but now was leaning towards log construction. I thought I might share my response…
There are many alluring alternative methods of construction out there… including cob.
I’ve “experimented” with many of them. They all have their appeal, as well as their drawbacks. It seems that each form of construction has it’s hardcore advocates… individuals who become authorities of their chosen method, those who promote the positive features of that type of housing, but never mention the negative, and go on to dismiss all the other types.
After building homes for a decade, employing all manner of techniques I eventually came to an epiphany and that is that homes that were originally built locally, centuries ago, using minimal tools and locally sourced materials, were not only proven to endure but were also timeless in their visual appeal. I discovered that new homes built using these early designs and techniques, along with modern features and techniques, made tremendous homes, ones which were in strong demand, with promising resale values, and easy financing (if desired), and proven longevity.
In my area (and that of NC) those types of homes would be log cabins, timber frame, farmhouses, and stone. I also have found that by combining these styles of construction into one home that we can create a striking home that is warm and inviting.
I am currently on the “downhill side” of creating a free mini-course on 12 steps that anyone can take now, at nearly no cost, that will take them from the “dreaming about, but don’t know where to begin” stage to being well on the way towards living in that dream home. I’m also wrapping up the Handmade House Academy… eight hours of my sharing all that I’ve learned through decades of building handmade houses. You ought to think about signing up for that… this first offering of the course will be at a discount price with lots of added freebies. Make sure and sign up to the mailing list at handmadehouses.com for updates. Noah
Originally posted 2016-03-16 14:54:09.
29
06, 2019
Three is better than one
Noah Bradley2019-06-29T10:28:01+00:00
This home is a great example of…
1) how a home can be designed and built to become more attractive as it ages… and …
2) how a combination of aesthetically pleasing materials (stone, log, lumber) is more appealing than any one of those options by itself.
Originally posted 2016-03-12 14:21:17.
29
06, 2019
Three “warm weather cabins”
Noah Bradley2019-06-29T10:28:00+00:00
It sure appears as if Spring has arrived early this year. (Here in central Virginia the weather has been in the 70’s the past few days and it is forecasted to continue).
I’ve seen cherry trees in bloom and I even had a thrill yesterday when a pair of bold eagles stopped by for a while on their journey north.
So… I guess it’s time for me to change the “snowy cabin scene” from the top of this site to a more seasonally appropriate one. I’ll go ahead and post the top three contenders today… do you have a favorite?
Originally posted 2016-03-12 14:01:39.
29
06, 2019
Donald Trump’s log cabin
Noah Bradley2019-06-29T10:27:59+00:00
I led the team that built this cabin for a man who at the time was one of the richest men in the world. (it now belongs to Donald Trump)
The man who had us build the cabin once told me that if he had it his way that this cabin would be his only home.
Isn’t it interesting how even the very wealthy seek to have a modest handmade home?… a simple cabin in the woods?
A home that almost any of us can have if we put out the effort.
The materials for this cabin would likely cost close to that of a new super-duty pickup truck today.
Of course it would take a lot of labor and “learning” to build one like this.
That’s a lot of weekends and days off from the job… would it be worth it?
After all, it would be so much easier to pay someone else to build it.
But that, would be expensive.
So most people play the lottery and avoid the hammer.
And their dream cabin, remains a dream.
Originally posted 2016-03-08 19:29:58.
29
06, 2019
On becoming a stone mason
Noah Bradley2019-06-29T10:27:58+00:00
I gave out a little advice to a young man this morning on becoming a stone mason. I thought I’d share that advice with everyone… (This photo is of the foundation my firm built for a forty foot silo to set upon)
Stone masonry is tough on the back, so work carefully or you will have to give up this career far too soon.
In order to make a good living at it you will need to either get really good… or get big.
Either way you will need to not only learn the craft, but become a businessman, and a marketer.
Getting big often creates money, but often robs one of the joy in the work. So if you seek satisfaction… go for being the best.
Study the work of old, spend years copying the best of yesterday. Get a reputation in doing this.
After a decade or so, you can slowly start to add some of your own artistic flare to it.
The real challenge ahead of you is not the craft, you can learn it through practice and slowly become the best. Your challenge will be in finding people to pay you for it. You need to find an affluent area where people appreciate good stonework and are willing to pay for it. It’s a great idea to work in a small artistic stone company to learn the craft… make sure and pay close attention to how the business operates… work at a place that mirrors what you want your future business to be.
Beware of companies that do stone veneer on huge projects… you will become a machine.
Strive to become an artist.
Noah
Originally posted 2016-03-08 15:43:51.