Tucked away in the woods
How is that something so basic as a structure like this can impress the soul more than a new home built today?
Originally posted 2015-11-10 16:33:21.
The simple pleasures of cabin living
It’s hard for me to fully appreciate the fact that not that long ago there was no exterior lighting.
The world was a very dark place on moonless nights.
There weren’t any flashlights either.
But… there were lanterns.
It’s been too long since I’ve taken an evening walk with nothing but the glow provided by a lantern to light my path.
I need to put that on my list of “things to do”.
Originally posted 2015-11-10 16:27:53.
What makes this home so special?
What is it about this house that catches our eye… and holds it, for the longest time?
Certainly the appealing design of this home is a joy to behold… but, as a general rule… we all unfortunately tend to take good design for granted (while on the other hand, for some odd reason, we are quick to point out bad design).
Perhaps it is the exposed timber frame, with its soothing tan infill? It does fill me with great admiration, and I must admit… a tinge of jealousy. Even this feature though is overshadowed on this home.
I’m sure we can all appreciate the meticulous landscaping that occupies every inch of this tiny front yard. An artistic display of carefully chosen, well-tended, plantings dramatically helps the visual appeal of any home.
But the show-stopper here, the feature that grabs our attention more than anything else, is that crowning touch!
Who can ignore a thatch roof?
A handcrafted roof adds so much to the charm of any home. It also speaks volumes about the high level of quality that one would expect to see throughout the rest of the house. With a roof like that you just know the interior of the home must be something special.
I’ve heard it said that 90% of the decisions made on whether to buy a home is made before the front door is ever reached. So, if you want to build a home that will one day easily sell, and for top dollar, a nice roof makes for a tremendous investment.
The roofs of our homes fulfill the housings’ single most important responsibility… to keep the rain off of our heads and protect our things from harm. But they do so much more than that… they speak of the homes’ level of workmanship, long before anyone enters the home.
When it comes time to install a roof on a house there are SO many wonderful options to choose from other than “tar-and-gravel impregnated products”. There are cedar shingles for a natural look, and then there is a great variety of metal roofing options… from basic barn metal to hand-seamed copper. And then of course, there is the king of roofing… slate… a roof that will last for centuries.
Yes, all these forms of roofing cost a bit more to apply, but when the longevity of these alternative roofing materials are factored in, they become the low-priced alternatives.
Now, maybe a thatch roof, as seen in this photo, is not your first choice… but please, consider the other options! Given time, alternative roofing always pays off, aesthetically and financially.
I’ve never heard of anyone regretting the choice made of using higher quality materials at this stage of construction. You won’t either.
Originally posted 2015-11-10 15:41:53.
Natural interior walls
Take a peek inside of the front door of this stone cottage and notice the interior lighting how it washes down the stone wall. Nice. There are great rewards to having unique wall surfaces on the interior of a home, such as that of stone and of log. These two natural materials create rooms like no other material can.
Originally posted 2015-11-09 14:49:53.
A one-of-a-kind cabin
An old log cabin, re-purposed years ago into a larger farmhouse. An interesting choice to side only the newer addition areas, and to side it with natural edged siding. Likely you’ll never see another with that combination.
Originally posted 2015-11-09 14:08:14.
Learn from the mistakes of others…
We’ve all heard the saying that… “we learn the most in this life from our failures”.
And unfortunately… it’s true.
A better way to learn is from observing OTHER people’s mistakes… and successes.
When building something as significant as a house we want we want to avoid painful “life lessons” as much as we can. Few people will share their mistakes with us (it’s often embarrassing and humbling) so we need to make a habit of seeking them out (that’s not hard to do when it comes to something as large as house).
It’s been a lifelong passion of mine is to study houses… to learn from the best and avoid the rest.
In this week’s episode of Handmade House TV I take you to three small houses that I recently came across in the search for land for my next home. Each of these houses was built about the same time… within a few hundred feet of each other… likely for about the same amount of money.
Two of them turned out tragically, while the third… stands proud and true.
What can you learn from them?
These two poorly built homes in this episode ignored the 12 Keys to a Handmade House… if you haven’t watched the free video that I put together revealing the 12 keys make sure and check it out sometime! Here’s the link… The 12 Keys to a Handmade Home
Originally posted 2017-12-13 14:12:27.
As modest as they come
There was a season in my life that I would have loved to have had a place like this to live. I wish I knew more about this place… it appears to be located in a national Park on the west coast…
Originally posted 2015-11-09 13:51:44.
Log cabins are tough
No one has ever called a log home “wimpy”.
Yes, there is a little sagging going on in that one corner but the rest of the house is straight and true. Amazing.
Originally posted 2015-11-08 21:16:03.
Have you ever wondered what heaven looks like?
Plan for the future, because that is where you are going to spend the rest of your life.
Mark Twain
Originally posted 2015-11-08 21:12:02.
A farmhouse wrap-around porch
You know you are loved when they leave the porch light on for you.
Originally posted 2015-11-08 20:52:28.