Blog - Page 115 of 123 - Handmade Houses with Noah Bradley

Stacked log construction

Just imagine what wonders might be at the top of those stairs…

These hewn pine logs are magnificent…. the skill and workmanship necessary to be able to create precise dimensional timbers like this is very rare. I imagine that there are spikes driven down through each row of logs keeping this structure bound together.

This barn has a cantilevered roof that keeps water completely away from the structure… without it, ran would find it’s way into the spaces in between the logs and then it would rot out in a few short years. But, with a good roof in place, this structure will last for centuries.

Originally posted 2015-12-04 15:28:24.

Stacked log constructionNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:05:00+00:00

The noise… the noise

I’ve heard it said that if we could find ourselves magically transported back in time that we would find our sense of smell overwhelmed… from the fires, the natural materials, the herbs, the animals (and the deposits they leave behind), and from the people themselves who did not bath frequently.

And that those folks of the past, if transported to our time, would be equally impacted by the constant noise of our world.

Originally posted 2015-12-04 12:27:41.

The noise… the noiseNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:04:59+00:00

An A-frame home

Ahhh yes, the A-frame.

There was a time when many friends that I knew dreamed of having an A-frame home.

Myself included.

They were cozy, cute, and easy to build.

The fad seemed to have died off long ago… maybe one day the popularity of these will return.

Originally posted 2015-12-04 12:10:19.

An A-frame homeNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:04:58+00:00

One more reason to love the color red

One advantage to painting a home the color red is so that you can find it on a snowy day!

Originally posted 2015-12-04 11:57:31.

One more reason to love the color redNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:04:57+00:00

Log farmhouse

One of the reasons we have so many fine old cabins today is that they were sided over shortly after being built, which protected them from any weather issues. This log home was likely built of logs for the ability to build a strong home at a reasonable price, not for the sake of the beauty of having a log house. The style of the home, the use of brick chimneys, the condition of the logs, and the extra wide window trim are all clues to this home having once stood as white farmhouse that we so often seen along back country roads.

Originally posted 2015-12-04 11:46:45.

Log farmhouseNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:04:56+00:00

A simple decorative touch

Just because there is snow on the roof doesn’t mean there isn’t a fire inside.

Isn’t it amazing how much the simple wreath adds to the beauty of this home? Without it this home might appear cold and abandoned… but with this simple loving touch the home becomes… inviting.

Originally posted 2015-12-04 11:37:06.

A simple decorative touchNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:04:55+00:00

Unique corner notching

Notice the unique notching on this corner of the cabin. Typically the log ends would be similar in size but here they are all noticeably smaller on one side of the cabin than on the other.

With regard to log cabins, an “industry standard” was never achieved… each builder, it seems, has added his own creative touch.

Originally posted 2015-12-03 15:23:45.

Unique corner notchingNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:04:54+00:00

A woodstove within an inglenook

A woodstove within an inglenook… incredibly attractive… and a wonderful source of heat.

Originally posted 2015-12-03 15:08:33.

A woodstove within an inglenookNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:04:53+00:00

An Inglenook

Now that’s a fireplace!
In fact, some would call this an “inglenook”… a fireplace designed so that a place to sit down near the fire was part of the design.

Originally posted 2015-12-02 22:32:51.

An InglenookNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:04:52+00:00

Proper design comes from thorough study

This home, as nice as it is, could have been so much better, at no additional cost, nor additional labor, with just a couple of minor design adjustments implemented.

Keep in mind that the combination of log and stone is one of the best mixes a homeowner can put together.

Here we have a nice vintage log cabin with a great original stone chimney… notice that the stones are laid flat and in a horizontal pattern, and that they have great texture and color.

Later on, the current homeowners have added this stone addition and used properly matching stone… which was a wise choice.

But, somehow the addition falls flat… it’s… “nice”, but not… “OMG!!!… that’s AMAZING!!!”

What happened?

Well, for one thing the newer stone work on this addition drifted away from being horizontally laid to more of a “random pattern”… as if it was laid with the aid of a giant shotgun.

But, the larger failing here is one of design (or lack thereof)… a lack of attention… to the roof pitch and an “eye-pleasing” use of windows.

The nearly flat roof that crowns this stone section gives this give it an “industrial… mobile home… modern” look.

And, with regard to windows… the simple addition of a little window on the chimney end, and larger one on the long side, would have dramatically improved the overall appearance.

So what’s the point in all my rambling here this morning?

Too much coffee you say? lol

It’s just that… If a person is going to build… if they are going to buy a nice piece of land… if they are going to use attractive materials… shouldn’t they arrange those materials in the most attractive way that they can?

And the secret to learning appealing design?

Simply look at every home, and every photo of a home, that you find attractive… study each home and try to figure out what it is about that particular home that makes it special (or not special).

Then do it again… and again… and again.

Or… hire someone who has done this process, over and over, for years, to design your home for you.

Certainly beauty is in the eye of the beholder… but I would be willing to wager that I could have spent 15 minutes with a pen and the back of an envelope and convinced this owner to make a few adjustments that would have blessed him for years to come.

Originally posted 2015-12-02 15:26:29.

Proper design comes from thorough studyNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:04:51+00:00