Good design, natural materials, and attention to detail

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A handmade home doesn’t need to be built of log, or stone, or timber frame.
Modern construction (stick built) can be an excellent method to achieving a dream home… it’s an easy way to build, cost effective, and energy efficient. And, building inspectors love it.
The challenge (where so many fail) is in the use of natural materials, good design, and attention to details.
Just look at these two beauties… what do you think?

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Originally posted 2016-05-21 15:59:02.

Good design, natural materials, and attention to detail2019-06-29T10:08:39+00:00

Are you crazy enough?

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The people that are crazy enough to think that they can design and build their dream home… are the ones who do.

Originally posted 2016-05-21 15:42:27.

Are you crazy enough?2019-06-29T10:08:38+00:00

One thing you must do, if you want to get it right

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You’ve got the perfect piece of land.

And, the ideal set of plans, plus a good selection of quality materials. Life is good.

But, what is the single most important skill that you can practice going forward in the construction of your dream home?

Today I’d like to share with you the importance of the daily practice of “standing back and taking it all in”.  I perform this ritual every single day when I’m building a home. It only takes a few minutes of my time, and it is such an important activity in order to achieve the best home that I can build.

You see, when a person builds a home they are always focused on the task at hand… what’s directly in front of them, and it’s easy to lose track of the big picture.  We are building a home after all and one day all these parts we are working on will blend together and become a house.  Yes, today we might be trying to achieve the perfect notch on that log cabin corner, but we must not lose track of the fact that what we are truly doing on any given day is building a home.

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There seems to be an inner resistance to performing this simple act of “taking it all in”. Over the years I’ve had many apprentices who I’ve attempted to teach this simple lesson to. Most have expressed confusion, and a bit of frustration, at having to stop what they were doing to take a small walk with me (some were likely concerned the boss was going to do some firing that day and were fearful of being pulled away that they might be the one).  In the end, after explaining this to hundreds, only one or two of these craftsmen ever picked up the habit, or truly understood or appreciated the value of this act.

And so, dear friends, the responsibility of doing this falls on the builder… which means you if it’s your own home. Perhaps, if you have had the good fortune of finding a good builder, one who not only has the ability of assembling a house, but also has a keen design eye, you will have someone to share this responsibility with, but even so don’t assume someone else is doing it.

Let me tell you how to “stand back, and take it all in”.  It’s not a sprint where you will run out a ways, give the house a glance, and then run back. Instead pause for a few minutes and look at the home as if you were seeing it for the first time (it’s time to smoke ’em if you got ’em). Likely if you pause the proper amount of time you’ll reach a point where someone will ask “What are you doing out there?” (they will think that you need to stop slacking and get back to work). Let me emphasize the point of this exercise… this stand-off time is not an excuse to admire your work, it’s a time to be critical and ask questions… “is that the best size window to use?, is that its’ best location?, should I even have a window there? does the trim look too big, or too small?” Now, if the answer to all your critical questions are positive, well, then you can turn the moment into a private award ceremony, a pat-yourself-on-the-back event. Have at it… you deserve it.

This process of long distant oversight can help you so much in solving issues before they become problems and in answering questions you never thought to ask.  But in all likelihood, this process will on occasion become a discovery event for problems that have already occurred, things that should have been done a better way. “That trim board around the porch floor looks too wide… eight inches would look much better than ten”. You could have caught it easily before it was finished by simply tacking a board up and then standing back to see how it looked before nailing it in place, but the focus and drive was on the work, on getting it done, and no one bothered to step back and see it as part of the whole.

A carpenter had put a lot of hard work into installing this “too wide” trim board. His (or your) craftsmanship was excellent. The plans clearly show that the correct material was used. And that same carpenter (or you) is going to be less than pleased to tear it all of off and do it again, and to top it off, it’s going to cost you precious money, effort, and time to make it right.  Most people will fold, let it slide, and live with it.  Unfortunately there will likely be other discovered issues that will come up later on and it will tempting to also “live with it” and the end result will be that the finished home will be somewhat disappointing and those items that were given the pass. will be there to irritate and remind the builder of his failings for many years to come.

Don’t be that builder.

Be the builder with the sharp eye. The one who not only focuses on quality work and special details, but also the one who steps back regularly to see the entire home. Do this often and prevent problems before they occur, and when disappointments are discovered don’t be afraid of undoing something and redoing it properly, while the opportunity is there.

When in doubt on making a decision, choose to do it right.

Do this, and I promise you, you will love that finished home.

And so will everyone else.

(this advice is just a taste of what you will discover in the full Handmade House Academy which will be released soon… make sure and sign up to be on our newsletter if you are interested in learning more)

Noah

Originally posted 2016-05-20 15:47:40.

One thing you must do, if you want to get it right2019-06-29T10:08:37+00:00

They just do

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She is just a log outbuilding…
A carefully placed stack of hewn logs,
with a metal roof above her.
But there is wonder to be found there.
For some reason visitors who pass by, or stop in for a moment, feel more peaceful for the experience.
Old log cabins tend to do that.
I don’t know why.
They just do.

Originally posted 2016-05-17 15:44:55.

They just do2019-06-29T10:08:36+00:00

Simple living and life priorities

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Most new homes today are so comfortable… are so distracting… that we miss out on what is truly important.

In some ways a modest cottage can hold more blessings for us than a McMansion could ever hope to provide.

Originally posted 2016-05-12 17:04:52.

Simple living and life priorities2019-06-29T10:08:35+00:00

How much does a log cabin cost?

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If you never want to own a handmade home,
then always let your first thought be “how much?”

for surely… the answer will be more than you want to hear,
and then,
you can easily dismiss the dream.
But,
if you really want to have that dream home,
let your first thought be…
“I WANT that handmade house, what do I need to do to make it happen?”
I’ve seen the young get their dream home, and I’ve seen the old, I’ve seen those financially challenged do it. (BTW… I’ve never seen a lottery winner do it)
Dream big, take small steps.
Yes, it does take effort.
Is it worth it?
Oh yes. So much so.

Just don’t get caught in the trap that so many do…

Of expecting someone else to do all the work… of designing a beautiful home for you, of picking out the best materials, and taking the greatest care in building that home to the highest level of skill… and doing all that, at the same price, or less, than the mass produced vinyl homes being built by the thousands today. It’s just not going to happen.

But please, don’t let your dream die!   You can have that wonderful home.

The reality is that future handmade house owners need to either open the wallet wide… or put the toolbelt on.

I’ve built over a hundred one-of-a-kind homes for individuals who wanted me to do all, or most, of the work.  I’m so thankful for those people.  I’ve created some masterpieces and paid my bills in the process, and those same clients now have wonderful homes.

I’ve also taught hundreds more how they can do the same thing I do themselves and I have seen them go on to claim their dreams and create wonderful memories. Not to mention many now having incredible homes with little or no mortgage.

There are few things in this life that I love more than designing and building a handmade home and I believe that if you give it a try that you will feel the same way. The process is methodical… one step at a time… everyone in the building trade at one time built their first house. Many who build homes for a living have no more education than a high school degree. It’s not rocket science… it’s carpentry… it’s masonry… it’s plumbing.  Yep, nailing boards, putting one stone on top of the other, gluing pipes together. There are tons of how-to books and videos out there.

You can do this. You are qualified.

Whether you choose to do it all or just some of the work, is something that can decide as you proceed. But at least start the journey by becoming fully informed on the options and the steps. And take the first few yourself… start the design work… seek out the materials… read up on the trades. I can’t tell you what decisions you will make as it progresses… but I can tell you that you will love the final destination!

Noah

PS… yes, the Handmade House Academy course is still being finished up. I’m so sorry for the delay… but be looking for the big announcement soon for all those on this site’s email list! There you will learn how to make this future home of yours a dream home… a home that will amaze you and everyone who visits.

Originally posted 2016-05-12 13:32:52.

How much does a log cabin cost?2019-06-29T10:08:34+00:00

Rustic addition

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For those who dream of having a cabin… but don’t want the whole house to be made of log… consider having one room of the home as your rustic retreat.

Originally posted 2016-05-10 14:17:20.

Rustic addition2019-06-29T10:08:33+00:00

The three sided cabin

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Here we have a home with a log cabin attached to it’s end as an addition.
This home is dramatically improved by having part of the home being of log construction don’t you think?
But, there is something unique and unusual about this cabin. Can you see it?
I have seen many hundreds of people tour these home and not one has ever commented on its “uniqueness”. (much to my surprise)

What makes this cabin unique is that it  is a three sided cabin.
No one has ever once upon touring the home has noticed that it was three sided! … why is that?… and, are their advantages to having a three sided cabin?
Quite often when an old log cabin is taken down to be later used again when building a new home we are faced with a shortage of logs. Without fail there are generally a few logs that are damaged due to rot or insect damage. Also, old log cabins tend to have low ceilings so building back a taller cabin is often desired, so once again, we need more logs (or a creative alternative).
Sometimes vintage logs can be found to make up for the shortage, sometimes not. One way to get around this issue is to build a three sided cabin and attach it to a larger structure (It doesn’t have to be much larger, just somewhat bigger).
There are financial savings in taking this path due to not having to find and buy more logs, and the cabin is often nicer due to a now abundant supply of logs, and there is also a huge savings in labor in that only two corners of the cabin now need to be notched. And, to top things off,  this type of cabin is easier to attach to another structure.
The “missing wall” of a three sided cabin is easily replaced visually with some combination of a fireplace, a doorway or opening into the cabin, or perhaps a closet, built-in shelves or cabinetry, or the creative use of old paneling.
Three sided cabins are historical… there is nothing new about them… I’ve seen them many times, but yet for some reason I’ve never been able to convince anyone to buy one when set up like the ones seen in these photo below… but… I have found that every time I’ve ever built a house using this method that people love them, and never once has any one noticed “the missing wall” or failed to love the cabin.

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Originally posted 2016-05-10 14:08:30.

The three sided cabin2019-06-29T10:08:32+00:00

Handmade House owners are happier people

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It’s a good thing to be happy isn’t it?

There is one thing that I’ve noticed over the years and that is that people that own a handmade house tend to be happier than everyone else.
A cabin in the woods, a farmhouse, of maybe a stone cottage is not like any other possession… a thrill for a while but soon taken for granted.
Sure, everyone is thrilled when they first get something new, like a car with only a handful of miles on it, but that same car a few months later looses it’s allure and becomes just “the car”.
A handmade home is life changing, for all who live there. I’ve seen it, and experienced it myself. The magic never seams to wear off.
I have clients whom I built their home for them twenty five years ago who still adore their homes and tell me that building

Originally posted 2016-05-10 13:50:58.

Handmade House owners are happier people2019-06-29T10:08:31+00:00

Start with logs, add memories, and create your cabin!

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A cabin begins with a pile of logs.
From there, it’s just one step at a time.
Those days of building will give you many wonderful memories.
and then…
one day…
there’s a cabin in the woods…
that you can call home.
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Originally posted 2016-05-08 18:05:36.

Start with logs, add memories, and create your cabin!2019-06-29T10:08:30+00:00
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