29 06, 2019

The width of a porch

2019-06-29T11:06:26+00:00

IMG_1961

This attractive log home fascinates me.

One of the many design “rules” in building an attractive log home is to properly size the front porch of a cabin.

Through decades of observing  old log homes, and in building traditionally designed new ones, I have observed that…

A six foot porch, which is common on many new homes built today, is unheard of and impractical on a country cabin because it is simply too small to be useful.

Whereas, an eight foot porch is ideal, being visually appealing and offering plenty of room for rocking chairs, porch swings, and guests to stand on.

A wide ten foot porch is rare and often too large, appearing somewhat awkward and overbearing on any cabin other than the very largest of ones (20 feet or wider). These oversized “ten-footers” do offer the benefit of abundant exterior space, enough that a picnic table or even sleeping cots can be set up, and thus an outdoor space can practically become an exterior room.

As useful as these wider porches are I have often encouraged people to stick with the traditional eight-foot porches.

But here on this cabin we have what appears to be a unheard of fourteen-foot porch!

I can think of no other cabin like it.

If someone had told me of such a thing without seeing this image I’d probably have chuckled at the idea of how odd it must look.

But I would have been wrong… this cabin looks great!

Perhaps, rules are meant to be broken.

And, that when one breaks the rules, they need to be bold about it!

Originally posted 2015-12-12 16:40:32.

The width of a porch2019-06-29T11:06:26+00:00
29 06, 2019

Siting a home on a property

2019-06-29T11:06:25+00:00

IMG_1715

I believe that more than half of the parcels of land that I have built on over the years have been half wooded and half cleared… these are easy properties to pick the house site as a cabin looks best when it is nestled close to the tree line where field and woods meet, much like you see here in this image.

Here we have “His” and “Hers”  cabins.
But, which is which?  🙂

Originally posted 2015-12-12 15:17:06.

Siting a home on a property2019-06-29T11:06:25+00:00
29 06, 2019

Two houses, two extremes

2019-06-29T11:06:19+00:00

 

DIGITAL CAMERA

IMG_1713

Today I’d like to focus on the second floor windows of these two homes.

Actually, the windows themselves are fine, but there is a problem with the second floor profiles of these structures.. An oversight has been made that visually detracts from the potential charm that these two houses could have offered.

The first home, an old frame structure appears odd in it’s presentation, doesn’t it?  This oddness comes from the second floor area. But exactly what is the problem? And how could it have been built differently?

The second home (a newer log cabin built using antique logs) appears to have a visually overpowering porch roof.  And yet this roof is not inappropriately too large. So again, what’s the problem?

It turns out that both houses suffer from the same aesthetic design “issue”, each displaying opposite extremes of the same problem.

I have found that the front profiles of houses look best when there is about an eight inch space between the second floor windows and the roofs above and below… any wider of a space and the house looks odd, as if the windows are floating above the porch roof… and any less of a space and windows look “crunched” and the porch roof below becomes visually overpowering.

It’s a simple design consideration, it doesn’t cost any extra money to implement, but one that makes a big difference.

Originally posted 2015-12-10 13:52:49.

Two houses, two extremes2019-06-29T11:06:19+00:00
29 06, 2019

Old vs. New

2019-06-29T11:06:16+00:00

IMG_1724

Can you guess which chimney is the newer one?

Houses, as the years have gone by, have grown more comfortable with the addition of modern plumbing, wiring, temperature controlled interiors, but the quality of design and materials has severely dropped off as illustrated in these two chimneys.

Originally posted 2015-12-10 12:30:11.

Old vs. New2019-06-29T11:06:16+00:00
29 06, 2019

The length of a porch

2019-06-29T11:06:10+00:00

IMG_1919

What a nice log cabin… (even though I didn’t build it)… lol

If I had to guess I would say this cabin is likely about 20 years old and was built using antique logs. The growth of the shrubs, the mix of early 1800’s strap hinges on the door with 20th century z-bracing on the window shutters, and a chimney without any crowning at the top, are all clues.

I’ve spent my career building cabins… I admire anyone that does the same… and I especially admire anyone that can build a cabin and leave no clues as to it’s age (almost impossible to do).

But here the one clue that cries the most to it’s age is the front porch roof… see how it extends beyond the log cabin where the two come together? I’ve never seen one like that on an old cabin… it draws the eye and once spotted distracts the viewer from fully appreciating  what would have been a nearly perfect project. The builder/designer of this cabin was focusing on the porch floor, not the larger porch roof that would be built above it.

The solution to this problem would have been to build the porch floor system shorter than the length of the cabin, much like you see in how the back addition to this cabin was built. I generally build the front porch two feet shorter than the cabin (a foot or so shy of the each end).

Originally posted 2015-12-08 17:12:18.

The length of a porch2019-06-29T11:06:10+00:00
29 06, 2019

A home should blend into the environment

2019-06-29T11:06:07+00:00

IMG_1952

I have yet to build a hobbit style home… I so hope to do so… one day.

But hoping won’t make it happen, I need to start planning towards it, so that is what I’m now doing.

Now, will my wife want to live in hobbit home?… likely not. But fortunately one of the keys to building a handmade house is the freedom to combine several types of construction formats… build a home that is part this, and part that… perhaps have a log cabin den, a post-and-beam kitchen and maybe a hobbit guest room?

Originally posted 2015-12-08 15:46:02.

A home should blend into the environment2019-06-29T11:06:07+00:00
29 06, 2019

Perfection is rare

2019-06-29T11:06:02+00:00

IMG_1704

What do we have here?
… Antique flooring. Nice.
… An arched stone fireplace with a wonderful surrounding mantelpiece… and… a working iron crane for cooking.
… An attractive winding staircase with a precious small closet door that accesses the closet below… and… a large window which lights the stairs.
… And, to top it off, all of this is found in a vintage log cabin.
… Oh my.
I don’t know how it could get any better.

Originally posted 2015-12-05 13:57:46.

Perfection is rare2019-06-29T11:06:02+00:00
29 06, 2019

A woodstove within an inglenook

2019-06-29T11:05:53+00:00

IMG_1926

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 inglenook2019-06-29T11:05:53+00:00
29 06, 2019

A few dollars more

2019-06-29T11:05:47+00:00

4GNK5tMJ_K8bK_UVHhMIpVmGPha7nWlBFyg71rrRGRY,2xmnu2R9n__qzhRk8POVol8XfA0NiHTeblZxLJadGNM

Here we have an interesting, and very attractive, outbuilding behind one of the historic homes at Colonial Williamsburg.
This little shed would cost only a little bit more to build than those pre-assembled units found at the local lumber supplier.
 

Originally posted 2015-12-01 13:14:10.

A few dollars more2019-06-29T11:05:47+00:00
29 06, 2019

A board-and-batten retreat home

2019-06-29T11:05:44+00:00

IMG_1842

A rustic retreat home… oh, the benefits of board and batten siding.

Among the benefits… low priced, locally sourced, easy to install, and natural look. For those seeking a rustic log cabin but price is an issue consider the potential of this material, for the entire home, or for part of it.

Originally posted 2015-11-29 16:12:09.

A board-and-batten retreat home2019-06-29T11:05:44+00:00
Go to Top