The Log Home Floor Plan Blog

Inspired by Mountain Architect’s Rimrock Log Home Design, this Adirondack post and beam log home is the epitome of rustic and charming.  Resting high above Lake Blue Ridge in Georgia this home is picture perfect with it’s mixture of wood, stone & log.  At 3,788 square feet, with 4 bedrooms & 4 bathrooms, the owners have more than enough room for family and friends.

Features of the home include a master bedroom complete with a private loft, perfect for a quiet escape to read and admire the mountain views.  Views can also be enjoyed from the cozy screened in porch or open deck.    When the weather turns cold, a dual sided fireplace provides warmth and ambiance to both the master suite and great room.

The overall style of the home may be rustic Adirondack, but the addition of yellow walls and updated appliances add a modern and warm touch against the weathered-looking log.

A Vermont couple works with PrecisionCraft Log Homes and Mountain Architects to design a customized version of the Cedar Falls log home plan. This beautiful log home features an extended stone & log accented prow as well as a double-sided fireplace that warms the great room and the deck. It is a grand welcome home in Vermont!

See more Log Home Pictures & Designs at Facebook!

Many people spend years searching hundreds of different log home & timber frame floor plans; ones that showcase a specific style, layout, or size. For this Idaho couple, their search focused on finding a floor plan that would complement their build location.

In their pursuit for a floor plan that would highlight their one-of-a-kind view, Kelly and Marie fell in love with Mountain Architects’ Laurette Chateau timber frame home plan. The couple felt that the massive timber window “framed their view like a picture” while the large wraparound deck and multiple patios made outdoor living easy. See pictures of this finished timber frame home below:

Timber Frame House | Inspired by the Laurette Chateau Plan

~Custom timber frame home design by Mountain Architects

Custom Timber Frame Bar with Steel-Brushed Barn Wood

~Distinguished mountain architecture & design

Timber Frame Great Room: Custom Timber Frame Trusses

~State-of-the-art log & timber manufacturing techniques ensure top structural value for your home.

Timber Frame Home Designed for a Beautiful, Mountain View

~Learn more about the custom log home design process.

Classic Log Homes & Lakeside Living

Moose, pronghorn antelope, wolves, osprey and more enjoy the great watering hole found on the shores of Henry’s Lake. Mesmerized by theater-like views of the surrounding wildlife, Doug and Kristin make it a daily endeavor to enjoy the great outdoors from their home in the mountains. Several outdoor seating areas, private balconies, an expansive deck off the main level, and magnificent walls of glass surrender beautiful, uninterrupted views of the lake and mountains. With intimate living spaces and abundant views out, Doug and Kristin have redefined lakefront living with a beautiful log home.

Even with its focus on the outdoors, Doug and Kristin’s log home is completely functional. The master bedroom is located on the main level of the home and each guest bedroom features its own full bath and private access to the outdoors.  Fashioned with a Western, rustic décor, Doug and Kristin’s cabin retreat is adorned with Navajo blankets, heavy wood furniture and custom designed, antler lighting.

Doug and Kristen’s home was inspired by PrecisionCraft’s Tahoe log home plan.

Spectacular View from the Log Home Great Room

This dreamy cabin, built at Tamarack Resort in Donnelly, Idaho, represents the classic, rugged beauty of Idaho’s backcountry. Complimented with modern styling, this log and timber frame cabin is truly a marvel inside and out.

Snow-Covered Log Cabin Home: Entry
Created by the award-winning team PrecisionCraft Homes & Timber Frame and sister company, Mountain Architects, the snow covered retreat, named the Eagle’s Nest, has created quite the “buzz” in the log home community winning awards from the Building Systems Councils and many accolades from log cabin enthusiasts worldwide.

The Eagle’s Nest log home plan boasts a unique design, driven by a unique build site. “The sloping lot nestled against the mountainside at Tamarack Resort demanded a design that was long and narrow,” says designer Matt Franklin, who works at Mountain Architects. “Though the design is intricate with various angles and bump outs, there are few steps in the roofline and limited level changes, making the home work beautifully with its surroundings.”

Eagle’s Nest Log Home: Custom Designed for Narrow Build Site

The intricate design of the Eagle’s Nest makes this home a true, dream cabin showcase. With an open layout, private sleeping quarters and a cozy outdoor living area, the Eagle’s Nest, according to respected team at Log Home Living, “turns the familiar log home tune into a chorus of hallelujahs.”

The layout of the Eagle’s Nest is not the only distinguishing feature inspiring the singing of hallelujahs. Artfully designed timber frame trusses and heavily adzed, square log walls are complimented with the elegance of modern finishes making this home the only one of its kind.

The kitchen comes to life with its custom, knotty alder cabinets. Distressed and glazed, the euro style cabinets magnify the warm hue of the timbers and compliment the granite counter-tops and travertine backslash.

Custom Log Cabin Home: Kitchen

Beautiful hardwood floors, manufactured from wood salvaged from an old bridge in Utah line the kitchen, dining room and great room. The entry, mud room and powder room boast heated slate tile flooring with custom tile rugs.

The two-sided, wood burning fireplace adds to the cabin appeal with its cozy charm. Enjoyed from the great room or the outdoor living area, the fireplace commands attention with its natural stone quarried in Montana.

Log Home Great Room: Featuring Handcrafted Timbers and Square, Milled Log Walls

Recognized for its focus on mountain style architecture, the award winning team at PrecisionCraft Log Homes & Timber Frame and Mountain Architects has custom designed thousands of log homes and cabins worldwide bringing them to life using the industry’s only Design Build Best Cost program.

Charlie and Lauren realized their mountain style home amid the beautiful scenery and quiet comfort of Lake Pend Oreille. Known as Idaho’s most magnificent lake, Lake Pend Oreille is one of the few places worthy of this brilliantly crafted timber frame cabin; it is simply breathtaking with its glass prow design and cathedral ceilings.

With entertainment at the heart of their home’s design, Charlie and Lauren Bisbee worked with PrecisionCraft Log Homes & Timber Frame and sister company, Mountain Architects to create a home perfect for hosting guests.  The indoor pool, complete with a waterfall, cozy movie theater and artfully designed bar make entertaining easy and fun. With a little extra planning and careful thought, Mountain Architects was able to create a design that would function to entertain while also create an environment conducive to enjoying the great outdoors and finding time to relax.

Timber Frame House: Designed to Entertain

Although larger in size than a traditional cabin, Charlie and Lauren’s timber frame home is their cabin retreat; a place where they can come together with family and friends. With an open design, the kitchen allows the couple to interact with their guests, creating a spirit of togetherness. The great room also invites its guests in with a large stone fireplace and comfortable seating area. Venetian plastered walls, mocha colored timbers and warm stucco hues add character and also create an ambience that is pleasant and welcoming.

Timber Frame Home Kitchen: Open Design

When family and friends are not the focus, the reading area in the loft is an ideal place to cozy up with a good book or simply enjoy a splendid view of the majestic lake, perfectly framed by a custom, arched barrel truss. In addition, the home’s multiple decks provide ample opportunity for enjoying the great outdoors.

Loft Features Custom Timber Frame: A Unique Arched Barrel Truss

Often times, couples like Charlie and Lauren fall in love with a company because of a particular log home plan, design, or a company’s distinctive architectural focus. Other times, couples are passionate about the building process looking for the safest path to realize their dream home. Together, PrecisionCraft and Mountain Architects provide the best of both worlds. This artistic duo has the reputation of bringing award-winning log home designs to life using the industry’s only complete Design Build program, saving clients time, effort, and money. Learn more at www.PrecisionCraft.com.

PrecisionCraft’s Wood River Log Home Plan features a unique combination of log and timber frame. This customized version takes shape at a beautiful build site in Alberta, Canada.

Rear View: Wood River Log Home Floor Plan Constructed in Alberta, Canada

Front View: Wood River Log Home Plan Built in Alberta, Canada

Great Room Features Breathtaking Timber Frame Trusses

Recently, Homebuyer Publications, publisher of Log Home Living magazine contacted Jim Young, President of PrecisionCraft Log Homes & Timber Frame for his advice to future log home owners on buying land.  This interview, packed full of good land buying tips, is featured in Log Home Living’s 2010 Annual Buyer’s Guide.  Get the uncut interview at www.LogHomeBlog.com.

Rustic Handcrafted Log Home in Idaho

Log home enthusiasts worldwide will love PrecisionCraft’s final Inspired Living story.  With a 360 degree view of the Lemhi Range, access to Idaho’s finest rivers and headwaters, and a style reminiscent of an old mining town, this handcrafted log cabin home blends modern design with true rustic living!

Over the past few months, PrecisionCraft has presented its Inspired Living stories, real life examples of clients turning Mountain Architects’ design concepts into extraordinary log homes. This month, PrecisionCraft takes you on a tour of its final Inspired Living home, a beautiful handcrafted log cabin home nestled in the Lemhi Range just outside Mackay, Idaho. Get the full story behind this rustic log cabin home.

Find more design inspiration in PrecisionCraft’s award winning Log Home Plans Gallery.  Here you will find PrecisionCraft’s featured Client Variations; examples of how their clients have taken a Mountain Architects’ plan and customized it to make it their own.  Now that’s Inspired Living!    

Learn more about building log homes in Idaho or view a map of PrecisionCraft’s homes!

Last month, PrecisionCraft announced its new Inspired Living feature sharing real life stories of how Mountain Architects’ new design creations come to life.  This month, the award winning team shows how one log home plan, the award-winning Woodhaven, inspired three separate couples to build their dream homes; each customized to match a different lifestyle, architectural taste and budget. 

Read the full Inspired Living story and try out PrecisionCraft’s customized Comparison Tool to see side by side comparisons (photos and floor plans) of each featured home. 

This Inspired Living feature begins with an Idaho couple, Sandy and Dennis.  For years, this couple dreamed of building a log home.  But, it wasn’t until they found PrecisionCraft’s Woodhaven plan that they knew it was time to make that dream a reality.  And, with children, grandchildren & a large extended family living within driving distance, they knew their home’s design had to fit their specific, family-centered needs.

Then there is Carol’s story.  Inspired by the same Woodhaven floor plan, Carol worked with Mountain Architects, PrecisionCraft’s design firm, to design a home that combined the rustic look and feel of a traditional log home but with a modern twist.  From a restaurant style kitchen with moveable pieces, easy-to-clean cement floors, and a lower level designed to host parties and entertain guests, every room in her home has an underlying purpose.

Lastly, there is Dave and Penny.  This couple wanted a home that would stand out; an authentic, handcrafted log home.  Dave and Penny worked with their designer to customize the Woodhaven, room by room, paying close attention to how the logs came together and where stone accents were incorporated. 

With an inspiring floor plan and PrecisionCraft’s skilled team of architects, engineers, log & timber manufacturers and builders, each couple started at the same place but ended up with a one-of-a-kind log home, specifically designed to match their own architectural style and budget.

“This is the kind of thing our clients want to see, says Mountain Architects’ lead designer, Matt Franklin.  “Real life examples of how their designer can modify a floor plan to match their needs, from simply altering its layout and size to integrating a completely unique combination of log and timber.”

For years, PrecisionCraft and Mountain Architects have released a new log and timber frame home design each month. The purpose? To inspire and excite log home enthusiasts world-wide and to give them a variety of creative plans to browse.   With over 65 of Mountain Architects’ most admired log home plans now showcased online, PrecisionCraft’s wide ranging floor plan gallery offers a lot of design inspiration!

So, what’s next for this artistic duo?  Showing you how these great designs come to life, of course!  Hold on tight as this creative team takes you for a detour over the next four months, sharing real life stories of how Mountain Architects’ new design creations come to life.   Get the inside scoop on what inspired each home’s design – was it to build a legacy for family generations to come, to incorporate “green” elements to ensure energy efficiency, or to create an atmosphere of warmth and intimacy?  Despite the reason behind the design, you are sure to find inspiration for your own log home design here!

This Month’s Story: Building a Legacy Home - see how Kelly and Marie take Mountain Architect’s Laurette Chateau floor plan and turn it into their own legacy timber frame home!

BONUS Feature!   Each online feature story is equipped with an interactive floor plan tool.  If you like the layout of the great room and want to see it come to life, simply click on the room… easy as that!

PrecisionCraft and Mountain Architects receive top recognition in the 2009 Log Homes Design Awards!  Hosted by Country’s Best, the contest’s judges included the magazine’s editors and contributors.  “We thought we’d pack this, our first annual Country’s Best Log Homes Design Awards, with page after page of the most stellar designs the log home industry has to offer,” said the magazine editors.

There were ten categories ranging from Best Staircase Design to Best Master Suite.  Take a look at these five “stellar” floor plans, designed by Mountain Architects, that took center stage in this year’s design contest.

Best Plan Over 2,500 Square Feet:  The Trailside Log Home Plan

What the judges had to say:

“Sometimes an expansive floor plan can make a home feel more like a museum, but that’s not the case here. Atmosphere-inducing design details create a cozy feel, even with a large footprint.”

“Although the multiple living spaces were designed for a specific purpose, the rooms were laid out in a way that creates an overall plan that flows seamlessly, making the home easy to navigate.” Get a closer look at the Trailside floor plan.

Best Use of Exterior Space:  The Washington Harbor Log Home Plan

A single level with lots of character, the Washington Harbor was designed specifically to blend in with its surroundings. The design is drawn at 2,366 sq.ft.  Here is what the judges loved most about this custom design:

“Walk out of this timber-heavy design and you’re instantly greeted by a sprawling patio, designed to take advantage of your gorgeous setting.”

“This outdoor living space combines the best aspects of an indoor great room with the open air of outside.  Access to this amazing space is gained through the large NanaWall system, which .  .  .  creates a seamless transition from the indoors out.”  Close up of the Washington Harbor log home floor plan.

Most Creative Log Home Master Bedroom Suite: The Rockpoint Floor Plan (Modification)

Designed as a milled log home, the Rockpoint is a popular plan.  Using the original design as inspiration, the homeowners modified the plan to get this award-winning master suite.  Here is what the judges had to say:

“An arched entryway to the bedroom adds dramatic flair to this setting, as does the vaulted ceiling. Private entry to a covered porch with a view completes the five-star hotel effect.”

“Adjacent to the entry hallway—which gives it a presidential-suite feel—a private, bay-window-encased nook can contain the perfect sitting room or walk-in closet.”  See the original Rockpoint design.

Other Plans by Mountain Architects Recognized

Multi-Level Log Home Plan:  The Hidden Creek Floor Plan

The Hidden Creek is drawn as a handcrafted log home design with timber frame accents. The three levels provide room for extra bedrooms, a large mudroom and a basement-level 3-car garage.

See if the Hidden Creek is your idea of the best multi-level mountain style floor plan.

Most Creative Kitchen: The Hermosa Vista Log Home Plan (Modification)

The Hermosa Vista has a kitchen that flows from the formal dining area and out onto the patio, through the innovative NanaWall™ window.  A convenient large pantry with extra oven is the envy of most amateur chefs.

See the entire Hermosa Vista floor plan.  Let it inspire your own ideas of perfection.

Orientation to views & working with the slope

Sloped sites go hand-in-hand with scenic views. This is one of the primary reason people build houses on sloping terrain. Usually the steeper the site the more view that is available. Quite often there will be a choice of views and/or slopes on a site. In these cases the best view is the one to build toward and then deal with whatever the slope is in order to enjoy that particular view.

Grade contours at start of design

In order to place and design the house to fit the slope of the land grade contours must be provided to the Architect or Designer at the beginning of the process through a topographic survey. Without these contours the design process becomes guesswork which can lead to unnecessary added expense to the homeowner. . Rules on height limits from Development and Local Building Codes. Another design parameter that is necessary to know at the beginning of the process is what the height and setback limits of the Development and the Local Building Codes are. A working understanding of these parameters will lead to a successful project. Sloped sites can increase the complication of determining these height limits. Obtaining a written version of the authority’s definition helps the designer to understand what the limits are.

Slope dictates daylight basement for economic reasons

Quite often homeowners don’t comprehend the economic advantages of a daylight basement. They miss the point that if you’re building on a sloped site the foundation of the house will need to be much taller on the downhill side of the house. If the slope is steep enough (and more often than not it is) you’ll wind up with enough height inside the foundation walls to have livable space at the basement level (daylight basement). This is a low cost solution for additional livable space.

Drainage on uphill side must be addressed

As a house is placed on a slope the uphill side of the site will naturally drain down into the house. In order to prevent an ugly situation a continuous slope running away from the house must be designed in.

Use of retaining walls uphill and down

In some instances a retaining wall must be place on the uphill side to hold back the slope and create drainage for that side of the house. On the downhill side retaining walls are used to create larger flat areas for patios, etc.

Stepping of Floor Plan to work with the site

Single level ranch style houses don’t work very well on a steep slope. The best solution on a site of this type is to step the house down the slope. This fits the house in with its surroundings and helps solve the Height Limit issue. It also creates a more exciting design and eliminates extra tall foundations.

 An Inspired Log Home Design

Mountain Architects’ newest design, the Idlewild, is inspired by Old Tahoe architecture, a style that represents the exquisite beauty of Lake Tahoe as well as the peacefulness of the wilderness surrounding it. Known for its rambling design features, Old Tahoe architecture blends harmoniously with its environment, intertwined with the granite cliffs surrounding the deep blue edge of Lake Tahoe. With the introduction of the Idlewild, Mountain Architects has captured the essence of this unique style and created a spacious home with an intimate feel and abundant character.

View the Idlewild floor plans and elevations.

Build the Idlewild in Two Stages!
The rambling architectural style makes it possible to build your dream home as your budget permits. Start by building the main house with the two bedrooms upstairs. Then, when you are ready, add the garage, luxurious master suite, and upstairs guest room.

Designed by Mountain Architects for PrecisionCraft Log Homes.

With the close of the first month in 2009 just around the corner, Mountain Architects releases its final design in the Rustic Luxury Log Cabins & Plans series.  The Truckee log cabin plan is a unique log post and beam design with stone integrated throughout.  This single-level log cabin home, with just over 1,500 square feet of livable space, brings together rustic tradition with a touch of elegance.  Its layout is simple yet offers the perfect blend of warmth combined with attractive natural materials.

View the Rustic Luxury Truckee Log Cabin Home Plan

What’s next for the team at Mountain Architects?  As a sponsor of the 2009 GREEN LOG Homes & Lifestyle Awards (an awards program created to shine the spotlight on those companies that are working to provide green alternatives in the building industry), Mountain Architects now turns their attention to highlighting green design techniques. Stay tuned for an exciting kick off to a 3 month long endeavor focused on designing and building green, including examples of green homes designed and built over the last couple of years.