With the interior construction and installations complete, the finishing touches on the log cabin include deciding on a floor plan, arranging furniture and adding custom decorative furnishings and accents. DIY interior-design specialist Nancy Golden steps in to lend a hand to host Bruce Johnson in selecting and arranging items that will blend with the wood features and rustic motif of the cabin. Floor Plan A well-thought-out floor plan is important in any house and can greatly enhance the flow and "feel" of the living space.
Traditionally, log cabins are small and quaint, and the one built in this series is no exception. The furniture selection and layout must be planned so that the arrangement will be one that works well in the relatively small interior.
The design challenge for the living room -- or great room (figure A) -- is to take the single large room and turn it into four distinct areas through the creative arrangement of furniture and accessories: the kitchen (figure B) (already defined by the kitchen cabinets and appliances), dining, reading and conversation areas.
Another design challenge is to find and use decorative elements to conceal the storage area in the loft above the living room (figure C).
In the bedroom (figure D), furniture-placement options are somewhat restricted since there are windows on two walls and closet doors on a third.
The appearance of the bathrooms (figure E) is already well defined by the wood-paneled vanity, mirrors and decorative tile floor. Bathroom treatments will consist mainly of selecting a few accessories.
- Design Tip: When working out a floor plan in interior design, start with a blueprint of the house. After you've selected the large furniture pieces, make paper cutout templates -- cut to scale -- of the furnishings (figure F). Use the paper cutouts to preplan furniture placement before actually moving in the pieces. Because lighting is a critical element of interior design, make cutouts to indicate floor lamps and table lamps as well.
Color Schemes
To selecting a palette of colors for decorating the cabin interior, the owner suggested drawing on the cabin's natural surroundings (figure G) so that the decor would evoke the terrain and pastoral setting in which the cabin is located.
Actual samples of leaves, berries, wood and stone found near the cabin were used as guides for helping to select a natural palette of interior colors (figure H).
Once inspiration was gleaned from the natural surroundings, paint samples (figure I) were picked and brought in to assist in final color selections. Bright, saturated primary colors were avoided; muted, "greyed-down" or "browned-down" colors were favored and matched for consistency throughout the house.
One color that was selected as a direct inspiration from nature was the distinctive blue-green of the moss and lichens that grow on the bark of the native trees. After considering a number of Formica (TM) samples, Johnson and Golden selected a color and shade very similar to that of the lichen for the kitchen counter-ops. The muted greenish hue was a nice complement to the rich, honey-colored wood of the cabinets (figure J).
Tile samples were used for selecting bathroom-tile colors (figure K). Rather than using an ordinary, flat-white tile, the owner selected colored tiles of glazed and rough-fired clay finish to provide a nonslippery surface and coordinate with the warm, natural wood tones of the cabin.
Smaller-sized tiles were installed, allowing for a wider grout width. The wider grout line also helped to create a nonslippery surface. Decorative tiles with embossed leaves were scattered randomly in the layout, furthering the natural motif (figure L).
Beadboard panels, painted willow green, were installed as a backsplash (figure M) in the kitchen on the wall behind the refrigerator and stove. The pale-green color and vertical cut of the panels provided a visual and textural offset for the horizontal lines and gold wood tone of the log walls in the kitchen. The color also blended well with the moss green of the countertops.
With the general floor plan established and the colored features in place, the next phase will be to bring in the furniture and begin adding accessories. The first room to receive the decorative treatment is the great room.
RESOURCES :
Log Home Repair and Restoration Services
Log Home Repair and Restoration Services
Website: www.loghomerepair.com
The Complete Guide to Building Log Homes
ISBN: 0806974869
Author: Monte Burch, Richard J. Meyer, Lloyd P. Birmingham
Sterling Publishing Co. Inc.
Website: www.sterlingpub.com
The Cabin: Inspiration for the Classic American Getaway
Model: 0879056711
Author: Dale Mulfinger, Susan E. Davis
The Taunton Press Inc.
Website: www.taunton.com
Small Log Homes: Storybook Plans and Advice
ISBN: 1586850431
Author: Robbin Obomsawin
Gibbs Smith Publishing
Website: www.gibbs-smith.com
Inside Log Homes: The Art & Spirit of Home Planning and Decor
Model: 087905963X
Author: Cindy Teipner Thiede, et al
Gibbs Smith Publishing
Website: www.gibbs-smith.com
Special thanks for DIY's Log Cabin Interiors workshop
Formica Corp.
10155 Reading Rd.
Cincinnati, OH 45241
Toll-free: 800-FORMICA (800-367-6422)
Fax: 513-786-3024
Website: www.formica.com
| 
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
