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The living room, or "great room," is the largest area in the house, and the first to receive the decorator treatment. Through the creative use of furnishings, the room is divided into four contiguous spaces or living areas: kitchen, dining, entertaining and reading areas.
Furniture placement in the conversation area. Furnishings selections are eclectic, informal and inviting.
Figure A
Figure B
Figure C
Figure D
Figure E
Figure F
Furniture placement in the reading area. Like the conversation area, emphasis is on comfort, not formality. Rustic furnishings are mixed and matched deliberately for an informal, unplanned look.
Figure G
Figure H
Figure I
Figure J
Figure K
Figure L
Figure M
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With the general floor plan established and the color scheme worked out, the next phase will be to bring in the furniture, place it according to the floor plan and begin adding personal and decorative accessories. The first room to receive decorative treatment from interior-design specialist Nancy Golden is the living room, or great room. The placement of two exterior doors -- on two separate walls of the great room -- helps to create a natural division of the room into four quadrants. Through the selective grouping of furnishings, these quadrants will function as four distinctive living spaces: kitchen, dining, reading and entertaining areas. Since the great room comprises more than 800 square feet, there's no need to scale down when selecting the furniture. Full-size or oversize furniture makes the space seem more substantial and "important." Large, comfortable furniture will help build the relaxed atmosphere that's an integral theme in this rustic setting. In fact, a relaxed casual air -- and an environment that doesn't look too matched or "perfect" -- is a key objective in this style of decorating.
Conversation Area In the great room's conversation area, an overstuffed sofa with three fabric finishes (figure A) adds visual interest. Rather than simple piping, the sofa cushions utilize a flat-flange welt.
A black wrought-iron fireplace screen helps conceal the propane heater (figure B), the cabin's main source of heat.
A rough-exterior, antique-looking blanket chest doubles as a coffee table (figure C). In a small interior such as this cabin, storage space can be scarce, so the blanket chest provides some extra storage while its wide lid surface makes for a more-than-ample tabletop. Though it's taller than traditional coffee tables, the extra height makes it much more comfortable for casual use.
A twig chair (figure D) is placed in the corner of the reading area, adding to the warm, inviting atmosphere of the space.
A tramp-art table ( figure E) is used as an accent below the window. Tramp-art is a primitive style of craftsmanship with pieces made from inexpensive materials and assembled in a manner reminiscent of styles found in folk art. Because of their unusual look, pieces in this genre work particularly well in settings that incorporate varied and eclectic furnishings. This particular table incorporates painted wood and a linoleum top colored in red, black and gold. The style and color scheme are well matched with the rustic wood interior.
A shelf made of log siding and stained a deep reddish tone was mounted earlier on brackets above the door (figure F).
Reading Area In the reading area, two unmatched upholstered chairs are the dominant furnishings.
One chair is covered in a Native American blanket-style print (figure G), the second in a neutral hemp linen (figure H). Both chairs are rustic in style, and their coverings are soft but nicely textured.
A coffee table with twig legs and a distressed-wood top(figure I) is perfect in the setting. The rough natural finish of the tabletop means that there's no need to use coasters for beverage containers -- an attribute in keeping with an ambiance that is genuinely informal and inviting.
A tall wooden hutch (figure J), painted black, helps define the reading area. The large size and height of the piece helps bring up the scale and raise the visual line of the room.
Dining Area The quadrant closest to the kitchen area is perfectly suited for the dining area. The red stain for the dining-room table and chairs (figure K) shows off the wood grain and offsets nicely against the golden-hued wood walls.
A console table (figure L) was added against the back wall as a functional serving piece to provide a surface for a buffet when serving guests. - Design Tip: When furnishing an informal or rustic setting, it's not necessary to match all wooden pieces. It may add to visual interest to select wood finishes -- and even styles -- that are unmatched, so long as the styles don't clash with one another. Some people even purposely assemble a set of dining-room chairs that are all unmatched by buying individual, odd pieces from sets that have been broken up.
Kitchen Area Since the kitchen area is nearly complete, with appliances and cabinets installed earlier, little else is needed in terms of furnishings. High-backed barstools are added (figure M) to raise the scale of the kitchen area and define a line between it and the conversation area. Decorative accessories will be added to the kitchen later.
The next phase in decorating will include the bedroom and baths.
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
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
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