For those of you lucky enough to have a log home, here are a few design tips that can help cozy up your place.
Log homes present unusual design challenges. Filled with natural or stained wood, often with small windows, log homes are sometimes dark and dull. Inexpensive design ideas abound for livening up the interior space of a log home, ranging from paint and furniture to accessories and collections. With just a few additions, your log home will stand out from the rest.
If you have a newer looking kitchen in your log home, make the kitchen a little older and rustic looking. Often a couple of walls in the kitchen are plain drywall or are not constructed of log. Paint these walls in a whitewash finish, or paint them a retro shade of cream, yellow or green. Change the cabinet hardware to reflect an older look; install white porcelain or clear glass knobs and handles. Beadboard cabinetry is reminiscent of older homes and is casual enough to suit a log home. Use a plain pine table rather than a standard island seen in modern kitchens. Use vintage brackets to make open shelving for dishes and serving pieces.
Decor in log cabin bathrooms doesn't have to be the standard moose or bear theme. Look for vintage claw-foot bathtubs. Add painted, white pressed tin for a wall covering or aged looking ceiling. Alternatively, stencil early-American designs on the walls. Old chenille bedspreads can be easily converted into novel shower curtains. Add an old armoire for storage if you have the space. Use a large pedestal sink with an oversize mirror in a antique frame.
Keep bedrooms simple with basic furnishings. Shaker style or mission style furniture is optimal for their clean lines and simplicity. Add braided rugs over hardwood floors to add warmth, texture and color. Look for accessories that are worn, crackled and peeling. These characteristics add old world charm. Salvaged materials can be found from condemned buildings, such as fireplace mantels, door knobs, barn doors and stained glass windows. Use an old barn door as a headboard if you like, and replace modern doorknobs with the old-fashioned glass type. Fashion curtains from sheet sets, and mix and match quilts with chenille bedspreads.
