Log cabin design requires careful thought and planning in order to achieve efficiency and control construction costs:
Overall Plan
- Stack bathrooms over each other, or place them next to each other, or stack a bathroom over the kitchen to save on plumbing costs.
- Spend some time on your property at different times of the day and different seasons to get a sense of light and shadow, as well as views that reveal themselves when the leaves disappear. Orient your house to take advantage of the views and the light.
- To utilize passive solar gain, keep the main façade facing south and include long overhangs to block summer sun but still allow winter sun to peek under the eaves.
- If utilizing an existing plan, bear in mind that it's generally not a problem to simply flip the entire design if that gives you a better layout for your site.
- Keep your footprint square to save money on corners - one of the reasons costs can escalate as corners are more difficult for concrete forms, framing, finishing, roofing, etc.
- Build up rather than out and you will save money since your footprint remains small. You will maximize your log cabin design and capture more usable floor space on the same foundation on upper levels.
- Plan in an outdoor room to bring the outside in and the inside out. Outdoor space comes in at a fraction of the cost of finished interior space.
- Be careful of too much open, sweeping space inside your cabin.
- Cozy is good, too. Some rooms benefit from a cozy feel, such as bedrooms and kitchens. Tuck these under a ceiling and leave the open cathedral ceiling for the great room.
Interior Elements
- Don't be afraid of using a plaster wall on some interior walls. This can break up the expanse of wood and provide dramatic relief with bold colors or set off the wood with a soothing pale shade.
- Tucking a fireplace in the corner on the diagonal makes a commanding statement and saves space as well.
- Good lighting is made up of three key elements: task lighting, ambient lighting, and overall space lighting. Consider carefully how you include all three.
- Install CAT-5 or CAT-5e wiring to every place where you might want a desk or computer at any time in the future so it will be easy to expand your capabilities.
These are just a few tips to keep in mind to save money and maximize efficiency with your log cabin design.
