This is another one of our favorite topics in the arena of Log Cabin Style Homes and Decor!
The reason for that excitement is that this is an area where functionality meets art form! There are so many hand-crafted options here that can completely alter the entire look of a home and all by themselves can convert a conventional house into a true Log Cabin Style Home.
Also, coming from the viewpoint of a craftsman and professional wood worker, this is an area where a hobbyist/craftsperson can, over the course of time, create their own series of functional masterpieces to use and display their skills and tastes for years to come.
Now we realize that most people don't fall into that category and have absolutely no interest in creating their own pieces of furniture. That's great! That's what allows the people like us to enjoy what we do!
Log Cabin Worthy Furniture Styles
If you are looking at furniture from the perspective of the owner of a true Log Cabin, you will realize that the cabin itself creates most of the atmosphere and the furnishings take on a less important role in the feel of the setting.
However if you are trying to take a conventional house and convert it over to a Log Cabin Style Home, the furniture can play a much more important role in that process.
Consider a normal, attractive, brown leather sofa, maybe even one with some nice dark-stained wood trim. If you place it in a conventional log home, it makes a great addition to the already woodsy feeling of the home. However, now imagine that you put that same sofa into the white painted living room of even a very nice custom home. While it may look very beautiful there and work well in that setting, it does nothing to create a Log Cabin Style feel all on its own.
Now let's flip that scenario around. Let's replace that beautiful leather sofa with a hand crafted, log framed sofa with some cushions covered with our favorite forest themed upholstery. When we place it in the log cabin, it is a definite addition to the ambiance that is already there. When we decide to put it into the white painted living room, it begins to convert the feel of the home all on its own. It's a very different setting, but in both places it adds a bit of a magical touch all its own.
That's the power that our furniture choices have in the creation of the atmosphere that we are trying to create. The furniture styles that work well in a Log Cabin Style Home can run across a very broad spectrum. Actually, the more the structure and finish of the house itself approaches the wood paneled or true log finish on the inside, the more different styles of furniture you can get away with successfully. We have seen some true log homes decorated with ultra modern and even futuristic styles of furniture and still have it work out very attractively.
Different Furniture Styles And Where They Work Best
Let's start with the most obvious styles and work our way to the least obvious.
Hand Crafted Natural Log Furniture
As discussed earlier. Hand crafted log furniture has "Log Cabin Style Home" written all over it. We are discussing here the furniture that is crafted from naturally shaped logs. Each individual part of each piece of furniture is a unique story in and of itself. The most high end pieces have the most natural character built into them. They are a witness to both of their creators, God and the craftsman who assembled them.
This style of furniture can single-handedly convert even the most ultra modern house into one with an outdoorsy feel to it. It is also the perfect compliment to a true log home.
Factory Made, Machined Log Furniture
This style is quite common and runs a close second behind the above mentioned category. It has much the same ability to convert a conventional home to the Log Cabin Style Feel or to compliment the true log cabin. Though it lacks the artistic power of the real hand crafted item. (It also lacks the price, just FYI)
Wood And Resin River Tables
This is a brand new style in just the last few years that is taking the world by storm. They are completely hand crafted and completely unique. (As well as pricey) Modern resin technology has allowed the builders to make thicker pours that can be tinted an infinite variety of colors and even have items embedded into them. They are almost always done in striking natural colors and all alone, they can completely transform the character of any room you put them in.
Hand Crafted Natural Wood Furniture
By contrast to the above styles, these pieces are characterized by being sawn, planed and shaped with squared off corners and edges similar to much custom furniture. But here the emphasis is on the natural beauty of the individual pieces of wood, the flaws and grain patterns. Because of their emphasis on the natural, they make a perfect fit for any of the styles of homes we are discussing and are a definite addition to the outdoor ambiance.
Furniture Made From Standard Dimensional Lumber
While this may, at first, sound somewhat cheesy, so to speak, there are some amazingly attractive pieces and sets of furniture made this way. It's actually quite interesting what you can come up with to make out of 2x4's, 2x6's & 4x4's! This can be an especially attractive option for the owner-builder on a budget. When you combine the rugged natural looks of this style with some of the stain and color combinations that we discussed in the article on interior finishes, you can have some truly attractive, rustic cabin furniture on a tighter budget.
This style also works well in both styles of homes because of its fundamental focus on the natural wood.
Manufactured Pieces Of Standard Furniture With Outdoor Motifs
Many furniture stores and their suppliers stock all sorts of pieces with outdoor motifs in the upholstery making them great additions to either style of home. If your local shopping doesn't uncover what you want, we have several suggestions and links on our other pages to help you find the ideal pieces.
Manufactured Pieces In Basic Solid Natural Colors
Here is where we start to run into the limitations of the piece of furniture itself to determine the feel of the room. Because it has no inherent nature based theme to it, it will simply look nice in a conventional house, but not have the power to transform the feel of the room to a Log Cabin Style. However it may look absolutely stunning in a true log cabin setting.
Now, if you have decorated the rest of your room with outdoor themed curtains, drapes, light fixtures and lamps as well as knick knack items, etc, you can still get by with using this style of furniture. It becomes the role of the other pieces to set the mood and the furniture just supports it with its color.
Again, natural colors work best here, especially if you throw in a little wood trim with maybe some leather and some outdoorsy throw pillows.
Antiques
Now a word about antiques here. This is a very personal subject, depending entirely upon the tastes of the owner themselves.
Antiques work well in a true log cabin or in a conventional home that has been remodeled with a lot of tongue and groove pine inside for instance. However, when you put the same antiques into a conventional home with painted sheetrock walls, your decor moves into the country or farm house type of style and away from the Log Cabin Style Feel. Not that this is bad, just different. Be aware, that's all.
Art Deco
Interestingly enough, we have seen this one work out fairly well in a real log cabin! Probably not that you would would want to go all out with your full decor in this style, but one of those old chrome framed tables with a formica top on it actually doesn't look bad at all in your log cabin.
In a conventional painted home, it would probably completely miss the outdoorsy mark. Not that it would look bad, but again, it just wouldn't look like a cabin.
Modern, Futuristic Or Whatever You Want To Call It!
We are not sure on the correct terminology here, but lets just say that we have seen some very modern looking furniture look really nice in a true log cabin. But it moves away from the out of doors/woodsy feel by its very nature. In a conventional home, it will completely miss the point!
In Conclusion!
You have a lot of leeway when choosing furniture for your Log Cabin Style Home. By definition, the term Log Cabin Style Furniture probably mostly encompasses styles with a natural, woodsy out-of-doors theme and motif to it. The more natural exposed wood and natural materials like leather and the more the upholstery pattern portrays the out-of-doors, the closer you come to having a piece of furniture that will by itself be able to transform the feel of a room.
Yes more plain styles will work very well if the setting itself says Log Cabin Style, but they just can't carry off the transformation all by themselves!
Comments