One of the quickest ways to get that Log Cabin Style House feel around your home is to start with the outdoor accessories and decor!
You can start the process of getting that woodsy, log cabin style feel by simply buying or creating some really neat chairs, tables, swings, planters, lighting, fire-pits (either in-ground or free-standing), bird feeders, fish ponds, rock walls, etc. Also consider things like your fencing style and any storage sheds, playhouses, or workshops. Could they be built or remodeled to match the more rustic look of a log cabin?
Here are a few suggestions to consider as you begin to visualize how this will look for you:
Log Cabin Style Outdoor Furniture
When we are thinking about a nice quiet outdoorsy place to relax around our homes, the first thing that usually comes to mind is a place to sit and something to set your favorite drink on. What could you do for seating? A set of chairs, a swing or maybe a bench or love seat and of course a matching table that would have that cabin style feel to it? (Oh yeah, and it ought to be comfortable too!)
You can use your imagination on this, or here are some styles that we have seen which work quite well and give you a good taste of that log cabin style feel.
Adirondack Chairs And Matching Tables
These chairs are a very common style that certainly has a log cabin style decor feeling to them, especially if you put a clear finish or some type of stain on them rather than just painting them a generic white color. You can buy them from many sources (see our page for some of our favorite suppliers) or if you are a handy woodworker or crafts person, you can find plans online to build your own.
Two of the main reasons for their wide spread popularity are the basic simplicity of their design and the fact that they are extremely comfortable for what looks like a very hard piece of furniture. You should try one if you have never had the opportunity to before!
Outdoor Wooden Or Wood And Metal Benches And Tables
These can range from the ever-popular antique looking park benches with a rustic colored metal frame and wood slats such as the example on the left, to something even more rustic created from dimensional lumber or even a large log.
Hand Crafted Log Furniture
If you live in an area where there are craftsmen creating these beautiful works of art or don't mind paying the shipping for them, these are a beautiful (though usually fairly expensive) option.
Probably first and foremost, be aware that you need to protect your investment in log furniture. By its very nature, it is susceptible to deterioration due to exposure to the weather and sunlight. Our suggestion would be to avoid using them in an area where they would not be protected from the rain or direct sunlight. They work great on north-facing covered porches or patios for example.
The second thing to know is that many of them, especially the more massive styles, are quite heavy and therefore not as easy to move around.
Standard Outdoor Furniture In Natural Colors
There are many great sources for nice patio and deck furniture such as Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart, Amazon, etc.
Our suggestions would be to look for something with an outdoor or woodsy style that uses natural colors such as browns, greens, tans, etc. Avoid polished or bright colored metals for the framework, and crazy, bright colors that tend to take away from the log cabin style house feel. But hey, that's just our opinion!
Porch Swings
What says "relax" more than a porch swing or maybe a hammock?
Remember, all of the thoughts suggested above for natural wood furniture apply to these porch swing options as well.
You can find some pretty nice free-standing swings with their own metal framework available through many local suppliers, as well as a full blown log swing if you have someone in your area that builds them.
This all reminds us of the lyrics of an old favorite country song, something about, "On the front porch in a swing, just a swangin'."
Storage Sheds, Playhouses And Workshops
One way to dress up the outside of your home and give you a trial run on your building and remodeling skills would be to dress up your outbuildings to create a Log Cabin Style Storage Shed, Playhouse, Tree House, or Workshop.
Whether you already have one or more of these outbuildings in existence on your property or you wish to start from scratch to build a new one, this can be an excellent way to add a real Log Cabin Style feel to your yard and home.
To get that feel, follow the ideas and thoughts that we suggest in our previous article on dressing up the exterior of your home to get the Log Cabin Style feel. A simple siding, trim and roofing change can go a long way towards changing the character of an outbuilding. Plus it gives you the opportunity to upgrade its appearance and longevity in the process.
Another added benefit is that you could do the outbuilding first to test an idea and see if you like the outcome or not before committing to do it on your entire home!
Other Outdoor Decor
Other outdoor Log Cabin Style Decor ideas for yard and landscaping would include things like rock walls, planters and water features, bird feeders and baths, fish ponds, either a wood burning or natural gas fire pit, whether it be in-ground or above ground, auxiliary lighting and last but not least, what kind of trees and shrubbery you choose to plant.
Fire-Pits Or Fireplaces
One of the magical things about the Log Cabin Style Home experience is the feeling of sitting around a campfire at night, roasting marshmallows, singing songs or telling stories!
Having been around people of all ages in the great out of doors, we can tell you that the appeal of a fire has no age limits. Take a bunch of scouts on a camp out and if you run out of other planned activities, just start a campfire and they will entertain themselves for hours. All you have to do is be the safety police!
An outdoor fire facility for your Log Cabin Style Home can be something as simple as a ring of stones placed in an area that has been cleared of combustible materials with some logs placed around it for seating.
This can progress up through a beautiful masonry fire pit built into a concrete patio or even a large area covered in stone pavers. The actual fire pit itself can have a dirt bottom or take a step up the ladder to a nice heavy duty metal liner.
Over the last couple of decades we have seen the proliferation of free-standing metal fire pits that can either contain your wood fire or have a burner and artificial log setup in them just like an indoor gas fireplace. These are fueled by either natural gas or propane and save you the hassle of trying to find a reliable and inexpensive source of firewood if you live in a more urban setting.
Then lastly, at the very upper end of the beauty and cost scale would be a fully handcrafted masonry fireplace that looks like a free-standing version of what you might normally find inside of a cabin. Some of these are combined with other features such as a sink or counter style work area or maybe even a small refrigerator to keep some of your favorite beverages handy!
Build one of these with its own concrete or paver floor, then add an outdoor table and chairs or maybe a matching stone bar with a polished granite top and some rustic log bar stools... then maybe put it under a nice covered patio roof or possibly even its very own dedicated gazebo area and..... The sky's the limit! Well, maybe the sky and your budget!
Log Cabin Style Outdoor Lighting
As we discussed in the article on indoor lighting, the Log Cabin Style lends itself well to several different styles of lighting fixtures.
You can go with the old fashioned antique look where you choose to use fixtures that look old school, maybe with lots of white porcelain and chrome for coloring, or with an old style lantern theme.
Some other styles and colors that look nice with a Log Cabin Style Home are the brushed nickel look, the oil-rubbed bronze look or maybe black. Some colors that have gone out of style but might still be a personal preference include polished brass and antique brass.
When looking for lighting fixtures for your home, be aware that with a cabin style decorating scheme, many different styles will actually work well. Your budget will probably be the determining factor. Again, on the lower end of the scale look for conventional fixtures in natural colors. As you move up the scale, some specialty lighting stores will have fixtures with rustic or wilderness oriented designs. At the higher end of the spectrum are the fixtures made from genuine deer, elk and moose antlers as well as handcrafted log fixtures.
Be aware that unless you are installing your new fixture in a location that is protected from the weather, such as under a roof overhanging a patio, that you are going to need fixtures that are designed for outdoor use. You don't want fire and shock hazards to ruin your log cabin style experience.
Parting Thoughts
Some of these decorating ideas are just beautiful to look at, some add ambiance and functionality, but taken all together, they can go a long ways towards creating that perfect Log Cabin Style setting for your home and property.
Lastly, when it comes to landscaping, what says Log Cabin Style more than a few pine or spruce trees and maybe some well placed boulders or rock wall features?
We encourage you to do a google images search to see some beautiful ideas for Log Cabin Style Outdoor landscaping and decor!
Also take some time to browse through some our other articles where we recommend certain products and even provide Top-10 Lists of some of our favorite Log Cabin Style Home accessories!
Thanks!
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