The dramatic living room features a soaring wall of windows, plus a french door to the main deck.  The full height stone chimney accommodates fireplaces on both floors; all of which is overlooked by a loft style master bedroom suite featuring views that will evoke gasps of envy from your friends and guests.

The vaulted kitchen and dining area features doors to both the deck and a side entry, and is separated from the living area by the log staircase.   Two more bedrooms, one with its own deck, complete the main floor.

Stone Facing

There's nothing like the natural combination of stone and wood.  With any type of log home, stone facing is a perfect choice for the foundation walls, creating a visual impression of solid support for the structure above.

The traditional type of stone facing was, of course, to use real stone.  A particular stone was chosen for its appearance and workability, but also for proximity: stone is heavy, and transporting it was expensive. Therefore, each small area of the world would use its own local stone: travertine for Rome, brownstone for New York City, limestone for the prairie provinces and states. All types of stone have their advantages and disadvantages; granite lasts forever, while limestone can flake and deteriorate under the assault of rain and frost.

Of course modern technology gives us another choice: artificial stone.  Usually made using cement and various coloring agents, its main advantage is there is much less cutting, shaping, and waste involved.  The stones are manufactured to fit in various patterns including corners and straight mortar lines.   There are several manufacturers, the most well known being probably Cultured Stone (see their web site for samples and videos)

With a post and beam home, you have plenty of choice for the finish of the infill frame walls--including stone! Artificial stone products are very quick and convenient to install for this type of application.  In the picture on the above left, one of the thinner varieties has been used for the entire main floor exterior facing.  It is applied much like a tile, and the entire home can be faced fairly rapidly.

Where there is room to use a thicker type of stone, ledge stone or stream stone / river rock (pictured above right) features more pronounced shape and variety.  The extra thickness adds to the shipping cost, and also must be taken into account in the design and structure. But the rugged appearance can be a perfect complement to the unique natural style of a log home.