Jim Starr illustration
just
RIGHT
Story by A.C. Davenport
Forget about what the Joneses are
doing—here’s how to design a home
that’s perfect for you.
www.loghomedesignmag.com | LOG HOME DESIGN | B
Blame it on TV—those popular home-and-garden shows
have inspired dreams of
larger-than-life-sized abodes
filled with every amenity
imaginable. These grandiose
havens are probably too big
for a family of 15, never mind
a couple of empty nesters.
Yet somehow, we get hooked
on the idea that bigger is
always better. The reality is
that size is relative—the perfect home is unique for every
family.
So how do you figure out
the amount of space you
need to live comfortably?
For most of us, looking at a
floorplan isn’t the best way,
since it doesn’t give of what
a room will actually feel like.
All too often, we realize too
late that we’ve planned for
too much or too little space,
resulting in homes that don’t
fit well. Read on for three
steps to designing a home
that’s not too big, not too
small; but one that’s just
right.
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IDEA
Plan Your House
to Accommodate Your Furniture
The best way to make your
home just right for you and
your belongings? Design
your plan around your furniture instead of trying to
fit your furniture in after
the fact. Got an L-shaped
sectional sofa you can’t live
without? Design the room so
that it fits each length of the
couch perfectly, with enough
room to walk around it.
| LOG HOME DESIGN | www.loghomedesignmag.com
step 1
Determine square footage
The first step to deciding
how much house you need
is to evaluate your lifestyle.
For example, do you like to
play host to extended family and friends, or is your
house often empty because
you travel a lot? Do you need
space for visiting grandchildren? Do you have hobbies
that require extra room to
spread out? These are just
a few of the questions to
ponder as you plan your log
home.
Also, think about the
spaces you really need, rath-
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er than those that simply
might be fun to have. “Many
people think they need 3,000
square feet, but they don’t
realize what 3,000 square
feet feels like until they
actually walk through it,”
explains Dana Delano, director of sales and marketing
for Ward Cedar Log Homes
in Houlton, Maine.
Dorie Workman, vice
president of Appalachian Log
Structures in Ripley, West
Virginia, agrees. “In the next
few years, will your family
grow? Or will it shrink due
to kids moving out? Most
people plan to be in their
log homes quite a few years
from now, which can impact
its design. If you plan a home
that’s too big, 10 years from
now, you might need a maid
to go with it!”
Minimize Square Footage
According to author and architect Sarah
Susanka of The Not So Big House fame, your finished home should be approximately one-third
smaller than what you originally thought you’d
need. To create a smaller, but successful, floorplan, you’ll need to
come up with a smart design so your home will still feel spacious.
Do this by focusing on each room individually. Every space in your
home should have substance, with all of it in use everyday.
IDEA
www.loghomedesignmag.com | LOG HOME DESIGN | step 2
determine how your
spaces will be used
Once you’ve determined how
big your house should be, it’s
time to sketch the floorplan.
What rooms should have the
greatest square footage, and
how should each area be laid
out?
Before you begin, ask
yourself one very important question: What would
you change about the home
you currently live in? Think
about where you spend the
most time. From there, figure out how you can use
your space more effectively.
Make work areas, such as
kitchens and bathrooms, as
compact and efficient as possible. For example, to create more storage space in a
smaller-sized kitchen, extend
your cabinets to the ceiling
and keep rarely used items
higher up.
“It’s important to consider how much storage
space and wall area you
might need, and plan for it
in advance,” Dorie explains.
“People don’t realize how
much stuff they accumulate
over the years. Consider not
only where you’ll stow items,
but also the furniture and
large accents that you might
transfer from your current
home. Figure out how they’ll
fit in your new plan.”
How you’ll live in that
space is equally important.
“Carefully look at your lifestyle,” urges Dana. “Unless
you like to entertain formally, you probably don’t need a
separate dining room. Think
about it—a 12-by-12-foot dining room equals 144 square
feet, which could be a big
waste of space and money
if you’re only using it a few
times a year.”
One area that will be
used often is the great room.
After all, this is your home’s
main attraction—the place
where your family will gather. Aim for an open design
with built-in flexibility.
“With open spaces, you can
re-arrange and accommodate
for the needs of the moment,
such as adding extra seating
for parties,” explains Dorie.
| LOG HOME DESIGN | www.loghomedesignmag.com
Another good idea: Think
about the future when
designing your home’s plan.
For example, you may need
more space for walkways and
entrances as you age. If you
take this into account now,
you’ll be able to create a plan
that will be just right in the
long run, too.
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IDEA
Remember Your
Log Walls
In the midst of your planning,
it’s easy to forget the biggest
component of your home—the
logs! Whether you’re building a full- or half-log home,
make sure to account for the
thickness of your walls when
planning your interior spaces.
For example, if you’re building
with logs that are 12 inches in
diameter, you’ll have approximately 6 inches of log taking
up space in rooms where log
walls are used. Plan accordingly, and take those dimensions
into account when choosing
the square footage of your
floorplan.
step 3
eliminate wasted space
Perhaps more important
than deciding on the spaces
you’ll need is determining which spaces you can
eliminate from your home’s
design. Formal living rooms,
super-sized entries and second-floor master suites are
all on the way out. Of course,
every family has different
needs, but even lofts are
being reevaluated today.
“Some people find that
an open sitting area in a loft
is a waste of space if no one
really sits up there,” explains
Dana. “Even the trend of
using lofts for visiting grandchildren is disappearing in
favor of finished basements.”
The best way to avoid
wasted space in your home is
to carefully decide how you
plan to use each room. If you
can’t think of a good reason
to keep the space you have,
www.loghomedesignmag.com | LOG HOME DESIGN | you probably don’t need that
extra square footage.
Having too much square
footage is one problem, but
coming up short is another.
It’s easier to make a large
home feel intimate than it
is to “stretch” a too-small
home that’s already bursting at its seams. If you take
a closer look at those flashy
television home shows,
you’ll realize that not every
home featured is as big as it
looks—the key to creating a
sense of spaciousness is good
organization. With planning,
you, too, can create a smart
floorplan that’s just right for
your family. 4
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IDEA
Put Hallways
To Use
When trying to design a
floorplan that’s big enough
to live comfortably, many
designers suggest eliminating hallways altogether. But,
if a hallway is unavoidable,
think of ways to utilize the
space. One idea we love:
Adding built-in bookshelves
and even a narrow wallmounted desk to the hallway so it can double as a
storage/home office area.
| LOG HOME DESIGN | www.loghomedesignmag.com
The Science of Enough
Looking to live well in your log home? Follow these room-toroom design guidelines and you’ll be on your way.
Bathrooms
Plan a clear floor space of at
least 30 inches from the front
edge of all fixtures (lavatory,
toilet, bidet, tub and shower) to
any opposite bath fixture, wall
or obstacle.
The distance between the
centerlines of two vanity sinks
should be at least 36 inches.
Bedrooms
The minimum recommended
size for a single bedroom is 10
by 10 feet. Keep in mind, this
size is meant to accommodate
one twin bed and minimal furniture.
In your bedrooms, you’ll want
to include at least 4 feet of
space in front of closets for
adequate dressing room. Also,
plan for 30 inches of walking
space between large pieces of
furniture—particularly dressers
and armoires, which require
room to open.
Though there isn’t a formula
for master suites, take care not
to overdo it when it comes to
square footage. The trend of
oversized master suites is on
the decline.
Dining Room
Your dining room table should
provide 2 feet of space per person. So, if you’re planning on
hosting a total of eight people
at a time, you’ll need a table
with a 16-foot perimeter (or 2by-6-feet). You’ll then need to
plan your dining room’s total
square footage to accommodate the table, plus other pieces
of furniture.
If traffic will pass behind seated
diners, allow for at least 44
inches to walk by comfortably. If
you’ll simply need to edge past,
you can minimize the space to
36 inches.
Entries
The clear opening of a doorway
should be at least 34 inches,
which means you’ll need a minimum 3-foot-wide door.
The average person needs
between 3 to 5 square feet
of space to comfortably put
on and remove a coat. When
designing your foyer, keep in
mind the volume of guests that
could be arriving or departing at
one time.
Garage
A one-car garage will need to
be at least 10-by-20 feet. A
two-car garage should be 20by-20 feet and so on. If you
have other stuff to store in the
garage besides cars, consider
adding an extra “half garage.”
This space can hold lawn mowers, woodworking tools, etc.,
www.loghomedesignmag.com | LOG HOME DESIGN | away from your vehicles without
a lot of added space or expense.
Some log homeowners come
with their own SUV. If this
applies to you, make sure to
take that into consideration
when planning your garage’s
size. Many of today’s cars are
available in styles up to 18 feet
in length and over 6 feet tall.
If you plan on closing your
garage doors, you’ll need to
design the space to accommodate your automobiles, boats—
you name it.
Great Room
Your living area’s conversation
space should be approximately
10 feet across. For cozy conversations, reduce the space
between furniture to 15 to 24
inches. This way everyone
will be able to reach the coffee table without getting up
and will be able to talk to one
another without shouting.
The path between low objects
(think sofas, coffee tables, ottomans) should be 18 inches wide.
You may think that’s too narrow, but it’s plenty of room to
maneuver.
Hallways
If you’re going to include hallways in your plan, make sure
they’re at least 36 inches wide
for adequate space.
A hallway is a great place to
incorporate furniture like a chest
or console table. But make sure
to consider depth and height, as
well as the length of the piece
of furniture. For example, a table
that’s 5 feet long may be a perfect length for the space, but
if it’s 2 feet deep, it will be too
large for a standard 3-foot-wide
hallway.
Kitchen
The recipe for a successful
kitchen lies in its work triangle:
the refrigerator, sink and range.
To optimize efficiency, the sum
of the triangle should total no
more than 26 feet, with no single leg of the triangle measuring
less than 4 feet.
A total of 158 square inches of
countertop, 24 inches deep,
with at least 15 inches of clearance, is needed to accommodate all kitchen uses.
Storage
In closets, a pole should run
parallel to the wall, about 12
inches from both sides, so that
all garments can hang at right
angles.
In the kitchen, designers recommend at least 18 square feet of
general storage. Add another 6
square feet to that number for
each additional family member.
—Sara Brown
Information courtesy of the
National Kitchen & Bath
Association (www.nkba.com)
and Design Works, Inc.
(www.homeplanner.com)
| LOG HOME DESIGN | www.loghomedesignmag.com
5 Tips for Baby Boomers
What makes a home “just right” for the Baby Boomer generation? Here are a few of our favorite ideas:
1. If you’d rather not have
your master suite on the
first floor until you absolutely need it, incorporate
a main-level room that can
be converted to your bedroom later in life. Also, install
handrails on both sides of
your staircases for easy
climbing.
2.Place a full bath on the first
level, complete with a nonslip or soft-bottom tub, grab
bars and a hand-held shower head.
3. If you plan to travel often
during your Golden Years,
you’ll want to scale down
since you won’t be home
enough to enjoy all that
square footage. However, if
you don’t plan to get rid of
all the stuff you’ve amassed
over the years, make sure to
incorporate plenty of storage space. Walk-in closets
are a smart option, but be
sure to make the doorways
at least 36 inches wide to
accommodate wheelchairs.
4. Allow room for an elevator. If you have a two-story
house, plan to give yourself
a lift by incorporating two
square closets —one atop
the other—that can be converted to a residential elevator down the road.
5.Think about resale value. It
may be the last thing on your
mind right now, but if you
decide to move into a condo
or a senior- living complex
later on, resale value will be
very important. Well-appointed kitchens and baths are
excellent selling points. n
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