Honest Abe Living, May 2025
How to Choose Furniture for Your Log Home
Furnishing a log home is an opportunity to create a truly cozy retreat that honors the unique character of rustic living. The key is to work with the natural beauty of wood walls, exposed beams, and scenic views, choosing furniture that complements these elements rather than competes. Across all rooms, from the main living area to private bedrooms and versatile bunk rooms, prioritize comfort and function.
This means selecting durable, well-scaled pieces like plush sofas (leather is a popular and fitting choice), sturdy beds layered with soft textiles, and smart storage solutions—especially important in spaces like bunk rooms where custom built-ins can maximize capacity and add personalized touches.
Embrace natural materials such as solid wood, reclaimed timber, stone, and metal to maintain an organic feel throughout your log home. Layering is essential; use textiles like wool rugs, jute, cozy throws, and soft linens to add warmth, texture, and soften acoustics. Whether designing a welcoming living room around a central fireplace, a serene bedroom sanctuary, or a fun and functional bunk room for guests, thoughtful furniture selection that balances rustic charm with modern comfort will ensure your log home is both beautiful and inviting.
Log Home Must-Haves: Create a Space You’ll Never Want to Leave
Log Home Must-Haves: Create a Space You’ll Never Want to Leave
Building a log home is more than a construction project—it’s the beginning of a lifestyle rooted in warmth, nature, and timeless design. To make the most of your build, a few key elements can turn a good plan into a great home. Whether you’re dreaming or drafting, here are three must-haves to include when building your log home:
Your floor plan should reflect how you live day-to-day—not just how the house looks on paper. Open-concept designs are great for gathering, while main-level bedrooms make long-term living easier. Think about how you’ll use each space now and later—kids growing up, guests visiting, or even aging in place. Adding a mudroom, laundry access, or extra storage early in the design phase can save you major regrets down the road.
A Fireplace That’s Both Focal Point and Functional
Few things say “log home” like a well-placed fireplace. It creates instant ambiance, adds value, and becomes the heart of your home on chilly nights. Whether you choose wood-burning, gas, or electric, be intentional about its location—often in the great room, but consider adding one to a master suite or outdoor porch for added luxury. Surround it with built-in shelving or natural stone for a rustic, finished look that makes a statement.
Outdoor Spaces That Extend Your Living
One of the greatest joys of log home living is connecting with the outdoors. Whether you’re in the woods, on a ridge, or near water, plan your porches, decks, and patios with care. Covered porches create usable space year-round. Screened-in areas allow for bug-free dining and relaxing. And don’t forget a spot for rocking chairs, hanging swings, or even an outdoor fireplace. Outdoor living isn’t an afterthought—it’s part of the experience.
It’s the small choices—like storage nooks, window placement, and where you put your favorite chair—that make a house feel like home. Prioritize what matters most to you, and let your log home reflect the life you want to live.
Easy Beef Stroganoff
Follow along as April and her son Axel cook a family favorite… Easy Beef Stroganoff Recipe.
Copper Custom Floor Plan
Perched on a bluff high above Tennessee’s Dale Hollow Lake is Jim and Diana Copper’s second house by Honest Abe Log Homes, the first having been on their cattle farm in rural Illinois.
The Coppers chose Honest Abe’s award-winning Cambridge plan for their 2,800-square-foot new home.
“We loved the Cambridge plan because it had the two-sided, two-story stone fireplace with gas logs that opens into the living room and on the other side into the dining room,” Diana said. “We also loved the high ceilings with heavy timber roofing and natural lighting provided by the window configuration.”
Jim said that Honest Abe’s Genesis log style was chosen because it is square inside and out and could be chinked to look like the log homes built by early Tennessee settlers.
Diana characterized the style of the house as “a little bit rustic, a little bit country and a little bit industrial.”
