Statement Lighting: Selecting the Right Chandelier

Log homes often feature dramatic rooms with soaring purlins and open floor plans. Many times these larger common rooms are centered around a beautiful fireplace, a great view or a communal kitchen designed for entertaining. Lighting these rooms can be achieved while adding a statement when the right chandelier or fixture is found. Chandeliers can… Read more »

Ordering Bulbs: Time to Plan for Spring Blooms!

September and October is the time when bulb companies begin shipping for 2012 planting and flowers next spring. One company, Van Bourgondien’s Dutch Bulbs offers some great information to guide your bulb selection for next spring. First you’ll need to determine which hardiness zone you live in. This site offers a tool that advises your… Read more »

Troubleshooting Your Private Well

Living with a private well is sometimes a new experience for log home owners, so we spoke with Chris Borst, Project Manager at Capital Well Company in Dunbarton N.H., to get a sense of what a well owner should monitor. He asks owners several questions to help to troubleshoot well problems. Here’s what he looks… Read more »

Green Tip: LED Undercabinet Lighting for Kitchens

If you’re looking for a green way to illuminate your countertops and kitchen prep areas, LED undercabinet lights are the smart way to go. One company, Juno Lighting Group offers a great solution. The Juno LED Pro-Series Undercabinet units offer superior lamp life of 50,000 hours, which is the equivalent of 68 years if lit… Read more »

Six Tips for Buying Leather Furniture

For durability, comfort and a natural style that fits well in log homes, few upholstery types match up to leather. For homes with lots of windows, leather offers superior fade resistance when compared to fabric. But with so many options for furniture available, make sure you understand what you are getting in a piece of… Read more »

Rainy Day Pursuits: Rediscovering Board Games

In last month’s View from Up North, we explored lawn games as a way to bring families together. But when it’s rainy out and temperatures fall, families can still come together around board games of all types. Take a look at the classicsCheckers, chess, Parcheesi, and backgammon can all be enjoyed by two players, when… Read more »

Green Tip: Lyptus Hardwood Cabinetry

Searching for a different look for cabinets? Dura Supreme’s Lyptus hardwood cabinets may be the answer. Lyptus is a hybrid tree of the eucalyptus plant that is grown on plantations in Brazil under the country’s sustainable forestry standards. A significant sustainability advantage that Lyptus holds is its brief 15-year maturity growth rate. More common North… Read more »

Fall Log Home Shows- Link up and learn!

Join us at these top log home shows this fall to meet with knowledgeable dealers in your area. You’ll be able to examine up close the kind of quality and attention to detail Katahdin brings to all aspects of our log homes. Sept 22-23        Log & Timber Home Show         Dallas, Texas Oct… Read more »

Safe Rooms: What’s the Plan?

After seeing a number of truly devastating storms wreak havoc on Americans, it seemed like a good time to learn more about the lifesaving benefits of designing a safe room in your new home. These safe rooms are designed to offer “near-absolute protection” for families to escape sudden and violent storms without injury. How they… Read more »