Log Home Living – June 2019

8 |^ Best Log & Timber Floor Plans 2019

TO ACCOMMODATE EIGHT

Whether you have a big family, are going

in on a place with friends or just like large

spaces with lots of elbowroom, if you have

the budget to buy it, Montana Log Homes’

owner Brad Neu says, “Go for it!” There are

no hard-and-fast rules on how large or small

a home should be based on how many

people will occupy it. Just make sure the

design is logical and fl ows well. Check out

these unique ideas for housing a crowd:

Q If two families decide to pull their

resources to buy a vacation home, one

route they can go is to design a log or

timber duplex. This enables you to keep

within a singular footprint that only

requires one building permit but creates

two very distinct spaces based on each

family’s wants and needs. And if the

families’ situations change, one side

of the duplex could act as a caretaker’s

unit or be rented to vacationers without

sacrifi cing privacy or security.

Q In a multifamily situation, in which sever-

al owners are sharing one home, giving

each family its own “front door” to cre-

ate a sense of privacy and courtesy for

the other inhabitants could be a smart

solution. From these private suites,

incorporate an interior door that leads

to the shared spaces of the home. Think

about giving each family its own porch

or balcony with one common deck for

everyone to congregate together.

Q Make sure you plan enough bathrooms.

Ideally, in a home for this many oc-

cupants, each bedroom should have its

own bathroom. If possible, incorporate

a full bath on the main level as well as

a powder room. If you have a full base-

ment, put a bathroom there, too; or, if

it’s not fi nished, rough-in the plumbing

during construction so you have the

option for a bathroom down the road.

Q In a large house, people tend to enter-

tain a lot. Make sure you have a really

good kitchen with extra-large applianc-

es to accommodate feeding a crowd.

Design separate spaces for food prep

and serving to keep things organized.

Put a microwave in the island, rather

than in an upper bank of cabinetry, so

it’s more easily accessed by kids or

elderly people. You may need a large,

dedicated dining room, and you’ll

want good fl ow between it all.

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