Log Home Living – June 2019

Best Log & Timber Floor Plans 2019 | (^35)
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1
If you have more than one cook in
your kitchen, trash the triangle theo-
ry. For decades, the kitchen triangle
(which places the stove/sink/fridge
on each leg) has been the gold stan-
dard of kitchen design. But this concept
assumed that one person would act as
chef-in-residence. With families cooking
together, a better approach is “zone de-
sign,” which segments the kitchen into
areas for prep, cooking, plating/serving,
etc. and gives each person unobstructed
space to perform his or her task.
2
If your heart is set on expensive
granite or marble countertops,
think about using those surfaces
only on the kitchen island. Opt for
a countertop with a similar look but
a lower price tag for the perimeter coun-
ters. Products like Staron’s acrylic solid-
surface counters offer a natural-stone
appearance but cost 10 to 40 percent
less than the real thing. An added benefi t
is that it may require less maintenance
than its natural stone counterparts.
3
To make a wide-open space, like a
great room, feel comfortable, it’s
usually necessary to visually seg-
ment it into subspaces. This can be
done formally with posts, half-
walls or changes in fl oor level, or infor-
mally with strategically placed furniture
groupings and area rugs. The key to
making a great room design work is to
realize that we spend most of our time
taking part in more intimate activities
rather than big gatherings, but we have
the fl exibility to accommodate both.
We’ve compiled 17
of the smartest,
cost-effective tips
we’ve heard through
the years in order
to help you plan
the perfect log
or timber home,
room by room.