Log Home Decorating

Blame our love affair with the log home on the Civilian Conservation Corps. In the 1930s, the government put Americans to work to pull the nation out of its economic crisis. Part of this included improvements on the national parks. Architects turned to our pioneer roots for inspiration and soon rustic structures were going up across the country. By the 60s, vacationing Americans wanted a lodge retreat just like the one at Yellowstone Park.

Simplicity

Just like the lodges in our national parks, you should decorate your own log home as simply as possible. The first log homes were built by pioneers who had to make or carry everything they owned. These early homes are tastefully decorated with simple, functional furniture. In the log home environment, too many accent pieces or too much clutter can seem out of place.

Functionality

One good idea for decorating your log home is to consider the function of the home. If your log home serves as a weekend hunting or lodge, you may want to consider a wildlife motif. A fishing cottage may also be decorated with fishing accessories such as lures or antique rods and reels. And a log home on a horse ranch can incorporate latigo rope, horseshoes and spurs.

Environment

Finally, the setting of your home can inform your decorating choices. A colonial log home may be the perfect setting for Shaker furniture; a log home in the Rocky Mountains might call for pioneer wagon wheels. While a home in the countryside of the great lakes region may wish to include birch bark-covered lampshades, canoe cutouts or framed antique maps of the Great Lakes region.

References

• Frontier House, Frontier Life
• Colonial Log Cabin Information
• Log Cabin Architecture, History and Styles

Resources

• Cabins R Us