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Creating the Ultimate Outdoor Lakeside Living Space
Owning a log home is more than just having a place to stay. It's about embracing nature, relaxation and outdoor living. Whether you envision peaceful mornings with coffee on the porch, lively gatherings around a fire pit or a fully equipped outdoor kitchen, your outdoor living space can enhance your lifestyle and increase the value of your home. In this guide, we’ll...
Eco-Friendly Building: How to Make Your Log or Timber Frame Home Sustainable
Building a log or timber frame home is not just about creating a beautiful and durable structure—it’s also an opportunity to embrace eco-friendly building practices that reduce environmental impact and improve energy efficiency. With sustainable materials, energy-efficient design, and modern green technologies, you can create a home that is both comfortable and...
The Difference Between Log Homes and Timber Frame Homes: Which is Best for You?
When considering a custom-built home that blends natural beauty with timeless craftsmanship, log homes and timber frame homes are two of the most popular choices. While both offer rustic elegance and durability, they differ significantly in construction, energy efficiency, design flexibility, and maintenance. Understanding these differences can help you determine which...
Why the Log Profile You Choose is Important
When it comes to building a log home, one of the most important decisions you'll make is selecting the log profile and corner style that best suits your vision and lifestyle. These features not only affect the overall appearance of your home but also play a role in its durability, energy efficiency, and maintenance. Whether you’re building a rustic getaway in the...
Building a Log or Timber Frame Home Near Water
There’s something incredibly special about living near water. Whether it's a tranquil lake, a peaceful river, or the vast expanse of the ocean, a home by the water offers a lifestyle like no other. Combining the natural beauty of the landscape with the rustic charm of a timber frame or log home creates an ideal sanctuary. However, designing and building a home near water...
Designing a Timber Frame Home with a Modern Touch
Rustic Elegance Meets Modern Design Timber frame homes have long been admired for their timeless beauty, strength, and connection to nature. While traditional designs often embrace a fully rustic aesthetic, today’s homeowners are increasingly blending modern elements to create a perfect fusion of old-world charm and contemporary sophistication. This harmonious...
The Health Benefits of Living in a Log Home
For centuries, log homes have been cherished for their timeless beauty and rustic charm. But beyond their aesthetic appeal, log homes offer significant health benefits that contribute to a better quality of life. From enhanced air quality to reduced stress levels, living in a log home can positively impact both physical and mental well-being. Here’s a closer look at how...
Pest Prevention in Log Homes
How to Keep Termites and Bugs Away Log homes offer warmth, charm, and a deep connection to nature, but they also require special care to prevent pest infestations. From termites to carpenter ants and beetles, wood-eating insects can cause significant damage to log homes if not properly managed. Understanding how to protect your investment is essential to maintaining the...
Best Stains and Sealants for Protecting Your Log Home
A log home is a significant investment, offering warmth, beauty, and a connection to nature that traditional homes simply can’t match. However, maintaining the integrity and aesthetics of your log home requires careful attention to its exterior. The right stain and sealant protect your home from moisture, UV rays, insects, and other environmental threats. Serenity...
Top Log Home Design Trends for 2025
Log homes have long been cherished for their warmth, charm, and connection to nature. As we move into 2025, evolving trends in design, technology, and sustainability are shaping the way log homes are built and styled. Whether you're planning to build your dream log home or looking for ways to update an existing one, here are the top log home design trends that will...
How Foundation Choices Impact the Longevity and Maintenance of Log and Timber Frame Homes
Building a log or timber frame home is an investment in beauty, tradition, and durability. However, the longevity and maintenance of these homes depend significantly on one critical decision—choosing the right foundation. A well-designed foundation not only supports the structure but also protects it from moisture, shifting soils, and extreme weather. Making the right...
Planning for a Swimming Pool and Bathhouse for Your Log Home
A log home offers a warm and rustic retreat, but adding a swimming pool and bathhouse can take your outdoor living experience to the next level. Whether you’re looking to create a backyard oasis for relaxation or an entertainment hub for family and friends, thoughtful planning is essential. Serenity Log Homes specializes in helping homeowners seamlessly integrate...
What to Consider When Building a Second Kitchen for Selling Food Online
The rise of home-based food businesses has led many homeowners to consider adding a second kitchen for producing and selling food online. Whether you’re an aspiring baker, a specialty food maker, or a meal prep entrepreneur, setting up a dedicated commercial-style kitchen in your home can be an excellent investment. However, before starting construction, several...
How to Design the Ultimate Home Rec Room on a Family’s Budget
A home recreation room is the perfect space for bringing family and friends together. Whether it’s for game nights, movie marathons, or simply a place to unwind, a well-designed rec room can add value to a home and enhance everyday living. However, creating an inviting and functional space doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag. With smart planning, cost-effective...
Must-Have Mudrooms for a Log Home
For homeowners who embrace the charm and functionality of a log home, a well-designed mudroom is more than just a convenience—it’s a necessity. Especially in rural settings where nature is at your doorstep, a mudroom serves as a vital transition space between the outdoors and the comfort of home. From its historical roots to modern must-haves, this versatile space...
Light and Bright Log Homes
Many people assume that log homes are dark inside, but with the right design choices, they can be just as bright and airy as any modern home. Natural wood has a warm, inviting feel, and with careful planning, you can maximize natural light and create an open, luminous living space. Here are some key strategies to ensure your log home feels bright and welcoming. 1....
Maximizing Space, Storage and Protection
A well-designed pantry is essential in any home, but in a log home, where rustic aesthetics meet functionality, it becomes even more critical. Homeowners need innovative solutions to maximize space, organize essentials, and keep food fresh while ensuring a clutter-free and visually appealing space. Whether you're building a new pantry or upgrading an existing one, here...
Unique and Practical Uses for Log Home Dormers
Dormers add character and architectural interest to log and timber homes, offering both aesthetic charm and functional benefits. While they enhance the exterior with their distinct shapes and styles, they also create intriguing interior spaces on the upper floors. These areas may appear unconventional due to sloping ceilings and varied dimensions, but they present...
Can a Timber Frame Home feel like an English Cottage?
Timber frame homes offer the perfect blend of old-world craftsmanship and modern construction techniques. For homeowners looking to capture the cozy, picturesque feel of a traditional English cottage while incorporating modern materials such as structural insulated panels (SIPs) and timber frame components, thoughtful design choices can bring this vision to life. By...
Designing the Perfect Craft or Hobby Room in Your Log Home
A log home offers a unique and inviting space for creativity, making it the perfect setting for a dedicated craft or hobby room. Whether you love painting, woodworking, quilting, or any other hands-on activity, having a well-designed space tailored to your needs can make all the difference. With thoughtful planning and strategic design, you can transform an unused room...
Developing a Log Home Maintenance Plan
Serenity Log Homes offers a maintenance service that inspects, repairs, cleans, restores and refurbishes your log home or any log structures. Let us provide you with a proposal for your home today. Learn more about our services here. Regular Inspections Routine inspections help detect potential issues before they become costly repairs. Homeowners should check for signs...
Design Your Own “Historic” Home
How Chinking and Square Logs Can Be Manufactured, Stained and Constructed to Create a Home That Looks Like It Has Been Around for a Century or More For those who love the charm of historic log homes, modern construction techniques allow for the creation of new homes that appear centuries old. Square logs with expertly applied chinking can replicate the look of hand-hewn...
Why Log Construction Is a Good Alternative for Commercial Properties
Log construction is often associated with cozy cabins and residential retreats, but it also presents a compelling alternative to traditional stick-built structures for a variety of commercial properties. Businesses looking to create a distinct, durable, and energy-efficient space can benefit from the many advantages of log construction. From boutique hotels and rustic...
Designing a Floor Plan for Aging in Place
Designing a log or timber home with aging in place in mind requires thoughtful planning to ensure comfort, safety, and long-term accessibility. Whether building a dream home for retirement or simply preparing for future needs, incorporating aging-in-place principles allows homeowners to remain in their cherished space while maintaining independence. Serenity Log Homes...
Serenity Log Homes Named Dealer of the Year 2023
Serenity Log Homes in Florence, Alabama, owned by DeWayne and Sherry Crumley, has been honored as the Honest Abe Log Homes Dealer of the Year for 2023. Since joining as Honest Abe dealers in 2017, the Crumleys have consistently expanded their dealership, driven by DeWayne's lifelong passion for log homes. For him, selling these homes was a seamless and natural...
Porchsitting is Not Just a Hashtag
The porch is an important element of a home’s design and functionality, but it’s also part of American culture. On social media porches have been honored with their own hashtag – #porchsitting. Dan Stevens, who played Matthew Crawley on “Downton Abbey,” made a very astute observation about the differences in American porches and those of his native England. “A British...
Dining Al Fresco
The concept of open air dining is brought to log and timber home living in a variety of designs. The traditional American picnic has met its match with today’s concepts of dining in the fresh air. Gone are the days of a cooler filled with Tupperware encased foods to be spread on paper plates and eaten stretched on the ground on a blanket. Instead outdoor dining has...
Rain Gardens are Both Beautiful and Functional
A Rain Garden is a landscape depression that can be filled with moisture-loving plants. Hidden beneath the pretty plants is a natural storm water treatment system that allows 30% more water to infiltrate into the ground. This reduces the amount of water from flowing through your property creating erosion or trench areas that you don’t want or going to the city’s...
Fall Log Home Maintenance
Most people are accustomed to spring cleaning, but if you are a home owner, you know that your house needs attention year-round. Fall maintenance is much like spring house-cleaning, but more preventative and less “cleaning.” And it’s much easier to do it now rather than wait until the weather turns nasty. FROM THE TOP Fall means leaves—and plenty of them. You will...
Buying Home Cheaper than Renting
The results of the latest Rent vs. Buy Report from Trulia show that homeownership remains cheaper than renting with a traditional 30-year fixed rate mortgage in the 100 largest metro areas in the United States. The updated numbers actually show that the range is an average of 17.4% less expensive in Honolulu (HI), all the way up to 53.2% less expensive in Miami &...
Honest Abe Living Magazine Features Serenity Log Homes
The March-April 2017 edition of Honest Abe Living Magazine features Serenity Log Homes. You can read it online, download it to save or print or share it by email or social media. There's a custom home on Tennessee's Dale Hollow Lake designed for energy efficiency, aging in place and enjoying the beauty of the lake in every season. There's news about Honest Abe Log...
Serenity Log Home Owner Was an Honest Abe Customer First
Serenity Owner Was an Honest Abe Customer First Since 1979 Honest Abe Log Homes manufacturer based in Moss, Tennessee, has served communities throughout the country with its Independent Dealership network. In North Alabama Serenity Log Homes began serving customers in Lauderdale, Colbert, Franklin, Madison, Limestone, Lawrence and Morgan counties who are seeking to own a...
What Makes A Home More Beautiful
What is it about Honest Abe homes that make them so appealing to so many people? We can talk about thermal efficiency, building with a renewable resource or living a log home lifestyle, but the main reason people are attracted to log homes is because they are beautiful. The question we must ask ourselves is “what makes a log home beautiful?” Design, style and...
The Natural Solution
Log Homes and the Environment By Perma-Chink Systems, Inc. Think GREEN. Log homes are often the only building solution that is totally natural. This abundant, renewable resource is good for your health and the environment. Log homes are increasingly the choice of consumers interested in living “green.” Exposure to toxic chemicals in our everyday lives has led to a...
Colored Stains Enhance Wood’s Beauty
Let the beauty of wood shine through with a colorful twist! Customers of Honest Abe dealers, Mike and Tonia Coulter of T & M Log Homes in Indiana are among the first to use Perma-Chink’s new Lifeline Accents to highlight the exterior beauty of their log home. The exceptional quality of Perma-Chink Systems’ products has always been vibrant, and now the...
Log & Timber Frame Commercial Structures
Log, Timber and Hybrid Structures When it comes to Commercial Real Estate, business owners are looking for four main things: great location, cost effective buildings, a design that will stand out and draw attention to them and promote their brand and finally a building that will last. “I also have noticed that some business owners see a lot of negative things about steel...