American Traditions of Cabins
December 12, 2013
Most historians believe that the first cabins came to America when the Finns and the Swedes began to colonize the area of New Sweden circa 1635, along the banks of the Delaware River (present day New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland). They brought their cabin building skills with them. During the expansion west by the American Frontiersman that followed,, many of the first buildings erected were of log construction. Homesteaders, early French trappers and prospectors built log cabins because they were a cheap material shelter that could be fabricated with the simple tools they brought with them of axe, adze, and […]
Cabin Décor Advice
December 19, 2013
We were recently married and we needed more space. I grew up hunting and I have some mounts that I obtained while hunting with my dad. My wife and I did not want a room with just a bunch of heads in it. If you have ever seen deer and elk mounts in a room with 8 foot ceilings…it looks funny. They tend to be too big and too crowded for a space with ceilings that height. We live on a 50 acre property and woods are plentiful. I grew up with a wood stove and swore I would never own one once I moved out of my parents’ home till I started getting $600 dollar a month electric bills (electric heat) during the winter. So we wanted a woods stove and tall ceilings…and that is how […]
How to make your home look like a cabin
January 29, 2014
Problem- How to make your home look like a cabin.
Solutions-
A. Paint
B. Wall paper
C. Pine boards or reclaimed boards
D. Faux log siding boards
Paint is an obvious option and you would be amazed to see the wood grain paint jobs one can paint on the walls now. I find painting very tedious and I am not that artsy with a paint brush-so I passed on this option.
Wall paper is easier to put up with similar effects as paint, but still looks two dimensional looking to me, even though a number of the patterns I looked at were really cool.
Pine wood or reclaimed lumber on the other hand, I have utilized twice with […]
Do-it-yourself- Reclaimed Rustic Wood Walls
January 30, 2014
Learn how to build a barn board wainscot chair rail or barn board sided wall transforming your room to a rustic cabin with extraordinary results!
Reclaimed is the fancy word for “barn boards” or lumber taken from a building, shed, or flooring that is being remodeled or demolished. This material can be an absolute dream for a rustic cabin look that you may be looking for, and besides that, you are being “Green”!
Finding the material can be a challenge unless you just luck out and fall into a honey hole of lumber. Craig’s list is an option but many […]
How to make a rustic custom sign for decorating your home interior or exterior.
February 1, 2014
What you will need:
· 1” x 3” boards two to three feet long of various odd lengths two to three feet in length or
· Land scape stakes or
· Fence pickets
· Paint stirring sticks or similar wood
· Wood Stain
· Vinyl letters from hardware store
· Liquid nails or similar glue
· Picture hanging hardware, hook, wire etc.
Take the stakes, boards, or pickets and lay them flat with the pickets lying in one direction and then glue the paint stirring sticks to […]
Peaches and Me…an elk hunt of hunts...
by Edward on Dec 2, 2013
Many years ago now, but I remember it like yesterday…. I drove the 30 hour trip for a second time to the Teton National park, Wyoming from Indiana with but a single 4 hour sleep break in the back of my Chevy Blazer at some no name rest area, thinking of meeting my dad, Lew, friends, and the big elk hunt that would start once I got there. I drove through the day and most of the night getting to the camp about 430 a.m. full well knowing that everyone would be getting up and getting ready for the opening day and they had already started heading out.[…]
Woodstove and Fireplace Decor Advice
by Edward on Jan 2, 2014
If you are a self-proclaimed do-it-yourself guy like me or looking to hire out this work, I learned some things about my experience and will share it if you want to read on. First check out your homeowner’s policy to see if it covers what you plan and if so, how much it may cost more. Picture above is my wood stove we put in ourselves.
Sounds crazy, but the stove pipe is crazy expensive and you may think about where you plan to place your fireplace because if it. The pipe going through the wall and outside has to be double or triple wall and is really expensive. Single wall is ok inside the house, and can actually help transfer heat through the pipe if it is exposed in the room.[…]
