The Oak Leaf - October 2015 On October 1st 2015,Gastineau Log Homes celebrates its 38th Anniversary! Little did we know in 1977 that we would share t

 
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The Oak Leaf - October 2015

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On October 1st 2015,Gastineau Log Homes celebrates its 38th Anniversary! Little did we know in 1977 that we would share the dream of log home living with clients in all 50 states and 12 countries! To celebrate, we are making a special offer to anyone who receives this newsletter. CALL us at 800-654-9253 or email to discover YOUR Special Offer. Prizes range from free T&G ceilings to 10% discounts off your log home package! (Call soon as this offer is only good through October!)

By Lynn Gastineau
President of Gastineau Log Homes, Inc.

Welcome to the October 2015 issue of The Oak Leaf! For new readers, this is a monthly newsletter that is sent by e-mail to those that have expressed an interest in Gastineau Log Homes. We use this as a way of communicating technical, design and industry information. For more information, check out our web site at www.oakloghome.com.

Please "Like" Gastineau Log Homes on Facebook! There are LOTS of photographs of our homes in the Photo section!

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The Cumberland Mountain plan is a modification of our standard Cumberland design. This home was designed to take advantage of the long range mountain views of North Carolina. This living room has Oak walls, ceiling and floor.

Trivia Question: What happens every year on the first Monday in October in the US?

Focus on Living Rooms: The living room and the kitchen are the hearts of the home. Many people want a log home because of the beautiful living rooms common in most log homes. When you build a log home, you can finally have the living room you have always dreamed of having; a log home is a custom home that is built exactly like YOU want. You do not have to settle for what someone else built.

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Another view of the same living room but looking back toward the stairs to the loft and the kitchen.

Decisions to make about your Living Room: 1) Do you want the living room on the front, rear, or end of the house? 2) Do you want access to porches or decks from the living room? 3) Do you want it open to the kitchen and/or dining room or do you want it separated by walls, stairs or fireplaces? 4) Do you want a flat ceiling or a vaulted ceiling? 5) Do you want a fireplace or television in the living room? 6) Do you want any beams in the ceiling of the living room? 7) Do you want any custom shaped glass in the living room? 8) How big of a space do you need? 9) Any special items you want to allow for such as a piano? 10) How much wood vs drywall do you want in the room for walls and ceilings?

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This Great Room has an open Living Room, Kitchen and Dining Area. A loft on three sides looks down into the living room. Oak round railing for the loft gives a more rustic feel to the living room.

Do you want the living room in the front, rear or end of the home? If you love a floor plan, then this decision is probably made for you. If the living room needs to capitalize on your view at your site, you may be looking for a plan that fits your site. Or it may be that you just like the idea or design of one or the other. If you want a living room with lots of windows, you may want the living room to "stick out" from the rest of the home so it has three exterior walls. If you want one big great room of living/dining/kitchen, this is easily accomplished with the living room on the end of the home.

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The Lakeview is a one story design that features a large living space with lots of windows. This living room looks out over a 40 acre lake so windows were very important to the homeowner. The homeonwer did not want beams in the living room for more of a "clean" look. This same design could have been done with beams if they had wanted them.

Do you want a fireplace and if yes, do you want it on an outside wall or in the middle of the house? The photo below shows a central fireplace which is used as a divider between the living room and the kitchen/dining area. Central fireplaces typically cost more as there is more stone or finished material required. They also are quite large and take up a lot of space so usually only used in larger living rooms where square footage is not an issue.

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This fireplace serves as a room divider, a design element and as a fireplace! The stone or facing you use has a lot of impact on your interior design also.

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Not all people want a cathedral ceiling in their living room. This is a two story Homesteader floor plan with a beamed floor system above all of the first floor. It is much more "cozy" than a cathedral ceiling.

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This modified Seven Gables is in Colorado. A porch was added off of the kitchen and a wrap around deck goes to the door off the master bedroom.

Do you want access from the living room onto porches or decks? The living room on the rear of the home shown to the right has a sliding glass door in the center with two stationary panes of glass on both sides. Access to the large deck was important for being able to step out and enjoy the view of the Rocky Mountains.

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The Great Room concept has been a log home tradition since the 1970's. All one big room: living, dining and kitchen. This has a full cathedral ceiling above with exposed beam trusses.

Do you want one great room which incorporates your living, kitchen and dining all in one space? This design is very popular in log homes and is shown in the photo to the left. This allows for the ultimate in family gatherings. Note that this great room has drywall on the partition walls, wood ceilings, oak floors in the living/dining area with ceramic tile in the kitchen. And Oak logs of course!

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This custom home has a corner fireplace with the tv built in on an adjoining wall.

Do you want a fireplace and/or tv in your living room? If yes, then design around how they will work with your furniture and how you will use the room. This corner fireplace with the built in tv to the left allows enjoyment of both from the same seating arrangement. Many people put their televisions above the fireplace. If you are going to use the fireplace as a heat source, this may not be a good option as the heat from the fireplace can damage the television. Also don't forget to think about if the sun is going to hit the television if you have big windows!

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Do you need a location for a piano or other item? Be sure to allow for it in your home design.

As you can see.... Your living room can be designed to reflect your location, your needs and your preferences. It should probably be the first decision you make in choosing your floor plan. So think about the answers to my ten questions and you will be thrilled with the living room that you will get to enjoy for many, many years.

Construction Seminar Schedule for 2015:

Click here for information on our one day construction seminars.

Oct 24th

Log Raising:
There will be a Log Raising near Cape Girardeau, MO on October 24 or 31st. More information to follow!

There will also be a Log Raising near West Plains, MO in mid November.

Open Houses:

Remember that the GLH Model Home Center on I 70 in central MO is open 7 days a week! We have three houses there that you can tour!

Answer to the Trivia Question: On the first Monday in October every year, the Supreme Court convenes following its summer recess.

Quote of the Month: “Laughter is inner jogging." - Norman Cousins

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