By J. Uhlenbrauck
Reprinted from Log Home Design Ideas, November 2003
Small log homes are inure popular now than ever. Not only are they more affordable,
"Even people who have large homes gravitate toward small, cozy places," says designer Murray Arnott, owner of Murray Arnott Design. "Intimate spaces meet the need for security."
Squeezing everything into the design of your small home can be challenging. it helps to have a couple tricks up your sleeve. We tapped some of the country's top log home architects and designers to get their tips for making the most of small home design.
1 . Borrow space within an open floor plan
"Minimize the number of walls within your space," says Jeff Wiseman of Wiseman-Keller Design. "Open spaces are more comfortable and allow for versatility" Open floor plans also make your spaces work twice as hard.
"A great room concept where living room, dining area an kitchen are not separated by walls (posts are okay if needed structurally) allows a portion of that square footage to do double duty," says Pete Fillion, executive director for Concept Design Institute. These open spaces are then defined by how they are used.
"With careful planning and room relationships, each space can borrow from the one next to it," Arnott says. "You might arrange the furniture to extend your dining table into the living room for large gatherings or conversely, expand the living room into the dining room for entertaining."
2. Keep it simple
According to architect Jean Steinbrecher, owner of Jean Steinbrecher Architects, a square or rectangular floor plan no only saves money, but eliminates tiny spaces where logwork is awkward and difficult to piece together. It also eases the relationship between the builder and homeowner since a simple plan is easier to construct.
3. Incorporate clever storage
Consider storage early on in the planning and find ways to use every square foot of your space. A small home can never have too much storage.
Build at least one good sized closet in every room for clothing, linens, coats, brooms, extra food, etc., then find clever ways to make use of other storage spaces.
"When designing interior spaces, think of boats, train compartments and recreational vehicles," Steinbrecher suggests. "Borrow ideas freely from these clever little places. Add coat hooks to a wall, build linen shelves into bathroom nooks and crannies, tuck extra bedding and blankets into drawers built under beds, store pantry items in window seats that also serve as benches, stow gear in trunks and hang things from rafters or overhead beams. Use space under eaves for seasonal storage.
Keep your eyes open during construction for additional storage spots.
"Creative use of built-ins can save space normally occupied by furniture and closets and take advantage of areas that are otherwise unusable because of their size or shape," Arnott says. "Storage can be beneath stairs, above the stairwell,, alongside the hearth or behind a false wall."
4. Expand upward, not outward
Whether limited by budget or the size of your property, you can make good use of a small home by adding floor levels. It's expensive and more effective than expanding the footprint.
"Squeeze the walls like a tube of toothpaste," says Fillion. "The additional floor framing cost is much less than the greater roof and foundation costs [of a ranch design]. This type of design also generally results in lower heating and cooling costs than a spread out single story design."
Give yourself enough ceiling height for second floor spaces. "Optimal use of square footage is crucial," says Cyril Courtois, Ipner of RCM Cad Design & Drafting. "Design the roof to maximize headroom at the second floor."
Cathedral ceilings are nice but they eat up valuable square footage where an upper level or loft could be built. Raising your ceilings a foot can create a similar effect without wasting any second floor space.
"Consider increasing the ceiling height by 12" to 18"," Fillion suggests. "The cost of the additional wall height is a lot less than a cathedral ceiling and the room(s) will seem larger."
5. Provide perceived space
None of these rules are set in stone. Contrary to the previous point, sometimes perceived space is more valuable than actual space. . You may decide the open feel of a cathedral ceiling is well worth the space lost by going without that second floor space.
"Leave some of the upper space open to create a grander feel to the space below," Steinbrecher says.
You may sacrifice square footage by eliminating an upper level room, but a soaring cathedral ceiling lends your small home a wide open space and a break from smaller, cozier rooms. Don't go overboard. Put a cathedral ceiling over the great room or master bedroom and close off the space above other rooms to take advantage of second floor spaces.
6. Remove extraneous rooms
"Do you need a formal dining room if you only use it on holidays?" Arnott asks. "A more intimate eating area can be expanded to accommodate infrequent large gatherings and you won't have an extra, often vacant room to furnish and dust."
Do a thorough self-analysis before designing your home. By cutting space from bedrooms and bathrooms, you can add crucial square footage to other rooms. Keep living spaces and common areas as big as possible to better accommodate guests.
7. Do away with hallways
"They take up space for little benefit," Fillion says. "Removing a hall that separates the kitchen and dining rooms results in more usable space and you can still get to the living room just as easily."
8. Use outdoor spaces to expand living space
"Outdoor areas are less expensive to build than rooms inside your home, yet if properly planned they serve as extensions of indoor spaces, giving you more bang for your buck," Arnott says.
Porches and decks provide overflow space for homeowners and guests.
"Windows and doors opening onto these areas extend the feeling of spaciousness from within your home," Steinbrecher says.
Find other ways to expand your spaces and bring the outdoors in. Dormers, bump outs, breakfast nooks with bay windows and gabled entry elements also expand living space. Clerestory windows and lofts with views bring in natural light, further blurring the line between inside and outside spaces.
9. Use thoughtful decor
"Finish your rooms in ways that maximize the perceived space," Arnott says. "A monotonous space without depth and shadow feels lifeless and smaller than it actually is. Adding depth and accents through lighting and trim details makes spaces feel larger and more alive. Light colors tend to expand a space, whereas dark colors provide depth and contrast. Natural light plays an important role in defining and highlighting spaces and framing views. It can create visual interest and increased expansiveness."
10. Provide a focal point
If you have one focal point per room (fireplace, stairs, wall of windows, etc.) your rooms will feel comfortable and less cluttered - an important consideration when dealing with small space.
11. Incorporate space conscious stair and fireplace design
Straight stairs require less room than U-shape or right angle stairs. Stay away from curved stairs.
"Be creative when it comes to stairways," Fillion says. "If there is a basement and second floor, make sure the stairs are stacked on top of each other."
Spiral stairs and ladders are good space savers but aren't very functional, especially when transporting bulky objects. Choose a fireplace that doesn't eat up space, then place it where it maximizes square footage.
"Locate the fireplace so it doesn't divide the great room space," says Marc Hogan, principal for Baker + Hogan + Houx Architecture & Planning. "We often locate the fireplace on an interior wall between the master bedroom and living room, keeping the space visually open to the kitchen and dining areas."
12. Keep small kitchens functional
"A 30" wide refrigerator, conventional four burner range and a pair of sinks makes an adequate kitchen," Steinbrecher says. "Allow 18 to 24 inches of counter space on each side of the stove and at least 2 feet on one side of the sink. Use base cabinets below and shelves or upper cabinets above for [efficient storage]." Proper storage is crucial for successful kitchen design.
"To create more space in a small kitchen, extend cabinets to the ceiling," Arnott suggests, "and store rarely used items up high to maximize space elsewhere."
13. Don't sacrifice quality
"Scale down size, not quality, of appliances. Smaller ranges, refrigerators and stacking washer/dryers are available in most name brands," Wiseman says.
With the money you save building a small home, you may have more for "bells and whistles." Install window seats, seating alcoves or a breakfast nook. They are all space efficient ideas that add cozy spaces to your home.
"Even though the basic structure is kept simple, you car get a lot of interest in the design by providing features such as these," Hogan says.
4. Use proportionate logs
"The size of logs is very important," Wiseman says. "Think proportion." Huge logs can make a small home feel ever smaller. Use logs that complement the size of your home: rooms. Visit log homes in your area and note how log size affects the look and perceived size of each.
15. Finish the basement
A finished basement adds inexpensive yet functional space.
"It reduces the size of the log portion of the building allowing for cost effective design," says Hogan. This lower level space works well for secondary bedrooms, bathrooms family rooms and rec rooms.
Featured Articles on Wiseman-Keller Design
1. Our Guest:
Log Home Design Ideas
2. First Impressions:
Log Home Design Ideas
3. Dreaming of a "Custom Home":
Colorado Front Range/Western Slope Builder/Architect
4. 15 Secrets of Small Home Design:
Log Home Design Ideas, November 2003