A Handcrafted Log Cottage in Colorado

Elegant and traditional, this handcrafted log cottage is a Colorado dream come true.

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As charming as a storybook cottage, this home’s design is actually a simple rectangle, saving space and costs for the owners.

Photography courtesy of Mountain Log Homes & Interiors

A log home doesn’t need to have a complex footprint to be interesting. In fact, a basic rectangle can yield all sorts of possibilities. Take this 3,800-square-foot charmer by Mountain Log Homes & Interiors.

At its core, it’s a 32-by-44-square-foot rectangle, but it’s the architectural detailing that contributes to its cottage-like appeal. Conventionally framed bump-outs housing the bathtub and dining area add visual interest, as do the steeply pitched, varied rooflines and deep overhang above the front porch.

The combination gives the perception that design is complex. The 12-to-14-inch-diameter logs are locally harvested Engelmann spruce finished in a rich dark walnut stain. “We prefer to use Engelmann spruce because it’s a little longer and straighter than other wood species,” says the company’s design coordinator Karen Wray. “It enables us to design and build a house without a single butt-joint.” (A butt-joint is where two shorter logs meet to fulfill the span of log length required for the wall.)

Not only were the logs local to the home’s Breckenridge, Colorado, locale; they were locally handcrafted, too. “We used Shavano Custom Log Works to shape the timbers,” Karen says. “They’re a small operation that crafts about three homes per year, but their work is exceptional. It used to be that handcrafting was out of reach for a lot of clients, but by enlisting local craftsmen, we’re able to reduce shipping expenses and make it more cost effective.”

Inside, the house is geometrically and logically configured, featuring a first-floor master suite, sleeping loft above and a basement bunkroom boasting two twin-over-full and one twin-over-twin bunk beds.

The kitchen is a perfect blend of rustic refinement. To create a cooler atmosphere, Karen stained the knotty alder cabinets in a shade called “stone,” which has gray undertones. The countertop continues that color palette with “Brass Blue” granite. “This color isn’t something you typically see in a log home. It has shades of blue, gray and even periwinkle in it, but it provides a striking contrast to the warmth of the wood,” Karen says. “And, it’s a Level 2 granite, so it’s affordable.”

One of the most intriguing features is the kitchen island’s facing. “There was an A-frame on the property dating back to the 1960s that the owners had been using until they outgrew the one-bedroom-with-sleeping loft arrangement,” Karen explains. “When building their log home, we demolished the A-frame, but I salvaged the siding and used it on the island as a historical reminder.”

It, along with the room’s copper sink, tempers the coolness from the room’s gray and silver fixtures.

This home is a testament that with some ingenuity and creative use of materials, even the simplest of plans can leave a majestic mark.