A Country Log Cabin Completely Built Using Reclaimed Materials

Building a Dream Home with History

Up on Georgia's Lookout Mountain, the country log cabin you see here is new, but it's been built with materials that are up to 300 years old. It's pretty incredible that they were able to find all of these materials to implement into the design. Most of the reclaimed materials came from old tobacco barns, mills and other barns and farm buildings. So of course, this gives the log house a nice, rustic look, but it also looks quite clean and modern because it's been built using traditional and modern building techniques. The owners of this lovely home are Julie and Jimmy Cash who have always admired the West and everything that comes with it including rustic log cabins. Julie was always taking photos of rustic log houses and cabins and dreamed of living in one someday. So when the couple found land on Georgia's Lookout Mountain, they were finally able to make that dream a reality by building their own log cabin in the woods. Since they weren't able to find an old log cabin, they had to make a new log cabin out of old materials to make it look as authentic as possible. They didn't want any new logs because they would take away from the authentic appeal of the home.

Collaborating with Expert Builders

They chose Walden Log Homes, a log builder in Tennessee to help them on their journey to build their dream rustic log home. The company is special because they look all over the country for dilapidated buildings and work with the owners of said buildings to salvage the materials. Then they take those building materials and turn them into stunning log houses that have all of the character and stories of the buildings and land they were once a part of. For example, in Julie and Jimmy's log home the ceiling beams are from 300-year-old pine floors. So what was at one time supporting the roof of a structure is now beneath their feet. Most of the materials were found in barns in Tennessee and Virginia and then a mill in South Carolina. The couple loves that the materials have a story to tell and that they can see something different in them all the time. It's so interesting that you can still see the old holes from nails in the porch railing. That is a piece of wood that came from the tobacco barn poles which were once used to lay the tobacco leaves on to dry out.

Authentic Finishes and Personal Touches

Of course, the finishings in the home also had to be authentic and as rustic as possible, so the kitchen cabinets were made out of barn wood crafted by Gary Sasnett. Then, they were topped with teak wood countertops providing plenty of texture. Then the stainless steel appliances and the handcrafted island pull the kitchen together to create a design that's old and new at the same time. A painted bench in the home is from Jimmy's childhood. They also brought in some white paint in areas of the home to freshen it up and make it feel like a classic farmhouse. The staircase leading to the upper level is a work of art on its own, made from barn wood and poles from the tobacco barn once again. There are also some great built-in bookshelves to place books and other items they want to have out on display. They added in some retro metal signs for some colour, and they add more each year when they go to the Largest Yard Sale in the area. This modern rustic log house shows that using reclaimed materials in a new home project can really create a beautiful home with so much charm and character. Plus, it's a great way to keep a building project green and environmentally friendly.