Depending on your personality, decorating can be an aspect of owning a log home that you enjoy or that you loathe. While one person delights in finding that perfect color or fabric, the next person has cold sweats just trying to match something to go with the deep browns inherent in a log cabin.

 

You can take the worry out of any decorating project, whether it be finding the right color scheme or picking the right furnishings to go with your log home, if you simply remember some critical elements of decorating.

 

Before embarking upon your decorating journey, it is first important to confirm that the wood in your log home is healthy. Water and any moisture buildup will destroy the structural integrity of your home. It is best to seek the advice of a local contractor or log home refinishing Services Company, who can help you to keep your log home healthy and well-cared for. Although you can attempt to apply finishes and stains to the wood to protect it as well, you certainly need the advice of a building professional specializing in log homes who can best assess the log content and stains and finishes that will best protect your home. They can then advise you on what products you yourself can apply to moisture-proof your log home.

 

Now that you know that your home is strong and healthy, it is time to look at color schemes that benefit the log home.

 

To get started on pulling together those perfect colors, it is valuable to take time and look through magazines or books that offer color schemes that you admire. Then think about the wood and style in your home¾will these colors highlight the wood or would another color be better to bring out its true beauty? Don’t be afraid to explore new colors - shades of greens, blues, and purples are all colors that compliment the deep browns of the natural wood in log homes.

 

A little education about how to use color to your benefit will help you in your decision making.

 

Color creates moods, the use of serene blues, cheery yellows, or energetic reds and oranges are guaranteed to brighten your mood and the dark tones of a log home.

 

The beauty of a log home deserves to be shown off to its best advantage. When choosing colors that will enhance the wood in your home, look for the hues in the wood itself to give the wood depth and complexity. It is also important to look at whether you are going for a high-contrast look, which will give drama, or if low contrast, which is softer and more casual, is more to your personal style.

 

If high contrast is the look that you seek, dark wood would be better paired with light colors so that the wood stands out in sharp relief. If the logs in your home are of a lighter wood, then the opposite would be true, showing up boldly against dark or strong colors. This type of contrast is good for showing off particular pieces of furniture, or bringing attention to other furnishings in the room. However, when using high contrast it is important to note that this design style often makes a room feel busier and will not blend in as much as if you were using low contrast.

 

If you want to create a look that is rich and subtle, use low-contrast pairings. Warm neutral colors such as mushroom, beige, khaki, or taupe, bring out the warm, rich notes in log homes. The furnishings will show up nicely, but will not stand out as they would when using high contrast. Drama gives way to relaxation in this color pairing.

 

Here are some additional notes regarding colors that can be used to nice affect in log homes:

· Green highlights the yellow tones in wood and gives a cool contrast

· Bright blue brings out the orange tones in wood, but this is very high contrast and dramatic

· Pale orange or rust showcases the orange in the wood, but these colors can mesh together to almost seem too similar if other furnishings do not give some contrast

· Yellow, which does not enhance the color of wood, brings out the orange and yellow

 

When choosing accessories for your new color scheme, look first at the pieces that you already own. What colors or fabrics for pillows would enhance the furniture you already have? What well-placed lighting might offset the blinds or drapes already used on your windows? At times furniture, drapes, and other furnishings are the exact elements that you want to change, but sometimes these are the things that you love in your present design and it would be wise and could save money and time working them into your log home’s new look.

 

And finally, when choosing your new color scheme, look inward. What are the colors that make you feel good? What fabrics make you think of home? If you look inside yourself and go with your own instinct, and not those of the latest fad, your new color scheme used in your log home will be the perfect fit for you.