Many of our customers, after renovating the exterior of their home with cedar logs, want to continue the log look and install log siding on the interior as well. The aesthetically obsessed have even installed log siding throughout the house, including the kitchen and bathroom! While we appreciate the rustic motif as much as anyone, there is something to be said for other interior finishes.
An advantage of modern frame construction is that it allows for the installation of a wide range of exterior and interior finishes. So now that you’ve gone for the log look outside, here are a few ways to bring a rustic touch to the interior without going overboard.
Most often one or two walls are sheathed with log siding in the living room. Just a log paneled wall in front of you when you enter the room immediately gives it a log cabin impact. If you choose to panel two (or more) walls, use 2 x 2 trim on the inside corner, as miter cuts rarely match up perfectly. Be careful to make good square cuts, as you won’t be able to afford to hide gaps and bad cuts with caulking like you did on the outside. Where log panels butt up against adjoining walls, no molding is needed. The curvature of the logs against textured plaster or other flat surfaces give a scalloped effect that accentuates the log cabin feel.
A rustic-minded homeowner who had a luxurious home with a large, round, sunken living room really wanted to enjoy the outdoors. He had the contractor install a huge 30-foot log smack in the middle of the room to support his cathedral ceiling. That was just an aside. Let’s get practical again.
Wood siding is another option. Log siding installed three or four feet up along a wall or the perimeter of a room will definitely give the log cabin flavor, with half the work. The weather lap on the upper course will need to be removed and planned smoothly. Handle the inside corners as suggested above.
Note that you can also install log siding vertically for a “stockade” look. When installed vertically, no corner trim is needed.
Occasionally a room will have an “outer” corner that extends into the room. If you’re lining this room with log siding, the log corner sets used here not only help with the log cabin atmosphere, but can double as a handy spot for trinkets.
Exposed beams can also be clad in log siding which adds to the rustic effect.
Since it is desirable to keep it as bright as possible inside, and although we discourage the use of pine outside the house due to maintenance problems, pine can be an excellent choice. inside where moisture and UV rays can’t hurt.
Pine is light in color, has a nice knot pattern, and is less expensive than cedar. If you like the fragrance and will be using cedar in the interior, a good option is our light colored Port Orford cedar.
Whichever wood you choose for your “trunk” inside, Urethane or Varetano are two products that will preserve the natural color of the wood and provide a hard, smooth surface that is easy to keep clean. Especially in the kitchen!