We are trying to stay true to the original history and “look” of a 1920s log cabin. So, we had to seek out brands and materials that may be a bit unique. After a ton of research, here are some of the products and brands we chose for various areas of the cabin.
GE Cafe Appliances
Why did we choose GE Cafe? For a few reasons. First, we needed appliances that we modern in terms of function, but didn’t stand out in terms of too much exterior facing tech or flash. That meant that the Samsung flat screen fridges and other related ones were out. Read more about matte black versus black stainless versus other blacks in the post related to appliances.
Andersen Woodwright Windows
Yes, you will have to take out a loan for these bad boys, but we wanted windows that looked like the originals and not some vinyl replacement window that looked like it got picked up at a big box store. The Woodwright windows have thicker rails which mimic the original window looks. Combined with maintenance free exteriors, real wood interiors, tilt to wash features, and insulated glass, Andersen fit the bill.
Ecowarm Radiant Heat Panels
We chose to ditch the baseboard heat in the new areas and went with radiant in-floor heat as our boiler could handle radiant and we would gain some flexibility in furniture placement. We also knew that radiant under the tile in the bathroom and mudroom would be great in winter.
We chose the Ecowarm panels as they offered a great way to combine a solid subfloor with the aluminum heat transfer coating. They also were pre-notched for the 1/2″ Pex tubing to lay into. Very nice and delivered without issue from out west to the job site.
Build.com
Build.com has been a great resource for many things. From tile to lighting to fixtures, we have found that they have extremely good pricing, quick shipping, and excellent customer service. Would highly recommend them!
American Louver and Vent Company
We needed some new gable end vents for a few of the openings to improve our attic ventilation. We had some odd sizes that couldn’t be easily altered due to the full logs already being in place. ALV came through with some nice aluminum louvers that matched the same Andersen Window Forest Green color and we go two of them as hinged models so we could open them should we need to get things in and out of the attic in the future as well. Great to work with and the ability to do custom sizing in a ton of color options made it an easy choice. Don’t let the low-tech website fool you, they have a great product. Talk with Bob Stott who was our contact there.
Duragroove T&G Pine Paneling
The thought of needing to stain and finish over 1200 square feet of pine tongue and groove paneling inside was enough to make us look for alternatives. We found Duragroove, based in Grand Rapids, who offers T&G pine boards that are not only pre-finished, but have been measured down to the millimeter and fit together like Lego blocks. The finish is also cured with UV light and is 100% VOC free which is a good thing considering there we will be surrounded by it on the walls and the ceilings. No drywall in this cabin!
MyMedic Kits
This kit is great for the UTV or in the cabin itself. Already been used multiple times!