Elevate Your Home’s Exterior

Dial up your curb appeal with these exterior design tips.

First impressions matter. You have one chance to start things off on the right foot — and the same goes for your log or timber home. Just as a smile and sincere greeting go a long way toward fostering a positive connection, your home’s exterior design details set the tone for how you and your guests feel about your home from the moment you drive up until you set foot through the door.

From the big design decisions to the subtle details, here are some of our favorite ways to boost the exterior character of your log or timber home.

Pick a Plan: The floor plan and log profile you choose will have the biggest impact on the look of your log home from the outside. Here are some styles to choose from, with our suggestions for coordinating log profiles:

The classic log cabin: The Musquash is as classic as they come, with its simple rectangular shape and minimal detailing. Take the look up a notch by adding gable dormers and a railing system along the porch. Choose a milled, smooth-planed log to keep the vibe more traditional than rustic.

The rustic log home: Take any of our dozens of floor plans in a rustic direction by opting for Ward’s hand-hewn log profile. Or, select a large square log with chinking for old-fashioned style (with modern efficiency, of course!).

The modern log home: A rectilinear structure with a tiered shed roofline, plenty of glass, and a walk-out level clad in stone, Walton’s Mountain feels up-to-date while still staying connected to its roots. Clapboard cedar siding is in keeping with a contemporary effect.

The hybrid home: Options abound when choosing a hybrid. Curate a mix of logs, timbers, horizontal lap siding, shakes and stone for an eye-catching exterior that always feels fresh.

Take it to the Next Level: Thinking beyond the exterior features already included in your design will give your home a custom edge. Playing with the shape of your structure will have big impact on your home’s facade. A couple possibilities: an octagonal bump-out encased in windows for your dining area or a turret-like structure wrapped in stone to greet guests at your entry. Same goes for incorporating special elements, like custom window shapes, a one-of-a-kind front door, or colorful accents on the door or window trim.

Pretty Meets Practical: Your Ward log home is sure to be good-looking, but the exterior must also be designed with practicalities in mind — that’s why the Ward package automatically includes logs with a drip edge and caulked exterior joints. For additional protection, the Ward design team will recommend features to protect your investment, such as gutters and eaves and overhangs (at a minimum depth of 18 inches) to help shed water away from your log home.

Look to Landscaping: If you’ve got a green thumb and enjoy tending your yard, show it off with a sprawling lawn and your favorite flowers and shrubs. If you’d rather skip the yard work or will be using the home as a weekend getaway, a mix of hardscaping and hardy, naturally occurring species or xeriscape-friendly plants will help you maintain an attractive exterior with minimal hands-on time.

Finish Up: Adding those final decorative touches are the last step to creating a welcoming exterior. Think through these elements as a whole to ensure that they play well together, from the hardware on your front door to your light fixtures, outdoor furniture, potted plants and even mailbox.

Use these ideas to create a house you’ll love coming home to. Reach out to us today to begin the process of building your dream log, timber, or hybrid home.

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