Log Home Style Timber Frame Plans

Love log home aesthetics? Check out these timber frame designs.

How You Can Achieve a Log Home Style with More Refined and Durable Timber Frame

You may want to build a log house because...

  • A log home connects us to our past, either a comfort with the way things were built in the past or perhaps a log home that’s been in the family for years.
  • A log home celebrates the warmth of wood.
  • A log home is the perfect fit with the natural surroundings - in the forest, the country, or a cottage property.
  • Log homes are know to be long lasting and durable.
  • Log homes are built with a tried and true building technique that’s been around through the ages.

What is a log home?

Full-log homes are made by stacking logs horizontally to form the exterior and interior walls. With a full log home, what you see on the outside is what you’re going to see on the inside.

Although you love the idea of building your own log home, you may not realize another option: timber frame.

Timber frame homes have all of the same benefits as described above for log homes. However, timber frame homes offer even more and may be a better choice for you...

  • A timber frame home allows the combination of durability and charm that structural wood elements provide while allowing for more design flexibility.
  • With timber frame, you can have oversized windows, white walls, and a choice of exterior siding. With a log home, the exterior and interior are both log - which means limitations for design choices and style . 
  • A timber frame home has a more refined look than a classic log home, allowing you to capitalize on the wood elements while embracing a contemporary and modern feel. There is nothing better than the charm and comfort of wood married to sleek modern styles.
  • Due to the variety of style options, a timber frame home style can work in any environment: estate, country home, forest, waterfront, and more. A log home look may not be the right fit in every situation.

What is a timber frame home?

Where log cabins are made of horizontal stacked logs, timber frames are post-and-beam construction. Timber frame homes require a timber skeleton (the frame). These are vertical posts supporting horizontal beams using mortise and tenon joints to connect the timber pieces together. This interlocking frame supports the weight of the home, eliminating the need for load-bearing interior walls, and creating wide-open living spaces.

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The Kennebec 3958

2,270 sq ft

A Kennebec 3958 is functional timber frame house plan with beautiful roof lines that portrays a rustic, cozy, and contemporary feel. The Kennebec captures the warmth of a log home.

The Kennebec has 2 floors, 3 bedrooms, and 3 bathrooms. 

This log home style timber frame house plan offers a main floor primary bedroom, open concept kitchen and dining room, a spacious great room with cathedral ceiling, a wraparound deck and screened in porch. 

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The Tobermory 3949

1,453 sq ft

The Tobermory 3949 is inspired by a traditional log home design but is executed in a timber frame home build with a more modern look with sleeker lines and finishes.

The Tobermory has 2 floor, 1 bedroom, and 2 bathrooms. The timber frame beauty also has a main floor primary bedroom with walkout to the deck, a timber frame entry porch, exterior timber truss detailing, and a wrap around deck. A screened in porch with access off the dining room completes the design.

This timber frame home features a cathedral ceiling in the great room, kitchen, and dining room, with the loft overlooking the great room below. 

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Woodland Retreat

4,000 sq ft

  • 2 Floors
  • 5 Beds
  • 3.5 Baths

Forest and privacy were key requirements when this couple was searching for their dream property, and what goes better with that setting then a timber frame home?

The couple had fond memories of time spent at one of their parent’s log homes and wanted to carry through the warm feeling a wood home provides into their own forever home, without the limitations that can come with a classic log home. A timber frame home allows them to enjoy the combination of durability and charm that structural wood elements provide, while also enjoying oversized windows, white walls, and stone features throughout. Working with Normerica’s design team, and drawing inspiration from Normerica’s extensive library of house plans, this couple created the custom woodland home of their dreams.

Read more about this couple’s amazing experience of designing and building their dream home with Normerica. 

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Island Retreat

2,041 sq ft

  • 1 Floor
  • 2 Beds
  • 1 Baths

This beautiful cottage plan was conceived by wanting to merge the building with the natural landscape of the island. Natural light flows through a shed dormer into an open concept timber frame family room/dining/kitchen gathering space.

The views from a vaulted three-season screened porch, descending steps to the water's edge, and gorgeous exterior finishing details, make this cottage feel like home for the family. All materials required barging to the site, so planning was the key to the successful execution of this gorgeous project.

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Alpine Magic

3,856 sq ft

  • 2 Floors
  • 4 Beds
  • 2.5 Baths

Located at the end of a winding driveway, this all-season timber frame retreat is nestled on a hill providing the homeowners incredible views of Georgian Bay. The 4-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom custom timber frame home is inspired by log home designs and offers just under 4,000 sq.ft. of living space spread over 2 levels and a loft.

The home’s main entrance is through the lower basement level and offers a generous mudroom to store all the family’s gear. Two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a living area complete the basement level, which hardly feels like a basement at all with 9’ ceilings and large windows.

The main floor layout is centered around a show-stopping stone fireplace. Large French doors open off the living room to a deck which provides perfect perch for a hot tub in the winter months, making this a wonderful all-season timber frame retreat.

The stunningly simple heavy timber truss profile is a defining feature of the home. Open-tread stairs lead up to the loft, which acts as a cozy home office for the homeowners.

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