Once the outside of your cabin is covered in faux log siding from TruLog, many people want to continue the themes associated with a log cabin and decorate the inside of it accordingly. In previous blogs we’ve talked about the most common ways that people decorate their great room. Just last month we talked all about how people can make their bathrooms look even more like those that you’ll find in a log cabin.
Well, this seems like as good a time as any to get around to the subject of what to do with your basement to make it look more like one you might find in a log cabin. Not like the original log cabins, of course, because basements simply weren’t a thing back then. But read on to find some more ideas for getting your basement in better shape after putting on TruLogs steel log siding.
Get Some Light In There
Many log cabins are built on hillsides, meaning that they have walk-in basements; they’re going to get a lot of light down there. If digging away half a hillside isn’t an option for you (as it isn’t for most most of us), you have to get creative. If your basement has window, you can retrofit them and make them bigger. If your basement currently has light wells, find a more reflective material than the dull steel they usually have that will reflect more light into the basement. And be meticulous about which light bulbs you use, because daylight bulbs can make a space feel much more comfortable than fluorescent.
Change The Window Coverings
It might sound strange to advise you to get more light in your basement only to cover it up with window coverings, but let us explain. First of all, we’re talking about the quality of light you get down there, not just the amount. So letting natural light diffuse will still feel better than a lot of artificial light.
Second of all, window dressings are just one more type of decoration that you’ll find throughout the house. Do you want bears on your drapes, or elk? Moose, or ducks? It’s just one more way to sell the idea of a log cabin.
Expand the Lighting
While you’ll almost certainly have some sort of recessed can lighting with flood bulbs, there are other types of lighting that can make your downstairs feel more comfortable. Find some metal sconces to put on the walls that have that rustic look that so many log cabins are going for.
Also, find that perfect light for right over the pool table to make your playing more fun. Oh, we forgot to mention that you should…
Find the Right Pool Table
We’re not sure what pool has to do with log cabins, but for centuries the home pool table has been viewed as a luxury. Of course, you want to make it look like it fits in a log cabin. Whoa, look at this one! Or this one! No doubt, these log pool tables are absolutely amazing!
Cover the Supports
One of the most iconic parts of a log home are the real-wood supports, usually whole logs that are actual structural supports or split logs that are hugging steel supports. While the former might not be practical, why not hollow out a log and cover one of the existing load-bearing supports in your basement? It will look better than one covered in regular old wood or drywall, and it will certainly beat a metal one! Click here to see how one of these supports might look in your basement.
Railings Can Really Sell It
When people think about log cabins, the first thing they’ll think about is the exposed wood on the inside. The second thing they might think of are the staircase and railing. Since we’re talking about basements, we’re betting there’s a staircase involved somewhere! Depending on the layout of your home, you might not be able to do anything with the stairs themselves, but we’ll bet you can incorporate some rough wood into a railing and make your home look even more like the outside covered in log cabin siding.
Wet Bar
Okay, we admit that this isn’t necessarily a “log cabin” thing, but it’s definitely a luxury item that more and more people are incorporating as they refurnish their basements. So if that’s you plan, go ahead and make it as log cabin-y as possible so that it matches the faux log siding outside. Not bad…not bad at all…
Put The TV Down There
We just went to Google images and typed in “Log Cabin Great Room.” Here are the results. When you take a look at those images, it’s important to notes what’s not in many of them…a television. Sure there are some televisions in a couple images, but they’re rare. Why? Because televisions are so modern that they take away from the rustic look that people want when they’re in a log cabin. People imagine themselves reading a book in front of the fire, not staring at a television nailed into the stone fireplace.
Why not vanquish the television to the basement instead? You’ve already got the pool table and wet bar down there, so make the basement the entertainment level of your home. In fact, go ahead and build a home theater room.
If you’re accustomed to having a TV in the living room, this change might take some time to get used to. But trust us, it’s will improve family life on the main floor. And if you absolutely must have a television on the main floor because you like the constant input, get a small one for the kitchen.
Make It Comfortable
In our article about log cabin great rooms, we mentioned how often people have leather sofas. It just seems to go with the feel of a log cabin, especially if you’re using any other animal products such as antlers or bear skin rugs.
While leather works perfectly well in log cabin basement, decorating down there doesn’t necessarily have to be that fancy. Still, a lime green couch probably won’t be fitting in with all of the other cool log cabin stuff that we’ve been suggesting in this blog, so make sure that the couch is at least some shade of brown!
If you’ve already decided to go with faux log siding instead of spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a new log cabin, you’ll save so much that we bet you can incorporate at least a few of these elements into our home to make it feel more like a traditional log home. Learn more about TruLog steel log siding today!
