Same log home, four styles!

Colours can completely change the appearance and mood of a log home. In this post, we present four styles of decorating your home and take a closer look at surface treatment options and furniture choices.

Interior designer Maru Hautala virtually decorated the Honka Vilja model’s living room in four styles. The Boho style is rich in different surface textures, while the Industry style has a dark and industrial colour scheme, and the Playful style offers a dash of colour for those looking for something more vibrant. Last but not least, the Scandi style is based on the different shades and timeless look of natural wood. Which style is your favourite?

Please note that the interiors have been created virtually. The colours do not represent the actual materials. Always use test swatches before making your colour choices.

1. The Boho Style

A hallmark of the Boho interior design style is the combination of earthy shades with vivid white. Use natural materials, rattan and soft textures to achieve this style. The logs have been painted with Tikkurila Lastu log paint in the shade F497 (opaque pure white). Windows: RAL 9016.
Products (pictures courtesy of the manufacturers):

Rug: Ruffle (Linie Design).
Couch: Montego Night Lc (Furninova)
Dining chairs: Today (Ellos Home)
Armchair: Norrebro (Jotex)
Rattan lamp: Lea (Isku)
Dining table: Norton (Asko)
Coffee table: Punos (Parolan Rottinki)
Pendant lights: Golden bell (Artek)

2. The Industry Style

A log house can also be decorated in a loft style. The log surfaces give the space a slightly softer look, a perfect match for a concrete floor. Choose a bolder, darker colour for the log surfaces and add grids on the windows. Combine this with rough concrete surfaces on the walls and floors. The logs have been treated with the Teknos Hirsivaha wax for log surfaces T8040 (translucent interior colours). Windows: black, RAL 9005.

Products (pictures courtesy of the manufacturers):

Rug: Dyyni (Finarte)
Couch: Cubi Sectional (Basta)
Dining chairs: J104 (Hay)
Armchair: Bertoia diamond (Knoll)
Pendant light: Ambit Rail (Muuto)
Dining table: Woody (Hakola)
Coffee table: Round (Hakola, in black)
Serving tray: Tower (Jotex)

3. The Playful Style

Create a playful and fresh atmosphere in your log house with soft pastel shades. Use loose furniture and panel walls to add colour, but use neutral and timeless shades for the rest of the space. This way, you can easily change the style when you feel like spicing things up.

Use a natural shade with some white pigment for the log surfaces. For the windows, we chose a pearly white instead of a pure white, allowing them to blend softly into the surrounding log wall.

The logs have been treated with Teknos Helo Solana Wax T3006. Windows: pearl white RAL1013.

Products (pictures courtesy of the manufacturers):

Carpet: Ice Blue (Rugvista: Handloom fringes)
Couch: Nakki (Woud)
Dining chairs: Visu in tan rose (Muuto)
Armchair: The BonBaron Sherpa (Fatboy)
Pendant light: Stone (Woud)
Dining table: New modern (TIPTOE)
Coffee table: Tray (Hay)
Vase: Kink (Muuto)

4. The Scandi Style

You can also opt to leave the interior log surfaces untreated, allowing them to darken on their own in the sunlight. Shades of natural pine have been especially popular of late among trend-conscious consumers. You can create a truly Scandinavian look by combining the log surfaces with textiles in white or other light colours, for example.

For an unified look, choose window frames made out of the same untreated pine. If you prefer the natural shade of new log surfaces, you can also prevent yellowing by treating them with an untinted, UV-protective product for a lasting natural look.

Keep in mind that if log walls are left untreated, the surfaces will not have a dirt-repellent protective coating either.

Products (pictures courtesy of the manufacturers):

Matto, Anno Collection, Savu
Couch: Fly SC3 (&Tradition)
Dining chairs: Valley (Made by Choice)
Armchair: Fly SC10 (&Tradition)
Pendant light: Terho (Mater)
Dining table: Workshop in oak/grey linoleum (Muuto)
Coffee tables: April (Nikari)
Pendant light: Formakami (&Tradition)

Maru’s three tips for decorating a log home:

Think about the atmosphere you want, and use feel to find possible colour choices. Do you prefer a dark and atmospheric or a fresh and light environment?
Consider the shade for the log surfaces especially carefully, as these cannot be changed as easily as those of different panel surfaces. Allow yourself to go wild with loose furniture, and add colour with plasterboard walls.
Consider the budget for furniture already in the building phase. The right size of rug can really tie the room together, so go large.

In Finland, you can find the same tips, along with suggestions for shades, in our 2022 Hirsikirja (“Log book”) that gives tips on log surface treatment in Finnish. The book is written by the interior design Maru Hautala.