Wisconsin Log Homes Testimonial

I want to let you know what a "fan" we are of Wisconsin Log Homes. When we started to think about building a log home I did an extensive amount of research on different log home manufacturers. While there are several and many of them very reputable, in the end it was very obvious to us as to whom we wanted to build our log home - Wisconsin Log Homes. In the selection process we did a lot of reading in log home magazines, looking at house plans, internet research, etc. etc. etc. We also visited several log home manufacturers headquarters/plants along with talking with people who owned log homes from many manufacturers.

In choosing Wisconsin Log Homes, one key feature that you offer that really caught our attention was your "Thermal-Log Building System". We also felt that you offered several great house plans that met our needs as far as starting to customize our home to make it unique and what we wanted as far as our home. When we visited your home office in Green Bay we were first of all very welcomed by your entire staff. While they were most helpful in discussing the many various options available to us in log homes, at no time did we feel "pressured" to buy. We could also see the outstanding workmanship that your craftsmen do in putting the log home package together. The follow up that we received after our visit was exceptional getting answers to all questions that we had. Also, since building our home there have been a couple of times when we had to contact your headquarters, and again we were well received and got what we needed as a result of our call.

Shortly after the completion of our home we had been asked by a Log Home magazine to do an article on our home which we did. In doing the interview it was very easy to talk about the quality of our home, the compliments that we had received from people who visited us telling us how much they enjoyed being in our home, and how much we love living in our log home - all this due to the "product" that you provided for our local builder to construct. We also received what we felt was a tremendous compliment from a person on your staff who had seen the main photograph from the article and ended up putting it on their screen saver because they liked it so much. To say that we are proud of our home and enjoy living in it is an understatement. We love the quality of construction, the traffic flow, the unique features such as the kitchen island, to the cabinets, to the outside looks including the saddle-notch design, the windows, etc. The bottom line is that when it comes to building a log home, Wisconsin Log Homes is the "Best of the Best". You are the right people, with the right product. Our congratulations to all your employees who do so much and go the extra mile to putting out the best product in the log home industry.

Sincerely,

J&B Thompson

Wisconsin Log Homes Testimonial

My wife has always had a dream of living in a log home out in the country and being able to be with our horses. Four years ago we bought almost 30 acres of land and since that time we had a road and bridge built to get into the property, and our barn was constructed for the horses while the pastures were fenced.
During this time we started looking for the right log home to build. We spent two years looking at many different log home companies. We visited sample show homes and even visited homes that were occupied by homeowners. We bought every log home magazine we could find, attended log home shows and searched the internet for log home companies. It was about 1 ½ years ago that we found Wisconsin Log Homes on the internet.
We talked to Ehren Graf, our representative with Wisconsin Log Homes and he walked us through the process. He was upfront with us about what this home would cost to build. As it turns out, he was right on the money. We started with an idea of the home we wanted to build with Ehren. We went through numerous revisions and finally decided on our home plan. Ehren was most helpful during this process and Wisconsin Log Homes’ planning department was superb in helping us design our dream home.
Construction started in March of this year and our home was completed in early November. Anytime we or our builder needed help or support, Ehren and Wisconsin Log Homes were there to provide what we needed. Things could not have gone more smoothly for us, and best of all, my wife and I are still married!!!
This is the third home we have built, and this construction went more smoothly than the other two. We could not be more pleased with the results of our new home. Our family and friends just rave about the quality of materials and the appearance of this home. Everyone assumes it is a traditionally built log home. They just cannot believe it was built like a traditional stick built home with logs applied on the outside and inside. That makes us feel great about our decision to build with Wisconsin Log Homes. Not only did we get the look of a true log home, but we get all the energy efficiency this type of construction affords.
It is great to finally be at home with our horses, dogs, and cats. My hunting trophies look right at home in this log home. Deer, elk, bear, and ducks adorn the walls and fireplaces. They look like they were meant to be there.
Thank you Ehren and Wisconsin Log Homes for making our dream come true.
Thanks again for everything.

Regards,

R&K Anderson

Wisconsin Log Homes Testimonial

Dear Wisconsin Log Homes,

We would like to say “Thank You” for a job well done. We love everything about our cabin, and know that we will have so many wonderful memories for us and our children for years to come.

We have always been very attracted to the natural look and feel of log homes. A friend of mine had recently purchased a full log cottage that had been built in the 1800’s. He just finished refurbishing the home, and it turned out beautifully. Our interest in log homes was rekindled. Around the same time, we had purchased our lakefront property in Door County. Our attention turned to finding someone to build our dream log home. That process led us to Wisconsin Log Homes.

Your Green Bay showroom was the first log home company we visited. In that first visit, we sat down with Thom, and he listened to our ideas attentively. He took our drawings, and turned them into a plan that fit our needs perfectly. Needless to say, we never made it to another showroom.

Once we had agreed to proceed with the project, things moved ahead very quickly and smoothly. At your recommendation, we chose WLH Builders to build our log home. His crew did a superb job. The home is as solid as a rock, and the details of the log work, both inside and out, are amazing. All our questions were answered and any concerns we had were always taken care of in a timely manner. We were amazed at how quickly and carefully our home was built. Ground breaking in November and finished by April, you can’t ask for anything better than that!!

Early in the process, we began working with your in house interior designer, Stephanie G. She was very receptive to our ideas, and worked very hard to help us find very unique pieces to decorate the inside of our cabin that suited our decorating style. She was most helpful and gave us the sense that we were always in control of how the home was going to look. Instead of “taking over” the project she was our guide, sharing her interior design skills with us so we got just the look we were after. She was awesome!

Thank you very much for making our log home dreams come true. We are 100% satisfied with every aspect of our new log home, and are confident that we will have many years of enjoyment to come. We would recommend Wisconsin Log Homes, and WLH Builders, to anyone. Thank you for a job well done, we love our home!

Sincerely,
The Hennigan Family

Wisconsin Log Homes Customer Tesimonial

After dreaming of owning a log home back in our home state of Wisconsin for the last 15 years, our dream was realized on November 20, 2008 when we received the keys to our new Wisconsin Log Home in Green Bay. It is more beautiful than we ever could have imagined.

The first day we walked into the office to meet with Ehren Graf we couldn’t have been more pleased with his suggestions on designing our home. Ehren responded to a ‘request for more information’ on your website and he was there to answer questions from that day on. Ehren took our ideas, added some of his own and we came up with our dream home. One thing that Ehren did that absolutely made our experience so enjoyable was to suggest Wisconsin Log Homes’ very own project manager, Mike Nenahlo, as our contractor. What a team! Ehren handed our designs off to Mike and away we went. Our goal was to be in our new home by Christmas of 2008. The ground-breaking was in mid-July and by November 20th we had the keys and were able to have Thanksgiving in our new home! Mike’s suggestions on changes along the way were always right on. There is no way you’d ever find a more detail-oriented contractor. After we moved in, Mike checked in several times a week to make sure the little ‘fixes’ and ‘finishes’ were completed to our satisfaction. Even after two months, Mike and Ehren both check in to make sure we are satisfied and pleased with our new home. Thanks Mike and Ehren for all your help. Add in the rest of the team, Stephanie, Patty, Dave and all the builders and you have an awesome team that makes the process of building a home, especially in these economic times, an enjoyable adventure.

To all of you that helped build our log home, we feel that not only have we moved back ‘home,’ but we’ve made some new friends along the way… please stop by anytime for a visit!

L&D Goerz

Ways To Save Money When Building A Home by David Janczak (founder/owner Wisconsin Log Homes)

As we all know, building a new home can get expensive if you are unaware of ways to keep your costs down. First-time home buyers, along with high-end luxury home buyers, all want to know how they can get the most home for their money.

To educate our customers about the many cost-effective options available to them when designing and building their dream home, the Wisconsin Log Homes team came up with a report, 52 Ways to Save Money.

The first 10 ways to save money are as follows. Click Here to view our complete report.

Select a reputable company. A respectable company will help you design a home within your budget, and suggest money-saving design ideas and construction techniques that can save you money.

Watch the budget. Determine how much you can spend and stick to that figure. Be honest and upfront about the bottom line. Tell your Home Consultant how much you can afford before plans are drawn, and agree on important design issues.

Ask for feedback. Ask about the pros and cons of different elements of your design and how each will affect your budget.

Educate yourself. The more you know about the building process, the easier it is to control the bottom line.

Compare apples to apples. Get everything in writing and be sure it is the same quality and quantity of materials and services when making a comparison between companies. Saving $4,000 on a home package may look good on the bottom line, but not when you find its missing $6,000 worth of materials.

Build only what you need. Analyze your family’s needs and living patterns and how they translate into physical space. Sometimes restraint is essential if your dream is to become an affordable reality, but be sure your scaled-down plan meets your basic needs.

Shop for an affordable site. Developed land is easier to build on and more expensive. Try to keep the ratio of land to house 1 to 4 or more.
A small site saves on land and landscaping costs. You can also save on future landscaping costs if naturally occurring trees and bushes are left in place.

Cooperate with your site. It will cost less to fit your home design to your site than try to find a site to fit your home design.

Walkout basements can add extra living space at very little cost. A lot with a slight grade may allow for a walkout basement. Plan for a 9-foot ceiling so that pipes, wires and air ducts can be hidden when the space is finished.

Click Here for more ways to save when building a new home.

Message Centers by Wisconsin Log Homes

How many times have you came home and dumped your keys, mail and cell phone on the nearest horizontal surface only to forget where you placed them or neglected to charge your electronics? In today’s hectic modern age, not only do we have less time, but we possess a large amount of keys, bags and electronic devices with often no place to stow them.

Designing a specific space for these items is common today among new homeowners. An organized home runs more smoothly, and is easier to maintain. “Message centers,” as they are commonly called, can be efficiently planned near garage entries or in kitchens.

First, think about what you own and use now, and what you anticipate your needs to be in the future. Cell phones, Pagers, music players and laptops all need places to be stored and charged. Electrical placement is crucial here so plan ahead and always add a few more outlets than you think you need. Remember to spread them out and hide a few so you don’t have a mass of unsightly outlets. You can conceal them in an upper cabinet, a drawer, or even into a roll top desk.

Add a place for all your keys; keep a drawer for your briefcase, purse and laptop; build in recipe or periodical drawers or shelves; plan for a mail slot for every occupant as well as junk, incoming and outgoing mail; conceal a paper shredder, trash and small recycle container; tuck a stool under a slide out tray for making grocery lists or addressing envelopes; wrap a pin-up cork board in rustic textured fabric, or criss-cross ribbons and never use a single pin - the sky is the limit here, be creative! Don’t forget lighting - you should always have task, general and accent lighting. An overhead light, under cabinet light and a small accent lamp or wall sconce will do the trick.

So how can you make this space even more unique and personalized? Let your imagination run wild! If your home has a nostalgic flavor, recycle an old hutch or antique chest of drawers. Bring in cabinets, and use rustic, distressed woods (which also help with wear and tear). Add style and texture with aged finishes and painted looks, tile and tin wall appliqués, baskets, boxes, and other vessels. Use old railroad spikes for key holders, bin pulls on drawers, and you can even paint the faces of white cabinets with chalkboard paint and write on them.

Try to plan the most compact, functional space you can, and you can be sure this will be one of the most used and valued spaces in your home.

Go to wisconsinloghomes.com or e-mail our resident interior designer, Stephanie, at info@wisconsinloghomes.com for more information.

Color Your Home by Wisconsin Log Homes, Inc

There are few elements in our environment that have as much affect on the human mind and spirit as color does. Color is a powerful force that can be inspired by nature and other environmental origins, or can be completely contrived, creating unusual presentations that bewilder the mind and senses.

Designing a rustic home that typically has a predisposition to include lots of nature’s neutral textures and colors can sometimes be considered a challenge to decorate around. The teeter totter decisions of “should I color, or should I not” is not unusual, but with a little understanding of how to determine your ideal color palette by grasping the basic concepts of color, you can develop harmony and balance in your home. Or, communicate to the pros, like your interior designer, so that together you can create your ultimate personalized space without regrets.

In a wood home, the overall architectural style, amount and type of wood, as well as other natural materials like stone, tile and even mortar will set the basic framework of your palette. Sometimes demographics or local covenants might play a role in the basic backdrop. Stain colors and stone choices can be manipulated to look darker or lighter, or even to mimic another material.

Before diving in and buying red towels or painting your exercise room gray, close your eyes and think of your personality and which colors you love. If you can’t pick some favorites, peek into your closet and look in the mirror. You might be surprised that what looks good on you will usually look good around, above and below you. Don’t panic if you see all white, beige, gray, black or brown. These are great “non-colors” that have a profound effect on scale, proportion and can be very restful and sophisticated when layered in various textures and intensities.

Homeowners often decorate without color simply because they don’t understand it, and therefore fear it. They have been told that neutral is safe, or clean, or that by keeping things neutral they will maintain their resale value and not look dated. While some of this is true, there are a few perspectives that you need to know before making dramatic or expensive color commitments. Will you be living in this home forever? If so, do what you like - this home is all about you and every square foot should have your family’s mark all over it. Definitely building “up” and planning to sell? Incorporate color into things that are not expensive or difficult to change. Painted accent walls, area rugs, furniture and accessories are easy ways to bring new colors into your home.

Today’s hybrid insulated log-wall building phenomenon has enabled homeowners to experiment with color and texture. Incorporating a variety of building materials, interior drywall/plaster, and a more “transitional” design approach makes these homes ideal for personalization.

Color has a profound effect on behavior and mood. Some colors stimulate and energize, while others create a restful, serene feel. Some colors are predominately construed as being cold or warm, while others feel whimsical and buoyant. Often one color, in various shades, tints, tones and values can have any of these characteristics. For example, a vibrant yellow is warm and energizing; while a soft, pale yellow-white can feel cool and airy. Going on a diet? Don’t paint the kitchen yellow and red! Red is an appetite stimulant, and yellow is the color fastest to incite an argument either with yourself or others. Designing a nursery? Again, bright yellow alert! It’s proven that babies cry more in yellow rooms than in any other color. Soft greens and blues are the new baby “neutrals” and are much more soothing.

Calm spaces equal calm minds. You can achieve this by creating a monochromatic look by layering the same color throughout the room in various shades and textures. If you get bored with certain looks fast and love to change every few years, design with neutrals and rotate accessories, a single painted wall, or artwork. Always add black in every neutral space to anchor and accent the neutral tones. Ideas to bring in black include lamps, frames, fabrics, rugs or accessories like candleholders and vessels.

Go to wisconsinloghomes.com or e-mail our resident interior designer, Stephanie, at sgauthier@wislog.com.