Like the main-floor deck off the great room, the wraparound side porches on this level produce ideal sanctuaries for relaxing in the outdoors. The side that winds around from the main deck toward the master bedroom features more of the Adirondack chairs chosen by the online voters. These chairs were used in several of the outdoor spaces, including the fire pit and surrounding patio located near the the lake shoreline. A custom feature on this porch is a rustic, wooden porch swing custom-made from some materials salvaged from the Blog Cabin construction by Jimmy DiResta, co-host of DIY's Hammered. Cedar posts were used to construct the frame; the post ends were "sharpened" using a special tool that allows the logs to be joined together to essentially form mortise-and-tenon joinery. These particular posts were left over from the construction of the railing and banister created for the upstairs loft. The seats of the swing are constructed from leftover tongue-and-groove lumber. Another custom piece, located on the end of the porch closest to the main-floor deck, is a custom-built firewood holder created by Matt Blashaw, host of DIY's Deconstruction. Since this covered area is adjacent to two separate fireplaces, one on the deck and one in the great room, it's a handy storage space so that extra logs for the fire can be easily retrieved while still under the roof. The firewood rack is capped with a pitched roof and even covered with the same stone-covered, steel roofing material used on the cabin's roof. The deck flooring on the porch, like the main deck, is constructed from an environmentally sound composite decking material made from recycled plastic bags and wood chips. The side porch is another good place to get a good look at the log construction, which is of the interlocking D-style logs, stained on the exterior using butternut wood stain. Both of those log attributes were chosen online by DIY Blog Cabin voters. Outdoor light fixtures in this area are wall-sconce style, another voter selection. The cabin's master bedroom opens onto the side porch and adjacent deck, via French doors, on two sides, making for immediate access to a relaxing outdoor space. View a slide show of this room. Shop for products featured in this area. Find out more about the creation of the custom firewood rack. Get step-by-step project info on the porch swing. View the tallied results from the Blog Cabin voting.
| 
)
)
)
