Jason's Log Furniture Reviews

Rustic Natural Cedar Deluxe Garden Double Glider, Model #805

What can be more enjoyable this time of year than the beauty of new spring blooms? After a long, bleak winter the bright and cheery colors of blossoms can bring quite a smile to our face. It’s a sure sign that summer is on its way and we can put the coats and sweaters away in the back corner of our closet, not to emerge until the autumn winds blow again.

Spring is a celebration. It’s like new life, every year. Baby animals are born, trees bud, grass greens, and flowers bloom. Like any celebration, we want to mark it with a party. A garden party is the perfect way to ring in the season. There is nothing like sharing a warm, sunny spring day in the midst of spring blooms with your best friends.

The Garden Double Glider by Cedar Looks is like a party in one package. With comfortable seating for four and a removable center table, it is perfect for a garden tea party. It even comes complete with a top canopy to shield you from the sun, if you so desire. Set in the midst your garden, with an arbor full of clematis blooms in the background and some planter boxes full of pansies nearby, along with a vase of freshly cut tulips on the center table, your friends will be completely impressed while they take in the scenery.

This spring, throw a garden party for your friends. Whether it’s to reminisce or to welcome the spring blooms in your flowerbed, there will be no better time spent with your loved ones. Think of how relaxing it will be, gliding away the day while chatting and sipping beverages. You will want to sit and celebrate until summer comes sliding in!

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Lakeland Mills Cedar Log Tete-A-Tete, Model # CF1119

Last year I acquired a Contoured Comfort Log Chair from JHE’s Log Furniture Place. I have been very pleased with it; from the moment it arrived at my door, it has been an easy-care chair. I unpacked it and found it fairly easy to assemble. Proud of my fully constructed chair, I set it in an honored position on our covered front porch. It had the corner all to itself, receiving a fair amount of afternoon sunshine, and I arranged some potted plants and a footstool around it.

This chair arrived without any finish on it, and I chose to leave it in its natural state. This year I want to add a mate for it. The only problem is my one-year-old chair, even though it has been somewhat sheltered under a roof and close to our house, has started the natural graying that is part of the cedar wood’s aging process. A bright shiny new chair would not look the same as my original one, given the difference in Mother Nature’s weathering effects.

However, I have discovered the fountain of youth for outdoor log furniture that has not had a finish applied to it. Make a solution of baking soda and water and soak the weathered chair down with it. Let that solution soak in for a few minutes, then use a power sprayer to wash the weathering right off the chair. Be careful not to take too much of the outer covering of the wood off, just enough to get rid of the gray. (If only it were that easy with human hair!)

Once the chair is dry, it should look much closer to what it appeared when it was brand new. You can choose to apply a finish or allow Mother Nature to take over and weather all of your pieces at the same rate. If you repeat this process a number of times, remember that the fountain of youth is a wonderful thing but you cannot cheat Mother Nature too many times before you compromise the integrity of the wood. In lieu of constant pressure washing, a good quality clear finish is the best way to protect your chair, swing, or bench and keep it looking brand new.

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Video: Contoured Comfort Log Lounge Chair

A few years ago, my husband and I purchased a nice pair of folding lawn chairs. The seating area of the chairs was composed of a padded mesh-type fabric, not the nylon webbing that dries out, fades, and breaks shortly after the chair is purchased. These chairs were comfortable and fit our patio perfectly. We even purchased a little matching table to go with them and hold our drinks or eats while we were sitting and relaxing.

Fast forward to present day and the mesh fabric is still holding strong. However, the plastic arm rests are not faring quite as well. The summer heat and winter cold have caught up with them, and they are chipping away at an alarming rate. As one might imagine, that is not a good thing. The chips are leaving sharp edges in their wake and I’m afraid that one of these days the arm rests are going to leave a nasty gash in the arm of either the person sitting in the chair or our small son who is pulling himself up on everything and using it as monkey bars.

My solution is simple. I want chairs that are comfortable and durable and safe. They have to stand up to two young children climbing up and down on them. I also want them to be attractive and welcoming. The chairs I will buy are the Contoured Comfort Log Lounge Chairs from JHE’s Log Furniture Place. I have already tried one out and the comfort of these chairs is far superior to that of the folding chairs that we have used for the past five years.

The only drawback is the Log Lounge Chair’s inability to fold for easy storage. I have found that I rarely fold up the chairs that do have that capability, so I’m not too concerned about it. However, if one were to need that feature, my recommendation is for the Contoured Comfort Log Leisure Chair. This model does not have arm rests but the seat and back separate for easy storage and transportation. The Leisure Chair also boasts a high comfort and durability factor.

The next time you go shopping for deck and patio chairs, consider how long you want your chairs to last and how safe you want them to be during their serviceable years. Log outdoor chairs are certainly more costly initially, but over time their price tag is equivalent to that of the folding chairs you find at your local lawn and garden superstore. Consider a log lawn chair solution for your deck or patio.

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Contoured Comfort Cedar Log Bridge, Model # CF2960

Springtime is just around the corner. That’s good news for most people. I remember growing up in the Midwest, and I was always ready for spring by the time February rolled around. Then, come March or April, the spring thaw welcomed us with warmer weather and tinges of green in the grass and trees. In rural areas, the thaw can bring with it bottomless gravel roads and water setting and running everywhere, trying to make its way to the creeks and rivers.

According to nursery rhymes and folklore, April showers bring May flowers. Just as the spring thaw is drawing to an end, the spring showers add to the onslaught of water that is making its way towards the ocean. Your yard, garden, and flower bed can be a soggy mess just as you are getting the itch to start preparing them for planting and summer’s bounty. For high problem areas, you can beat the water by adding structures that help you to step up and over the standing and running water. You might even consider encouraging the water to run in designated areas to help control watershed and dry your planting areas more quickly.

By adding a log bridge to your garden, you can walk over wet spots easily. Running water can be routed under the bridge, leaving your planting areas high and dry. To control runoff, build a creek bed under the bridge and then line it with waterproof liner and stones. This protects the soil against erosion. To avoid setting and running water altogether, plant your spring flowers in planter boxes or raised stands. Water will run right through them and leave the soil dry enough to plant. Spring water need not trouble your gardens and flowerbeds any longer.

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Groovy Stuff Teak Wood Garden Trough Planter, Model # TF-539

Across most of the Western hemisphere, the dark and cold days of winter are beginning to seem longer and longer. February can feel like a month that will never end. Even the most diehard snow lovers probably tire a bit of dealing with the fluffy white stuff towards the end of winter. Days spent inside, seeking shelter from the cold temperatures and bitter wind, bring on a slight case of cabin fever. We ache to see the green buds and warm days of spring come around again.

There are ways to dispel the darkness of long winter days. Fresh flowers can add brightness to any dreary day. Buy some cut flowers at your local market (preferably a type that will last awhile), arrange them into a nice bouquet, and place them on your dining room table or kitchen island as a cheery centerpiece. Bring one of your planter boxes or plant stands inside and position some bright live greenery in it, then place the ensemble in a high traffic and light area so your fragile spring visitors can thrive and be enjoyed by all who pass by.

For those who want a bit more challenging project, create an indoor goldfish habitat. Start with a pot that contains a large, open bowl as its interior. The Groovy Stuff Teak Wood Farmers Bucket would be a great choice for this project. Next, visit your local hardware or pet store and find a liner that will fit inside your fish pot. When installing the liner, be sure there are no holes or tears in the portion where water will be held. Purchase a small pump to place in the pot. This will aerate the water for your fish. Set the pump in the bottom of the pot, then place some aquarium gravel around it so that it stays in place. Fill the pot about 2/3 full of water, turn the pump on, and make any needed adjustments to its flow or to water level. Then, shop for a nice colorful little goldfish or two and introduce them to their new home. Be sure to feed them and provide them with some water plants for hiding places. Place the pot in a corner of the house where the burbling sound will provide a Zen-like feel and you can sit in a cozy log chair to admire the fish swimming in its midst.

Any of the three projects above can help you and your family cast away the darkness of winter and bring about the excitement of spring fever. From something as simple as a cut flower bouquet to a goldfish pot cheerily burbling away in a corner of your home, the smiles you get from admirers of your effort will be all you need to brighten your winter day. At least it will be a subtle distraction until the calendar reaches April and spring fever strikes with full force.

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Cedar Looks by Rustic Natural Cedar Log Childs Chair

Shopping for children can be a bittersweet experience. There are so many fun and cute things available for infants and children, and the excitement over the “oooh-ing” and “ahhh-ing” can put you in the mood to fill your cart. You smile when you imagine how adorable Little Molly will look in that outfit you found and how much Little Bobby will love that rattle.

The reality is, most of the things you buy for children are grown out of, cast aside, or replaced by new toys in a short amount of time. In my personal experience, I have been amazed at just how fast a child grows. One day he’s wearing an outfit and a few days later he has outgrown it. I have become quite a fan of children’s consignment stores, mega sales, garage sales, and hand-me-downs.

Hand-me-downs are great to give and to receive. I love to gather up items that I haven’t used, won’t use, or that my son has outgrown, and pass them along to friends that can get more use out of them. In a sense, it is a way of passing love and helping it to grow with each additional child who gets use out of the items. Through this process, we nurture the development of children other than our own.

You can start passing the love in your own family. Children’s furniture can only be used for a short while, but it is precious and cherished because of the memories it holds. When a new baby comes along, you can arrange a child’s rocking chair beside the one you rock new baby in. Then brother or sister can “help” put the baby to sleep. When everyone has outgrown it, the sturdy little log rocking chair can be passed along to the next generation for many more years of rocking. Instead of setting up a card table and booster chairs for the children at holiday dinners, invest in a children’s table and chairs. Not only can they eat dinner there like the “big kids”, but they can do before-dinner crafts and after-dinner games together. Years down the road, your kids can tell their kids stories about all the fun that had at that very same table. On the porch, add a few children’s log outdoor chairs to your outdoor seating arrangement. Kids will appreciate being included in the conversation and they can even invite some of their friends to join in the camaraderie.

When you have little people in your life, shopping takes on a new meaning and maybe even becomes a little more fun. Don’t despair about how fast children grow out of things; instead, embrace the “hand-me-down” process. Your friends and family will receive years of love and enjoyment from the items you pass along.

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While visiting my parents this holiday season, I busied myself in some of my spare time with glancing through the stack of magazines my mother keeps by her chair in the living room. One of the magazines I thumbed through highlights rural living, and an article they include in every issue is a section that is dedicated to a farmstead considered “the prettiest place in the country”.

Images of these beautiful farmsteads can take a reader’s breath away. Expansive lawns of green, flowers blooming in every nook and cranny, barns painted bright red with bleach white trim, and an immaculate farmhouse as the centerpiece. Whoever chooses the feature farmstead must have a difficult decision when determining the “prettiest place” winners. It is quite an honor if you have your farmstead printed on the magazine’s glossy pages.

You may not live on a farmstead, or even in the country, but yours can be known as the prettiest place around. Fertilize and consistently mow your lawn to make it green and lush. Take notes from those featured in the aforementioned rural magazine and plant flowers around your home in pretty planters and other unexpected places. If you have a porch, decorate it with rustic log outdoor furniture and make it comfortable with outdoor pillows and accessories. Carry the rustic theme indoors with some log furniture placed throughout the living and dining rooms. Add a touch of whimsy with some unique accent furniture. Display your treasures and collections with sturdy shelves and hutches.

Pretty places are about more than just furniture and flowers. They are created with love and tender loving care. Keeping your place immaculate takes some hard work and dedication, but with the right combination of furniture, accessories, love, and care, your home can be known as the prettiest place around…magazine feature or not.

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Aren’t Christmas decorations one of the best things about the holiday? They are so beautiful and festive, lovely scented evergreen boughs with twinkling lights interspersed. Something as simple as a pine wreath with a big red bow can put me in a better mood immediately. The simplicity of such a wreath speaks warmly of the true meaning of Christmas.

Greenery makes any location look festive, but it takes on a homey holiday charm when it is hung outside of a cabin. Maybe the timber of the log home is happy to see some of the boughs it lost, or maybe when both parts of the tree are rejoined they create their own special kind of holiday magic. Whatever the reason, a cabin adorned with Christmas decorations looks and feels like the perfect holiday setting.

A great place to begin festooning the cabin is by hanging swags of pine boughs on the deck and porch railings. Well-placed bows accentuate the delicate needles of the greenery. Outdoor planter boxes can be filled with evergreen boughs and twinkling lights for a nice holiday accent around your entryway. For a romantic touch, hang a nice sprig of mistletoe from the top of the garden arbor. Don’t forget to bring the outside in by placing a vase of pine sprigs on your coffee table. Use more of those sprigs and perhaps some additional twinkling lights to create a dazzling centerpiece on your dining room table. And, perhaps of utmost importance, designate the best location in the cabin for the Christmas tree. The tree should be able to be enjoyed from every seat in the house.

This Christmas, enjoy the simplicity cabin decor in your home for the holidays. The time you spend hanging pine boughs is best enjoyed with family and friends, maybe followed by a nice mug of hot cocoa. And remember, all homes look wonderful when wrapped in greenery. But, in my honest opinion, Christmas greenery looks best when hung on cabins.

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Clearance & Specials at JHE's Log Furniture Place

I used to be a carefree spender. Perhaps it was the immaturity of youth or the lack of financial experience, but I figured that if I had money in my checkbook that I could spend it. When there wasn’t enough money in my account, I occasionally threw down some plastic. I didn’t think too much about a savings account, or putting money aside for a rainy day. I figured that if I wanted something (or, in my case, I “needed” it), then I should purchase it.

By now, my outlook has changed considerably. I am still learning about how to be a thrifty shopper, but am happy to report I am well on my way. The economic downturn that our country has been facing the past few years has certainly changed the spending habits of many Americans. The lifestyle changes my husband and I have experienced since we married have played a large part in my financial transformation.

Now I consider it a great thrill to find a discount item in the store, shop a great sale, see the total amount drop with every coupon used, find a treasure in a thrift store, or discover the ultimate bargain while “curb shopping”. My distaste for shopping and consternation with seeing the amount due rise with every item scanned has abated somewhat.

If you are shopping for heirloom quality rustic furniture but are concerned about its price tag, you need to check out JHE’s Log Furniture Store. Bargains abound on this website! They are easy to find when you click on the “Specials and Free Items” icon, located on the home page. Many items are available at clearance prices, including bedroom sets, outdoor furniture, living room pieces, even a log pool table. When you shop this clearance section and click on the checkout button, you will be smiling. Not only will you be expecting top quality log furniture to be delivered to your home for free, but your pocketbook didn’t take too hard a hit in the process. Visit www.logfurnitureplace.com today and experience the thrill of being a thrifty holiday shopper!

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Rustic Natural Cedar 36 in Round Log Coffee Table

Being outdoors is one of my hobbies, it isn’t all about being adventurous or any of that, but just sitting at the garden or the backyard can make my day.  Another one of my habits is drinking coffee; I am actually addicted to it.  But don’t worry, there’s always decaf when I think I’m getting too much of it.  So, usually, I would see myself outside with a mug of coffee in one hand and a newspaper at the other.  But sitting on the steps gets tiring after awhile, and that’s when I decided I needed to get a chair and a coffee table.  Good thing I had a very resourceful and supportive wife, she immediately found me the perfect set.  She got me a round cedar log coffee table and a cedar chair to match it.

I loved the outdoors because of the sunlight, the cooling breeze and my coffee in the afternoon.  I appreciate the log coffee table because it matched my tree.  I felt like I’m in a different place when I’m in the garden drinking my coffee and reading the newspaper in the shaded sunlight.  It’s like a break from the hectic city and all of its noise and such.  The log chair was also very comfortable; I can lean on it and can never feel an ache from my back.  I never really understood what’s there in furniture but since I got my coffee table, I admired each log furniture I see.  I am attracted to their uniqueness, their ageless style that had survived years, even era (according to my wife, of course).  I was never a man for household keeping and all that designs and furniture, but I can definitely appreciate them and make use of their roles which can satisfy everyone.  My love for the outdoors and coffee was complimented by the coffee table and chair, thanks to my wife for being such a lovely woman who loves log and barnwood furniture.

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