Thankfully, this log cabin of ours does NOT feature one thing true of the original log cabins in the U.S.–an outhouse. Thus, I actually deemed it fun deciding how to “outfit” our 2 bathrooms, our kitchen sink and our laundry sink.

I wanted the bathrooms to have that arts and craftsman “feel,” so I already had decided that the fixtures would all be white, as they would have been back in the arts and craftsman era.

As you might suspect, this is where the hubby’s engineering end of the build came into play with my aesthetics end. This was particularly true of two plumbing areas: faucets and toilets.

I have had a lot of bad luck with faucets throughout my life. Why? Because I listened to commissioned salesmen “voices” who sold me on Moen and other brands I knew I didn’t like in the first place. In my experience other brands leak remarkably soon after installation and become a cleaning nightmare in the process.

The “voices” this time were franker about faucets–get Delta or Kohler for leak-free living. I agree, especially with the Delta recommendation, that these two brands work well. Delta is remarkably cheaper, although not the cheapest, so I went Delta on anything faucet related.

I was a little nervous about going the brushed metal way on the faucets, though, because it has been a cleaning nightmare in our home bathroom. But, the “voices” this time said that if one wipes them down daily or after each use, this could be prevented. I haven’t quite convinced the rest of the family to wipe down the hall bath faucets this way yet, but I intend to install a small framed notice that this needs to happen. I am hoping it will help when we rent the cabin later on.

But, the hubby and I have been very good about wiping down our faucets and they have been a breeze to keep clean. I’ve seldom wiped down the Delta kitchen faucet or the laundry faucet, but they still seem like they’re remaining remarkably clean, despite the intervention.

I went for the “pump handle look” in the laundry room, because it leans a little more toward the traditional log cabin/industrial look than the rest of the cabin. Only because selection was limited from our vendor, I went with a one-handled more modern look in the kitchen. But the hall bath has that “squared-off” look to its faucets.

I tend to go “minimal detail” with most of my faucets because my experience has taught me that the “details” are harder to clean. I went against my better judgment in the master bath and put in a few “ruffles and flourishes” there, because we got one heck of a deal on a discontinued style that lent itself well to the arts and craftsman look.

On the toilet end–it’s about my back end. *cough*

My family chronically suffers from that toilet clogging issue…you know…that one that often requires fiber products to keep down to a “dull roar.” When we built our home, water-saving toilets were all the rage and we installed them, stupidly. Why, stupidly? Because the ancient versions didn’t have enough “power” to get rid of “clogs” when flushing. Result? It has taken us about 20 years to figure out how to prevent the problem and deal with the problem.

Enter Kohler. I ADORE Kohler products. I just HATE their prices!

But, Kohler makes the best water-saving, powerful-flushing home toilet in the business. The plumber said that was the only way to go and was worth the higher price. I went with the fancy Devonshire model, but they have been a dream to clean–in fact, they are easier to clean than the stream-lined, more modern versions we have at our home. We have had very few issues with clogs so far, even after holiday meals and when lots of guests come over. And we are on a septic system, so this is even more critical.

As for sinks and the tub, I went for my favorite 3-sink stainless sink in the kitchen. I know, I know, I know–it’s a sacrilege to not have the farm sink, right? Wrong. We prepare a lot of veggies and fruits in the smaller center sink and have a disposal there to grind up the seeds, stems, leaves, and skins that are discarded there. This keeps the stink of the trash down to a dull roar, too. I also like the center sink for rinsing items I hand wash. I still have a sink for washing and drying and the stainless steel doesn’t show scratches and is easier to keep clean.

We went with an Elkay version this time and metal things do stain the sink if left there wet, so I think the cheaper, brand-less version I have in my home might be the better choice here, honestly. And the stainless matches the appliances and the cabinet drawer pulls and knobs.

We went to the World’s Largest Flea Market in Canton, Texas and found a hand-potted round sink with a blue piping stripe for a steal. Living within one hour of Canton is both great and awful because we find a lots of decor for the cabin, but we can easily abandon the budget, if not careful!

As for the four bathroom sinks, I went for a white squared-off American Standard version because it, again, reminded me of that Arts and Craftsman style and it, as well, is easy to clean. All of our sinks are undermounts, with the exception of the laundry room sink, because there is less surface-area to keep tidy and clean.

And I didn’t go with the claw-footed tub that most put in their log cabin bathrooms. Why? Because we have grandchildren and grandparents to bathe in that hall bath and the claw-foot tub is almost impossible for older folks to navigate and difficult for supervising parents to reach over when bathing the kids. It’s a liability, if you ask me, especially if intending to rent the cabin. So, I went for a plain white insert with a tile effect on the walls that reminded me of older baths. It’s nothing fancy, but the shower curtain hides it most of the time, so why would I spend a fortune on it anyway? One last thing, most people, including me, find claw-foot tubs very uncomfortable.

We worked through our plumber and Ferguson for HUGE discounts, often 30% or more off retail for all of the above. I highly recommend doing this, if you are working on a cabin or home!

You’d like pics of all of this, right? If I could ever remember to take pics while out there, you’d have them. I’m going out there tomorrow, so maybe I will actually remember to get some to share with you next week. Maybe pray overtime on this one!

Friday’s Post: Endless water…

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