Thanks everyone for replying. hlove ~ Thanks for including those photos. Circus ~ I love the look of flared log posts and the open floorplan with a loft. I really dislike wooden cabinetry (looks dated too quickly). I also really don't like brown and beige and gravitate towards the cool watery colour tones (with wood for warmth). I would hardly describe my choices as "schizophrenic" (or any design choice for that matter-it is demeaning to people who suffer with that illness and who are probably already ostracized from general society). Zoe ~ Thanks for including those pictures. I'd love to see how your white trim will look. Marcolo ~ I guess modern rustic does describe what I'm going for? FWIW, we are not building a log cabin, it's a 6000 sq foot house framed with logs (so all of our walls are drywall).

Your pictures:

cliff and joann, the windows are oak also, with broad sills. Thanks very much for your photos. My BIL doesn't like white doors, and I see this is a way to combine them. palimpsest, I'd forgotten that these days some folks are painting their woodwork the same color as the walls; I'll let her know this. This would allow her to have the oak doors and still a lighter woodwork; I think she might like that. Thank you both. When she gets a computer (which she doesn't in their present setup) and when the remodel gets going she'll post some photos, I'm sure.

I like the idea of the mix. If you decide to go one way or the other, you can always paint!