I honestly think it’s kind of ugly in its current setting. Where I live we don’t get snow for the winter months but it still gets cold enough for the grass to get yellow/brown and dead looking. Perhaps in a more wooded area where once the house is not so close to the neighbors, you could reach out a window and touch them that log cabin and roof would look perfect.
I also have concerns about erosion and the plants/grass dying up there if the weather conditions change from normal. Like having a drought for a year, or a region that never sees snow gets snow for a few days. Not to mention soil nutrition over the long run to keep what is growing in it alive. It kind of looks like it be a pain to deal with in the long run. If anything happens you would be a rather large eyesore.
You raise some good points. In my limited research I had the impression that with new materials and technology together with the correct plant choice, maintenance is minimized.