This custom home in Kansas offers plenty of elegant and comfortable space for family and friends.
Mike and Maureen Bukaty spent three years searching for the perfect location for a second home near their house in Overland Park, Kansas. Finally, a large parcel came on the market quite suddenly in Osawatomie, only a 50-minute drive away.
The arrival of the 199-acre parcel on the market attracted a lot of attention in the community, but the Bukatys were ready. Maureen, who had a broken leg at the time, was pressed into service to deliver a check to a real estate office.
“We made the deal happen within an hour,” Mike recalls. “There was a lot of interest in this parcel, so we didn’t waste any time when jumping on it.”
The property is half forested and half farmland, with local farmers rotating crops of corn or soybean each year. “A farmer alerted us to the land being on the market,” Mike recalls. “Now that farmer is leasing 100-acres from us. It’s win-win.”
Their tract of land backs up to the Marais des Cygnes River, a principal tributary of the Osage River, and, ultimately, the Mississippi. The name Marais des Cygnes means “Marsh of the Swans” in French, because trumpeter swans have been common in the Midwest.
The Bukaty family holds bonfires on the banks of the river in warmer months. With plenty of firewood available on the property, “We have some pretty tall flames with these bonfires, eight to ten feet high,” Mike says.
A family friend had used Scott Rogers of Heartland Log Home Sales (Stilwell, Kansas), an independent sales representative for Real Log Homes (Claremont, New Hampshire), to create a log home. The Bukatys decided to follow suit.
Choosing a Design
The Bukatys spent a solid year developing the floor plan and choosing log and timber styles for their new home. They chose 10-inch diameter white pine logs for the walls. The logs were milled at Real Log Homes facility in New Hampshire, and then hand-scraped with draw knives to make the logs appear handcrafted. The trusses and rafters were made from Douglas fir.
The home has 4,716 square feet of space, with 5 bedrooms and 5.5 baths. Andersen windows, sliding doors, and French doors—along with Therma-Tru entry doors—keep the Bukatys cozy and warm in the winter.
Originally, they were going to have the prow of the home facing the road. But they ended up flipping that plan, so the prow faces the woods behind the home, taking in the fields and abundant forest.
The couple also had a local metal building company create a 60’x40’ “barn-dominium” to house frequent guests and family members. “We had 28 people join us for Thanksgiving in 2024,” recalls Mike.
When visitors arrive at the main entrance of this sportsman’s paradise, they drive under a beautiful gable with the name of the property, “Big Buck’s Creek”—Mike’s nickname is Buck—artfully scribed in custom ironwork.
As one enters the home, you will find yourself in the great room featuring a prow window wall and cathedral ceilings. The windows look out onto the large back deck that runs along the entire back side of the home. To your right are the kitchen and dining room, which also feature high ceilings that create an atmosphere of grandeur that is complemented by the rustic beauty of the log walls. A small bathroom and a large mudroom are just beyond the kitchen.
To the left of the great room is a hallway that leads to two bedrooms, each with a bathroom, large closets, and access to the back deck. On the front of the home, a long porch runs alongside this hallway, giving the residents multiple places to enjoy some fresh air. Meanwhile, the second floor contains a large master suite, including a walk-in closet, master bathroom, and private balcony. A final bedroom is located on the basement level, along with a spacious recreation area featuring a wet bar and pool table. It is the perfect space to entertain when the weather is less than cooperative.
Favorite Spaces
Mike and Maureen love to spend time in the great room with its open floor plan, kitchen, and dining area. In the evening hours, the action moves downstairs to the bar and pool table.
The rusted tin wainscoting in the downstairs is authentic. It was repurposed from the roof of a more than 100-year-old barn. Likewise, a solid chunk of wood used for a bathroom vanity was reclaimed from that same barn.
Mike and Maureen credit Interior Designer Erin Mankameyer of Groover Interior Design (Overland Park, KS) for taking their ideas and bringing them to a whole new level, and an elegant conclusion. “It was Erin’s idea to switch around the whole layout,” Mike says.
If you are not familiar with what interior designers do, they bring years of design experience to your project to ensure your well-being through a unified approach.
“Erin helped us with everything that went into that home,” Mike says. “When you are building homes of this caliber, you are creating a work of art. One has to make decisions far in advance. This includes lighting and plumbing fixtures, appliances, cabinets, décor, beds, and more. Changing your mind on any of it gets very expensive, very quickly.”
For homebuyers seeking advice on how to make their dream come true, Mike and Maureen advise to choose a builder who has built 10 or 20 of those homes before. “You want someone on your team who is very detail-oriented, and who anticipates,” Mike says.
- Log Home Producer: Real Log Homes (Claremont, New Hampshire) A Division of WHS Homes (Claremont, New Hampshire)
- John Harper, Regional Manager at WHS
- Scott Rogers of Heartland Log Home Sales (Stilwell, Kansas)
- Interior Design by Erin Mankameyer of Groover Interior Design (Overland Park, Kansas)
- Three-Story Home
- 4716 Square Feet
- 5 Bedrooms
- 5.5 Baths