When a Connecticut family began working with architect Reid Smith to design a vacation retreat in Big Sky, Montana, they emphasized that the overall feeling they wanted to have upon entering the final product would be less “ooh” and more “ahh.” “The homeowners wanted their vacation retreat to have a comfortable, cozy feeling,” says Smith, founder of Reid Smith Architects in Bozeman, Montana. “The house is large, but they wanted intimate spaces throughout with rich finishes and livability. This house doe…

Mike and Marta had been looking for lakeside property in the southern states, from Texas to the South Carolina coast, over a period of 10 years, using much of their vacation time to explore and camp in search of their little slice of heaven. Criteria for the couple’s property search included enough ground to “feel like country” while being in close proximity to a city. They found it in 2002 when they went to check out Old Hickory Lake in central Tennessee, a place they learned about in a real estate mag…

Larry and Pam Kerns never imagined that after 10-plus enjoyable years of residing in their North Carolina dream log home they would be uprooting and moving to Louisville, Kentucky. “We put our hearts and souls into building this amazing log home,” says Larry. “It took a couple of years of design just to figure out what we wanted it to look and feel like … and for seven years beforehand we were doing all sorts of research into what we were hoping for in a retirement home.” Since then, things have changed…

From the mountains of Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia to the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts, the Southeast is a perfect place to build a log & timber home if you prefer a milder climate. The Southeast has its own long tradition of log & timber homes, and today you’ll find that people are building the homes that speak to their style. You’ll see everything from a tiny rustic vacation cabin in the Smokies to a sprawling estate on a flowing South Carolina river. It’s easy to find a spectacular view…

Joe and Elina Rodriguez’s dream house represents a great compromise for these two water babies raised on the beaches of South Florida. Both loving beach and water, but now living in Atlanta, the distance to Florida was prohibitive for weekend getaways and an eventual retirement home. They didn’t have far to look for an ideal property; they chose a close-by water venue, less than two hours away, on the shore of Lake Hartwell in South Carolina for their vacation home. In 2006, after doing considerable res…

Brian Hayes has fond memories of summer vacations with his family at Dale Hollow Lake in Kentucky. Three generations later, it remains a special retreat for him, his brothers, and all of their children. “We all fell in love with the place the first time we went,” says Hayes, of Noblesville, Indiana. “After my brothers and I grew up, we started taking our own kids down there. We’ve watched the place grow from being undeveloped to now being a resort area. Three generations of our family have loved this pl…

Log homes come in many styles, shapes, and sizes. Some are quite humble, others very luxurious. This home, which measures 84 feet x 32 feet, is certainly in the category crème de la crème. It is harmonious and elegant in design, sophisticated in a rustic way, and equipped with amenities that are not often found in a country home, such as an elevator and a fireplace on each floor. And its detached garage is so big and fancy it could easily be mistaken for a country cabin. Built in 2011 near the town of M…

Nestled on an Idaho lake located about 15 miles from the Canadian border, Robert Delsman’s customized timber home truly is his castle. After years of enduring long lines of traffic and congested cities in California, this nature lover moved into his brand new 4,740-square-foot home on Priest Lake in 2013. Since then, he’s enjoyed the tranquility, lake activities, and even the volunteer firefighting opportunity he’s been able to take advantage of as an area resident. Surrounded by the natural beauty of n…

Randy and Janelle Lang wanted something more permanent. Their time in the wooded surroundings of a cluster of chain lakes was hardly ever enough to completely satisfy. The forests and woodlands of northern Wisconsin sometimes seem to have that effect. “We had a small cabin on a small lake in the area for many years and were up just about every weekend,” reflects Randy. “After retirement we decided to move here since we were at the cabin as much as at home.” The decision to move required some planning, a…

It’s been about 10 years since Micky and Reneé Harrison read an article about The Rio Grande Club in South Fork, Colorado, where Renee had vacationed with one of her friends about 47 years earlier. After deciding that South Fork would be a fun place to visit, the married couple was pleased to see that the area hadn’t changed much, with the exception of The Rainbow Grocery’s relocation from the “fork” in the river to its current home. “South Fork was exactly what we were looking for: a cool climate to pl…

When Alice Royer and her husband John had the opportunity to buy back the 212-acre farm that had belonged to Alice’s family all but 10 years since the U.S. Civil War, the couple jumped at the chance. Alice has vivid memories of spending time on the farm during her childhood, when it was her grandparents’ home, so the land became a piece of family heritage she hoped to share and pass on to her two children, who are now adults. In 2008, the family built a log home on the property, giving them regular week…