Roger and Mary Ann Miller didn’t realize they wanted to live in a log home until they stumbled upon their dream home while visiting their daughter and her family in Kentucky. But the “opportunity presented itself,” Roger says, when his wife started flipping through a real estate brochure she found in her daughter’s home. That’s when Mary Ann came across a 2,760-square-foot home in Paint Lick, Kentucky. She couldn’t resist the cabin’s cozy rustic charm. “I fell in love with [the house] withou…
One family’s annual vacation destination to picturesque Jackson Hole, Wyoming, became their home nearly two years ago. The outdoor enthusiasts, who enjoy activities such as hunting, fishing, rafting, skiing, and kayaking, designed and built Bighorn Lodge, a 10,000-square-foot home inspired by their many visits to the great lodges of the national parks in the Western states—particularly Old Faithful Lodge in Yellowstone National Park. “We love the outdoors and visiting the national parks,” the homeowner …
More than a century ago, celebrated architect Frank Lloyd Wright initiated the Prairie Style. A departure from the residential architecture of old Europe that had been widespread in the United States, it was distinctly American and featured bold horizontal lines. Wright’s influence on modern architecture remains strong, and in southwestern Montana near the city of Bozeman a tribute to his legacy rises in splendor next to a quiet pond with majestic vistas of the Bridger Mountains in the distance. The own…
When a Florida couple decided that summers in the Sunshine State were too hot and muggy, they began planning a vacation home in Banner Elk, North Carolina, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains where the average summer temperature tops out at a pleasant 70 degrees. They also wanted a log house with a distinctive look, so they called on Allen Halcomb, architect and president of MossCreek in Knoxville, Tennessee, to come up with a design that would suit their personalities. “The couple expressed a desire to…
Originally established in the mid-1800s as a hub and supply center for smaller surrounding mining towns, today’s Crested Butte, Colorado, is a premier destination for year-round recreation. Located about 30 miles due north of Gunnison, it’s just far enough off the beaten path to have retained a sleepy town charm; the population of full-time residents is not much more than 1,500. But the number of vacation/getaway homes is on the rise. One such dwelling belongs to Ohio residents Greg and Beth Bookwalter….
Nestled in the foothills of the Cumberland Mountains in Tennessee, Norris Lake is a recreation paradise renowned for its pristine waters. The lake covers nearly 35,000 acres with 800 miles of shoreline that includes three state parks. Fishing, boating, hiking, and camping beckon visitors from the entire region and draw many to the area looking for a place to build a dream vacation home. This gracious Norris Lake home, designed by MossCreek in Knoxville, Tennessee, was built as a getaway and gathering sp…
If you love color and decorating with bright pillows and rugs is not enough for you, there are numerous ways to bring accents to the more permanent parts of your home. Wood and stone are beautiful on their own, and adding a complementary or contrasting color brings both to life in a new way. Outdoors, a colorful door leads visitors into your home and painted trim calls attention to rooflines and the home’s structure. A painted interior wall will enhance your logs & timbers and give a room a focal po…
Ed and Mary May fell in love with the Hocking Hills region of Ohio and were married there 10 years ago. Over time they hiked the trails and explored the caves and hollows. After staying in dozens of log cabins in the area, they knew they wanted to build one of their own, so they collected ideas from some of them. “One of our prerequisites as we chose rental cabins was that there be no drywall,” says Ed. “So that was one of our ideas for our own cabin. It would be 100 percent log con…
Richard Phillips isn’t the least expensive builder to be had in the mountains of upstate North Carolina. But he always pays his subs and vendors in a timely manner, has never been involved in a court case, and ends up being friends with the clients he builds for. That’s what landed him the contract to build a one-of-a-kind custom log vacation home for a couple who wants to relax and enjoy time with family and friends. Phillips says, “In these parts, we’re all neighbors, everybody kn…
“As a youngster,” declares Charlie McGonagle, “I had the good fortune of having an uncle who, along with his father, had built what he called a ‘camp’ in Wilmington, Massachusetts, near Silver Lake. He was a very gracious man, making his place available every summer to his numerous nephews and nieces and their parents. Sometimes there would be as many as 11 of us kids sleeping on the floor of the porch while the adults found room for their night’s sleep somewhere inside.” Despite the lack of running wat…
Bob Dowell and Kevin Rainey have their primary residence in Florida, but you’ll find them in North Conway, New Hampshire, at every opportunity throughout the year. Truly a four-season destination, this resort community in the heart of the White Mountains makes an ideal getaway for the couple to enjoy the spectacular autumn color, hike throughout spring and summer, or hit the slopes of Mt. Washington in winter. Lucky for Bob and Kevin, their jobs allow them the flexibility to visit often, so the idea of …
On first approach to Liz and Danny King’s getaway you may think they have a conundrum on their hands. Their one-story cabin, situated in the heart of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, is a tiny oasis. Huddled in the center of town between a busy intersection and multistory lodges, the cabin’s location, on a sliver of land, hardly presents a dilemma. A Treasured Heritage Back in the late 1880s, Gatlinburg was a sleepy hamlet, home to early mountain settlers content to farm and log. Today, three communities—Pigeon F…
