Couple builds a legacy home on a Tennessee mountain top.
In addition to sharing a life together, Gina and Graham share a love of log homes and the Great Smoky Mountains.
Graham recalls first experiencing the Great Smoky Mountains while attending veterinary college in nearby Knoxville. The couple was living in a log home in western Tennessee for eight years. “But that log home was originally built as a rental cabin, it was not really conducive to everyday living,” Gram says.
Ten years ago, Graham and Gina purchased a 107-acre parcel with its own mountain top in the Smoky Mountains. “We thought at the time, either this works for our retirement home, or it doesn’t. If it doesn’t, we’ll sell it. Fortunately, it worked out beautifully,” Gram says.
If you are contemplating building your dream log and timber home, Graham and Gina advise homebuyers to enjoy the journey with a generous dose of patience. Their new nearly 5,000 square foot home log and timber home took four years to build.
Two years of that time frame was just spent on excavation, carving a 7/10th of a mile long driveway and leveling the top of the mountain to create the expansive footprint for the home and surrounding landscaping. “Our grandson calls our driveway the roller coaster,” Gina says. “Some people are intimidated by it, but we find it relaxing.”
“It was so fun I mean we really enjoyed the whole process and just figuring out what each room will look like,” Gina recalls. “It was a great experience. I don’t have anything negative to say about it.”
According to Graham, building a new home often comes with inherent stress and unforeseen challenges. “But this was anything but a normal build. We were living 400 miles away in West Tennessee, our builder was coming from Wisconsin to east Tennessee. But all in all, it just went so smoothly.”
Choosing a Design & Producer
Gina and Graham spent untold hours on the Internet researching floor plans, different log and timber building systems, and a variety of producers. Their research led them to videos on YouTube by Zachary Parmeter of Golden Eagle Log & Timber Homes (Wisconsin Rapids, WI).
The duo watched Zachary’s videos documenting his process of constructing his dream home. After perusing dozens of designs, Graham and Gina chose Golden Eagle’s South Carolina floor plan, increasing the square footage from 3,671 to 4,798 square feet, with four bedrooms and three baths. Thanks to a cleverly placed loft, the home can sleep 10.
They reasoned that the South Carolina floor plan would best match their building site, with the 360-degree views in all directions. Their goal was to build a legacy home. “We wanted to build something that we could pass down to our children and grandchildren,” Gina says.
The duo have been delighted to host a variety of family gatherings, including their niece’s wedding.
The four seasons sunroom is appreciated by both friends and family. “So many of my friends love to visit in that room, drink coffee and watch the snow,” Gina says.
“This home just embodies coziness,” Gina says. “When people come into our home and then say, ‘I just don’t want to leave!’ and that’s the best compliment in the world.”
Graham’s man cave in the basement is great for football season tailgating, equipped with a pool table and seating reclaimed from a 1950s-era movie theater. “Graham was really a great sport when I would say, ‘We need to drive to Arkansas for theater seats,’” Gina says.
Graham says that Gina’s talent for interior design was the driving force behind the successful design. “She had the vision to pull all of this together,” he says.
In the original floor plan, a two-door garage was tucked into the basement. Graham and Gina opted for an attached garage on the main level, with a generously sized mudroom near the pantry. They also have a second two-story garage that houses Graham’s wood working shop and upstairs is Gina’s candle making studio.
Choosing a favorite space is impossible. But the great room with its massive timber frame trusses overhead (making this a true hybrid log and timber home) would likely have the lead.
Advice for Homebuyers
Do your research before choosing a producer or a floor plan, the couple advises. “Discover what you like and what you don’t like,” Graham says. “Let that guide you.”
“Finding Golden Eagle really did make a difference for us,” he says. “Look for a good local team of craftsmen and subcontractors, as well.”
Each time the couple arrive home they are in awe of being able to live the dream. “We say this all the time, ‘We can’t believe we live there.’ It does not get old,’” Gina says. Graham agrees. “It’s very surreal,” he says.
- Log & Timber Producer: Golden Eagle Log & Timber Homes, Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin
- 4,798 Square Feet
- 4 Bedrooms
- 3 Bathrooms