A Florida couple finds serenity at the base of the Great Smoky Mountains, in a log home with an Appalachian style that echoes the rustic cabins of yesteryear.
Charlie and Chris Smith had always dreamed of buying and building a dream log home. While they call Florida home, they wanted a second home that offered all four seasons.
“It all started when we received a post card from a company that specialized in rural parcels in the Carolinas and Tennessee,” recalls Chris.
The couple made the trip north to look at land and the surrounding communities. They considered several parcels but ultimately chose land in East Tennessee. They were charmed by the small town of Walland, tucked at the base of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is a small town of less than 300 people, and the community is often called the “Peaceful Side of the Smokies,” by locals.
They purchased their five-acre lot in 2009, and soon began their search for log home producers and builders in earnest. They attended log and timber home shows, collecting literature, and reviewing websites. When another five-acre parcel next door became available, they purchased that as well, to give themselves a bit more privacy. “We love the whole property,” Charlie says.
They found locals to be gracious and friendly. “We were immediately accepted,” Charlie says. Chris agrees. “They teach you about the mountain, give great advice, so friendly and nice,” she says.
SELECTING A PRODUCER & BUILDER
When it came to selecting a log and timber producer, Charlie and Chris were drawn to different log profiles. Charlie favored the traditional Appalachian style of squared timbers with bands of chinking between logs. This is the building system offered by StoneMill Log & Timber Homes (Knoxville, TN).
Chris was favoring a D-log profile with no chinking. Charlie then turned to Mathew Sterchi, vice president at StoneMill for help. “You’re the salesman, sell her on your system,” Charlie recalls.
Rather than a grand, eloquent speech about how he could build them their dream home, Mathew’s approach was straight forward, saying that if she preferred the D log, then he would respect that. “He said he didn’t want to waste our time,” Chris recalls. She was charmed by his matter-of-fact approach.
“Plus, I found it appealing to stay true to the Appalachian style, having an homage to the people who built here first,” Chris says.
Unlike many log and timber home companies that manufacture the components but don’t offer construction services, StoneMill builds 40 to 50 homes each year, Mathew Sterchi says. Mathew agreed to build the Smith’s new log home.
The Smith’s chose the Elk River II design from StoneMill, with some minor modifications. “It’s best if you decide on a design and then stick to it. If you start making changes at the last minute, you will extend the timeline of the build and cost yourself more money,” Charlie says.
“It was a long-distance build,” Mathew recalls.“The Smiths only came up a few times from Florida to view the progress of the build. We were honored by the trust they placed in us. We spent a lot of time initially in the design and budgeting phase with product selections and design efficiency so there weren’t last minute changes during construction. We communicated constantly, providing weekly photographs and updates, concentrating on executing the plan during the building phase.”
The Smiths couldn’t be happier with the result, an elegant home in a dream setting. “That was 14 years ago,” Chris recalls. “Mathew was easy to get along with and has remained a close friend since the project was completed.”
StoneMill holds home tours for potential clients and the Smith’s home is routinely included each year. “We are happy to answer homebuyers’ questions about the process,” Chris says. Charlie agrees. “Mathew is very detailed. His team is so geared toward making the process for homebuyers easy. I think it’s a reflection that they enjoy what they do for a living.”
ADVISE FOR HOMEOWNERS
For those contemplating the buying and building their own log or timber home, the Smiths have some advice. This includes choosing land that’s close to grocery stores and medical care, and one should expect to devote 12 to 18 months on the design and construction.
“If you are building in the mountains, you have to embrace that,” Chris says. Charlie agrees. “When we had our tree guy up here, we only had him cut just enough of the trees to make this a buildable lot,” Charlie says. “We wanted to leave as much of the trees as possible.”
Expect interactions with wildlife. “We have had a black bear come up onto our porch, just checking things out,” Chris says. “But we love all the wildlife. It’s part of the appeal of mountain living.”
- Log Producer: StoneMill Log & Timber Homes
- Builder: Creekside Construction/StoneMill Log & Timber Homes
- Square Feet: 2,880
- Three Bedrooms
- 2.5 Bathrooms