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MODELED AFTER THE MODEL

By Margaret A. Haapoja

Doug Brown was living in a condo in the next town when he first drove by Northeastern Log Homes' model in Westfield, Massachusetts. "I never really said I've got to have a log home," he admits. "I wasn't that type of person." Months went by, and every time he passed the home it caught his eye. Finally one Saturday, he and his daughter decided to stop and take a look. "As soon as I stepped onto the front porch, I fell in love with it," Doug remembers, "and my ten-year-old daughter said, 'Oh, Daddy! You've got to get one of these.' I probably went in again half a dozen times over the next couple of years just to walk around and dream."

In the meantime, Doug attended log home shows and compared log home manufacturers on the Internet. "After researching other companies, I still liked that one the best," he says. "I did consider other homes, but I need to see things in person. When you can actually kick the tires, see how a home is made and see how it's weathered the years, it makes it so much easier. Finally he told Northeastern Log Homes sales representative John Quinlan, "Today's the day. Let's sit down and do the paperwork."

"Inside and outside, the Westfield model incorporates what really is a classic log home style, the look that people envision when they think of what a log home should be," says Quinlan. "The porch projects from the front of the house, and it has the two doghouse dormers. It features first floor living with kitchen, living room and master bedroom suite all on the lower level."

Constructed of 6X8-inch eastern white pine D-shaped logs, the Browns' 2100 square foot home has butt-and-pass corner intersections. All the ceilings are post-and-beam system of 2-inch thick tongue-and-groove knotty pine. Doug and his wife Michelle made only a few minor changes to the plan because the model already had many of the features they wanted. They added a three-stall garage, and they eliminated the half-wall between the kitchen and dining area adding an island in the kitchen. Instead of two separate bathrooms on the first floor, they opened the master bath up into one large room that is accessible either from the master bedroom or the hallway. They can close a pocket door to separate the two rooms when necessary.

To contrast with all the wood in the house, they chose Sheetrock for 50% of the interior walls, and they used faux painting on some, wallpaper on others. Most of the rooms have oak hardwood flooring with the exception of the kitchen and bathrooms which are tile. Doug especially appreciates the radiant floor heating on the first floor during cold New England winters. "Even when it's 20 degrees outside, I can stand in the kitchen in my stocking feet, and the tiles are toasty warm," he says. "That's a really nice feature whether you have wood floors, tile or carpeting."

When Doug purchased the 1 ½-acre lot in the town of Granby, it was a flat open field. He and Michelle chose Aqua Pool & Patio of East Windsor, Connecticut to design and build a free form gunite pool in their backyard incorporating a kidney bean-shaped spa and waterfall. A landscape architect referred by the company planned an inviting oasis with areas of lawn and attractive plantings of trees, shrubs and perennials that surround a swimming pool that resembles a natural pond. A patio with built-in grill provides the perfect spot for picnics at the rear of the home, and a paver pathway leads to another terrace next to the pool. "It was interesting watching the house and pool come together at the same time," says Doug. "We learned to think of the landscape as our outdoor living room. We're really happy with the way it turned out."

Another reason the Browns chose Northeastern Log Homes was the company's comprehensive materials package. "Raised panel solid pine doors, interior partitions and porches are all part of the package," says Quinlan, "and the materials are precut, lettered and numbered, so it's very easy to assemble on site. You don't have to worry about chain saws and cutting window and door openings." Doug believes 95% of what they needed was included in the kit. He opened an account at the local hardware store so the builder could pick up any extra items.

Doug remembers distinctly the day the log package arrived on the building site. "When several tractor-trailers pulled in, I wondered where we were going to put all this stuff because there were many items including windows and doors that we weren't going to need for several months. I got on the phone and rented a 40-foot trailer that so we could store everything. That was the happiest decision I made. They just drove it here, unhooked it from the truck and drove way."

Although Doug acted as general contractor on the project, he emphasizes the importance of choosing a builder who has some experience with the unique aspects of a log home. Recently retired from the wireless communication industry, Doug admits he went overboard on their home's sound system. The home has a Bose Lifestyle system, and there are speakers in every room including the garage and near the outdoor pool. The TV room has Surround Sound, and every room is wired for the Internet. "The electrical, plumbing and HVAC work in a log home requires some advance planning," Doug says. "Ask yourself, where am I going to put the outlet for this hanging light fixture because once the second floor gets built, it's too late to move it. Where am I going to put a zone for air conditioning?"

In addition to the radiant in-floor heating, an oil-fired forced air furnace heats the second floor, but they rarely need to use the additional system. "I think a log home stays warm with all the wood in it," says Michelle. "Sometimes we have to turn the furnace off because the logs retain heat so well compared to a traditional home." Indeed, the home is so tight that the couple incorporated a central dehumidifier/air exchanger. It removes excess moisture from the house in the summer and brings in fresh air from outside.

The focal point of the living room is a wood-burning fireplace of river rock that soars 23 feet to the peak of the vaulted ceiling. A Heatilator recirculates hot air that normally would go up the chimney. Doug and Michelle added a raised hearth and mantel of limestone, and they've noticed people like to sit on the hearth when they come in from the cold.

Michelle decorated the home herself using earth tones of beige, greens and golds. She believes a log home is easier to customize than a traditional home, and she calls her style 'rustic sophistication.' "You go into most log homes, and they're very country," she says. "I came from a modern home so it was a little bit of a transition for me." The living room contains family heirlooms that belonged to her grandmother and great-aunt. Floor lamps with amber glass shades cast a golden glow on the log walls.

She designed the kitchen so that everything is at her fingertips. Kitchen cabinets from Home Depot are bleached maple to contrast with the color of the logs, and stainless steel appliances are the GE Profile series. Michelle loves the granite countertops that withstand hot pots and pans. Pendant lights trimmed with brushed stainless steel illuminate the island.

Doug can't decide which is his favorite feature in the house-the loft or the porch. "The first thing I fell in love with was this long wooden porch," he says. "I felt like I was on the Ponderosa. The other thing that really sold me was the loft. It's just the warmest, most inviting place you could ever imagine. It's the room I escape to. I go up there and fall into this soft, cushioned loveseat and read."

Five years after moving into their log home, the Browns still have people drive up, knock on their door and ask to see the house. "It's the biggest compliment you can get," says Doug. "In one word, this house is so comfortable. It's just the nature of the beast with a log home-it's the wood, the high ceilings, the stone fireplace and the wood floors. It's a very cozy, warm home."