Credit: Home and Photos Courtesy of Golden Eagle Log Homes
At first, the Chicagoan owners of this 5 bed 5 ½ bath Arena, Wisconsin home weren’t sure if they wanted to commit to log home life. To test the waters, they started with a guest house comprised of a four-car garage with a living space above. A few years later, they were acclimated to the area, retired and ready to build the real thing.
If the guest house was a toe dipped into the water, the main estate is a cannonball. “They wanted a quality, unique, full log home,” says Jan Halbur, a sales advisor for Golden Eagle Log & Timber Homes who sold the house and dealt with the owners from beginning to end. According to Jan, the couple wanted every room of their 6,468 square foot to have meaning. Truly unique aspects include a dog shower, executive office, safe room and a wine cellar with handcrafted shelving. The all-concrete safe room currently stores the owner’s guns but, in case of a tornado, earthquake or anything else, they’re ready.
The home is a slightly customized version of Golden Eagle’s Rocky Mountain plan. A standing seam metal roof blankets a cathedral ceiling. Ten-inch eastern white pine logs, joined via butt and path corners, are round on the exterior but shaved flat for the interior and accented with cedar shakes in the dormers and gables. The floor truss system was specifically designed for this home and ensures all heating, electrical and plumbing systems are contained within the floor. A stunning feature wall allows the owners to survey their property from the warmth of their great room; the glass panes were supplied by Semco, a local window supplier.
“Here in Wisconsin, our state bird is the mosquito,” Jan jokes. “It’s very difficult to enjoy an evening out on the deck.” For protection the home features a screened-in, three-season room equipped with a wood stove and beautiful hand-hewn timber. Located off the master bedroom, this allows the owners to comfortably enjoy the majesty in which they live from every room of the house.