The Davis family and their guests spend most of the summer months out on the 40-foot wrap-around deck that overlooks the property sloping down to the lake. Constructed of Ipe with stainless steel guard rails, the deck sits 10 feet off the ground. You feel like you're floating out in the trees, says Scott. The 8-foot roof overhang means they can enjoy being outside even during a rain shower.
"We were really impressed with them as a company and the logs they provide," says Scott. "We both definitely have this more natural bent to us as well, so we decided it would be interesting to try to do a modern take on this vernacular form of a log cabin." Scott, an architect, and Pam, an interior designer, worked closely with Pioneer Log Homes and general contractor Brian Luedtke to insure the perfect marriage of old and new. The result is a comfortable-yet-contemporary, log cabin that fits the family to a T.
Form and Function
To celebrate the sloped property with gorgeous views of St. John's Lake, Scott designed a walkout basement and an upper level that appears to be floating amid the many hemlock and birch trees that dot the property. "As you approach the side that faces away from the lake, it seems pretty low and understated. Then as you step in the front door, the whole thing opens up," says Scott. By mixing materials — logs, stone, stainless steel and glass — on the exterior of the home, the Davises achieved a contemporary look with varied textures. An added bonus, the house naturally appears to lighten as the eye is drawn upward.
"We have a stone base to this house, then these big heavy logs, and as you go up we have the metal panels. Then we have this floating roof with the glass between the top log and the roof," says Scott. "It just worked out really nice." The inside of the home is equally reflective of a modern-meets-rustic aesthetic.
An antler chandelier hangs over the upper-level seating area, drawing the eye toward the great room's sloping ceiling. We loved the idea of an elk antler chandelier, but with a modern twist, says Scott. Artisans created the custom chandelier and replaced typical open bulbs with glass cylinders, creating clean lines and a more modern effect.
Quinn's room is a true kid's space. With cheery pastels and butterflies hanging from the ceiling, the Davises wanted the room to be playful with a touch of whimsy.
Classic Sustainably
The couple also wanted to make their vacation home eco-friendly. The hand-peeled and sustainably harvested logs were a start. From there, the Davises installed cork flooring on the upper level and recycled metal on the exterior. The wrap-around deck is Ipe, a sustainably harvested tropical hardwood, and much of the furniture throughout is made from bamboo or other earth-friendly materials. In addition, large windows allow for an abundance of natural light. "During the day we don't have any lights on at all, which is great from a sustainability standpoint, and we haven't changed any light bulbs at all since we've been here," says Scott. The couple also reached out to many Wisconsin vendors to create custom art pieces and design elements, like the custom concrete hearth by Wausau artist H3 Concrete Design, and recycled-metal pendant lights in the kitchen by Woggon, LLC in Shorewood.
Butcher block and soapstone make up the kitchen island and breakfast bar. The cabinets, made of hickory, are stained a deep red to add some modern color. The cabinet panels, faced in mossy yellow birch bark add a textural element to the otherwise sleek surface.
In all, the homeowners, who make it up to the cabin two to three times a month, love everything about their rustic-meets-contemporary retreat. Especially the fact that this design is all their own. "This whole house has been percolating in our minds for some time, whether we knew it or not," says Pam. "This house is a marriage of items we'd [have] loved to use in our previous projects, but either clients' needs or budget wouldn't allow. It was really fun to be able to bring together a lot of cool things we always wanted to use."
The Davises worked hard to design a log cabin with a distinctly modern aesthetic. They accomplished this on the exterior by mixing rustic materials, like Western Red Cedar logs and mossy mountain stone, with the more modern stainless steel of the roof and siding, and glass panes between the sloped roof and log structure.
Home Plan Details:
Square Footage: 3,200
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 3
Log species: western red cedar
Bathroom faucets: Kohler, Kohler, WI (800-456-4537; kohler.com)
Cabinetry; interior doors: Exclusive Millwork, Brookfield, WI (414-975-9661; wisconsinmillwork.com)
Dealer: Pioneer Log Homes Midwest, Grafton, WI (866-255-6148; pioneerloghomesmidwest.com)
Deck; handrails: Midwest Lumber, Stillwater, MN (651-439-5051; midwestlumberinc.com)
Dishwasher; microwave; refrigerator: GE (800-848-7620; geappliances.com)
Exterior doors; windows: MasterCraft Windows & Doors, Kamloops, BC (250-374-4683; mastercraftwindowsdoors.com)
Farm sink: Rohl, Irvine, CA (800-777-9762; rohlhome.com)
Flooring (bathroom, kitchen): PetraSlate, Broomfield, CO (800-373-9595; petraslate.com)
Flooring (great room): Duro Design, Laval, QC (450-978-3403; duro-design.com)
General contractor: Brian Luedtke (715-241-9042)
Hardware; pulls: Rocky Mountain Hardware, Hailey, ID (888-788-2013; rockymountainhardware.com)
Log supplier: Pioneer Log Homes of British Columbia, Williams Lake, BC (877-822-5647; pioneerloghomesofbc.com)
Mantel:Log Style Mantels (logstylemantels.com)
Masonry: Halquist Stone, Sussex, WI (262-246-9000; halquiststone.com)
Oven; range: Dacor, San Francisco, CA (800-793-0093; dacor.com)
Roofing: Kulp's of Stratford, LLC, Stratford, WI (715-687-3368; kulproof.com)
Stain: Timber Pro, Portland, OR (888-888-6095; timberprocoatings.com)
Bathroom faucets: Kohler, Kohler, WI (800-456-4537; kohler.com)
Cabinetry; interior doors: Exclusive Millwork, Brookfield, WI (414-975-9661; wisconsinmillwork.com)
Dealer: Pioneer Log Homes Midwest, Grafton, WI (866-255-6148; pioneerloghomesmidwest.com)
Deck; handrails: Midwest Lumber, Stillwater, MN (651-439-5051; midwestlumberinc.com)
Dishwasher; microwave; refrigerator: GE (800-848-7620; geappliances.com)
Exterior doors; windows: MasterCraft Windows & Doors, Kamloops, BC (250-374-4683; mastercraftwindowsdoors.com)
Farm sink: Rohl, Irvine, CA (800-777-9762; rohlhome.com)
Flooring (bathroom, kitchen): PetraSlate, Broomfield, CO (800-373-9595; petraslate.com)
Flooring (great room): Duro Design, Laval, QC (450-978-3403; duro-design.com)
General contractor: Brian Luedtke (715-241-9042)
Hardware; pulls: Rocky Mountain Hardware, Hailey, ID (888-788-2013; rockymountainhardware.com)
Log supplier: Pioneer Log Homes of British Columbia, Williams Lake, BC (877-822-5647; pioneerloghomesofbc.com)
Mantel: Log Style Mantels (logstylemantels.com)
Masonry: Halquist Stone, Sussex, WI (262-246-9000; halquiststone.com)
Oven; range: Dacor, San Francisco, CA (800-793-0093; dacor.com)
Roofing: Kulp's of Stratford, LLC, Stratford, WI (715-687-3368; kulproof.com)
Stain: Timber Pro, Portland, OR (888-888-6095; timberprocoatings.com)
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