Finding Home in this New Hampshire Log Cabin

This New Hampshire cabin is too good for its owners to keep for themselves, so they decided to share it with the world.

Photos courtesy of Rob Reardon.

Written by Rob Reardon

It was our dream to build a log home in New Hampshire, and we searched all over to find the perfect spot. When we first walked this 3.5-acre lot overlooking sparkling, spring-fed Newfound Lake (said to be one of the cleanest bodies of water in the country), it was love at first sight. During our first walk of the property, a bald eagle flew over our heads. This is where the name Eagle Ridge Log Home came from.

Ironically, our dream retreat is by Wisconsin-based Golden Eagle Log Homes and built by local builder Matt Clarke. When designing it, we wanted to maximize the amazing views of the water and the surrounding mountains from both inside and outside. We considered every aspect, including vantage points of the sunrise and sunset and their relation to each window in every room. This is why we chose to build a fireplace flanked by a beautiful wall of windows.

We tweaked many parts of Golden Eagle’s design to customize this home to fit our needs. With retirement in mind, we wanted a modestly sized layout, which ended up at 1,562 square feet, but because of the cathedral ceilings, the house feels much bigger than it really is. We wanted guests to feel at home the minute they walked in, so once you step through the front door, you’re immersed in a luxurious great room and kitchen with outstanding views of the mountains and lake below. We also relocated the master bedroom to the first floor, with easy access to our washer and dryer. The second floor has two bedrooms, a full bathroom and a spacious loft.

A few of our other must-haves were adding a screened-in porch for relaxing, eating meals or taking an afternoon nap on the futon, as well as a garage to keep our cars out of the snowy New England winters.

To further capture that comfortable log home feeling, little details have been thoughtfully placed throughout the decor. These include beautiful lamps and lighting, rustic knobs, moose and bear embossed cutlery and exquisite wood furniture.

Eagle Ridge Log Home is truly a one-of-a-kind log retreat. We love this place so much, we decided we needed to share it with the world.