A Mountainside Log Home in Montana

The 3,000-square-foot log structure was only about 14 years old but had significant design flaws. A circular staircase took up most of the living room floor area, for example. The lower level was spacious but unusable. The entry was cramped and inconveniently located. Worst of all, as far as Bick and Bonnie were concerned, the horizontal tie beam of the trusses supporting the vast, peaked living room ceiling crossed the room at a height of about 8 feet, marring the sensational views. "The beauty of the land convinced us to buy," says Bick, noting they wanted a house worthy of its setting but that log houses are reputedly hard to remodel. "The milled-log construction here did make it easier," he adds. "Fortunately, the company that designed the house came to our assistance." "It's not unusual for us to re-work old houses we first built," says Bryan Kerby of Northwoods Log Homes of La Porte, Minnesota.

The key, he says, is a proprietary system his grandfather developed during the 1950s. "It allows us to mill even very long logs with precision, so that new logs can be fitted into old construction. We sand and finish our logs to match the old ones perfectly." Addressing Bick and Bonnie's objections to the existing building, Bryan began by cutting out part of the beam that blocked the view and replaced it with a section of black steel rod. Then he added structural log work higher up. "It is now stronger than before," he says. Crediting the couple for having some definite ideas about the renovation, Bryan points out, "Working with Bick made us do new things, and we've grown as a result." "Bick had the vision," Bonnie agrees. "I'm less able to imagine changes beforehand."

"This house had all the parts and pieces of a good house but not in the right places," he says. "The interior was fragmented. It wasn't laid out very well. The art of remodeling is to match the existing but not make it look like a tack-on." Jon designed a better entry, a new staircase to replace the circular stairs in the living room, and a new-look lower level that includes a home office for Bick and a bedroom for the Smiths' teenage son, Bentley.

Bonnie's office is upstairs, in a small loft under the skylights. "Bonnie needs sunshine—another reason to be up here," Bick says. "We often see clouds below us, while up this high we're enjoying sun." The drama of their mountaintop setting doesn't rule out homey comfort. Swagged plaid fabric softens the windows surrounding the octagonal dining room, for instance. The living room furniture is grouped around the fireplace to promote conversation. A Hudson Bay blanket from Bick's grandfather drapes the guest bed.

Home Plan Details:

Square Footage: 3,000
Log Company: Northwoods Log Homes