Written Transcript of Log Home Living Article:
Endless Possibilities
Wisconsin couple thinks small and hits it big in their log home.
When Terry and Lynne Gustavson originally began thinking
about the infinite possibilities of a Norwegian pine log home in Mercer, Wisconsin,
they couldn't contain themselves.
"We were living about 300 miles south in a 4,000 square-foot,
brick and stucco house in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, which was getting too urban
and populated for us," Terry says. "With all the stoplights and speed
limits, we just knew we had to move."
Since 1985, the Gustavsons had vacationed in Mercer at
what's now their cedar guest cottage on 22 acres near the Turtle Flambeau
Flowage. Terry had bought the property for his kids, so they could all
go hunting and fishing together.
With Kelly and Karl now grown, Terry, an insurance agent,
and Lynne, and apartment building manager, were nearing semi-retirement.
"We'd always loved the peace and quiet in Mercer," Terry
says. "Finally, one night, we knew that nothing was really keeping us
in Lake Geneva anymore."
Terry and Lynne meticulously drew on a napkin what later
became their 1,882 square-foot floorplan, which they gave to their Hiawatha
Log Homes' dealer, Jeff Visner, owner of Design/Build by Visner in Conover,
Wisconsin, to finalize. Working together, the group underwent a process
of elimination, reducing the plan's overall dimensions.
"We thought about all the homes we'd lived in over the
years," Terry says, "what areas we seldom used and those we used most often
for our family. Whatever the occasion - Thanksgiving or Christmas -
it seemed like we were always gathering together in the kitchen."
"We never had someplace where we could all talk and yet
not get in each other's way while we were cooking," Lynne says. "We
also wanted to showcase the antiques handed down from our parents and grandparents."
The Gustavsons knew that they could do without a formal
dining room, foyer, and front living room. Instead, their great room
could be converted into a den for Super Bowl parties, and a screened-in porch
would become a combination breakfast nook.
The Gustavsons' final blueprint needed to be compatible
with their site, which features 140-foot towering white pines and a forest
of maple, poplar, and birch trees. Lynne particularly liked to watch
the deer, otters beaver, skunks, badgers, porcupines, and even an occasional
black bear from her windows.
"I looked for the path of views from every angle, as well
as the natrual lighting that was evident," Jeff says. "Ideally, the
morning sun should rise near the kitchen and dining rooms to the east. The
garage shound be facing north, because the coldest winds blow from that direction.
The Norwegian red pine logs were ordered in 10-inch diameter
from the manufacturer, Hiawatha Log Homes, in Munising, Michigan. A
sealant was pre-applied, and the Gustavsons selected a "sunlight" color stain.
If they had gone with an Old-World style instead of modern
architecture, they would have bought darker base logs. "The character
of the house would have then looked more Adirondack," Jeff says. "But
the lighter pine gives it a feeling of space on the inside." And, as
Terry notes, wood tends to darken with age.
The Gustavsons also decided to varnish their timbers with
the clear undercoat and stain two years after construction. They'll
have to repeat that procedure twice during the next 10 years, and every decade
thereafter.
Through a Swedish cope method of assembly, the Norwegian
pine logs rest on one another with a tongue-and-groove fit. The logs
are kiln-dried, so they will then settle an average of 1/2 inch per every
9 feet, as opposed to every 7 inches under another method.
"I've built hand-peeled and shaped log homes," Jeff says.
"But I like a milled package the best, since I think it is less work
for the homeowner."
Jeff installed jacks underneath the floor, which can be
adjusted as needed.
Terry and Lynne wanted asphalt shingles, which are textured
to resist mold and mildew.
"We've done it all - slate, concrete, tile," Jeff says.
"A metal roof is not for everybody with a log home, especially in Wisconsin.
With metal, we usually have to install snow spikes, because in the winter
the ice slides off just like an avalanche."
The ceiling has aspen paneling, and the interior trim is
pine. Terry and Lynne alternated between two wall surfaces for a little
visual relief.
"Some are drywall, and some are paneling," Jeff says. "Most
owners prefer a mixture of both for variety."
The owners seized the opportunity to contribute to the
home building process. "Terry and Lynne wanted to do much of the interior
themselves, such as the utilities," Jeff says. "They had friends, neighbors
and relatives to assist them."
The spacious, galley kitchen was completed in pine, with
matching cabinets bought through Jeff, a certified kitchen designer for 12
years.
The cabinets blend perfectly with the island, which gives
the appearance of a half-buffet because of its clear-paned glass doors. The
Gustavsons opted for durable granite counters, both in the kitchen and master
bath.
Because the Gustavsons were doing a lot of the work themselves,
Lynne became an avid bargain-hunter. She bought two porcelain lighting
fixtures for the kitchen and dining area from a renovator's supply house.
In a move designed for convenience, Lynne made a horizontal
laundry chute for the master bathroom.
"I took the back panels off two identical hampers, and
we cut about a 2 1/2 foot hole in the wall between them." she says.
"We just throw our dirty clothes into the linen closet, and they fall
through to the other side where we can then easily wash them."
Lynne also painted the outside of a discarded clawfoot
tub they bought for $50, and had it re-enameled for $300 for the guest bath.
Terry installed a $35 tank and a $50 toilet he got from another salvage
shop. Then, he refinished and inlaid a sink into a kitchen cabinet that
once belonged to his grandmother.
And that wasn't the only heirloom that the family put to
use. The Gustavsons also had preserved a trunk for their master bedroom,
which Terry's grandmother had filled with "everything she owned" from Sweden
when she immigrated to America around 1910. That cherished family heirloom
rests at the end of their quilt-covered log bed.
For her next generation, Lynne has a loft that doubles
as the recreation room, where here eight nieces and nephews like to spend
their time watching movies or playing games. She also reads books there,
when she isn't making crafts.
"It's really nothing more than an exposed attic," Terry
says, "but it's our second level. We used it about half the time for
personal chores and the other half for business."
The Gustavsons' offices are located there, with two desks
for his-and-hers paperwork.
Terry modified the home's original design, and he now recognizes
the importance of being flexible. "We wanted more head room for the
upstairs, along with light from outside," he says. "So I added a dormer
for just $3,600, and it really sets the roofline apart."
Lynne even has two bonus rooms above the two-car, 650 square-foot
garage. She's had not trouble finding good use for these spaces: That's
where she pursues her hobbies and displays her Winnie the Pooh collectibles.
As for the effect of incorporating such space, Jeff took
care of that with relative ease. "We added a truss over the garage to
carry that extra weight, especially since the Gustavsons don't have a full
basement," Jeff says.
Since that decisive night, the Gustavsons have no regrets
about scaling down their lives. They now have time to go fishing in
their pontoon boat from their own dock.
The move has allowed them to enjoy the simpler things in
life, a trade that they find is truly priceless.
By Patricia Bates, Log Home Living magazine