A Carolina Getaway Refreshes a Florida Family

Dan and Rhonda Robbie built the house that proves you can get away from it all. Almost a mile up in the mountains of North Carolina, the 5,200-square-foot timber-frame retreat has quickly become their home away from home.

Their 12-acre parcel of rugged mountain land allows plenty of room for Dan, Rhonda, children Austin and Erica, and their two black Labs, Kelsey and Calvin. Since finishing the house in 1996, the family has made a concentrated effort to spend every spare minute at their getaway. They think nothing of packing up the entire clan and driving eighteen hours from their everyday home in Florida, even just to spend a few days in their very special mountain retreat.

The Robbies took the first step toward making their dream getaway a reality in 1995, when they started to design the house with their builder, Mark Kirkpatrick, president of Mountain Construction Enterprises of Boone, North Carolina. A builder of custom homes since 1981, Mark is a dealer for Hearthstone, Inc., which produces log and timber frame homes in Dandridge, Tennessee.

“We wanted a custom-designed house with the best craftsmanship available,” Dan recalls. “Although Rhonda and I had a pretty good idea of the floor plan we wanted, our major challenge was siting the structure. The ideal building location was on three sides. But we wanted this view because from here, we face three major mountains: Grandfather Mountain, Beech Mountain and Sugar Mountain. There are ski resorts on those slopes, and at night they’re all lit up. It’s a spectacular view.”

Situated up the steep and winding road that threads through the woods, the house looms dramatically against the backdrop of the mountainous terrain. With wooded trails to the left and right, the vista of the mountains comes into view sweeping 180 degrees around the back end of the house.

The interior is almost as dramatic as the outside view. Floor-to-ceiling windows, wood inside and clad outside, located at the far end of the living room bring the mountains into view the minute you step inside. Rhonda, who is a talented decorator, wanted the house to appear simple and uncluttered. She included local art and antique objects acquired from the many shops in the mountain towns of North Carolina. “I would describe the look of this house as Western and rustic, as opposed to Southwestern, which reminds me of peachy colors,” she explains. “We felt that the neutral tones in the great room heighten the beauty of the wood.”

Rhonda and Dan agree that their favorite room in the house is the kitchen. With the breakfast bar that separates that room form the more formal dining room, it is the hub of family “hang out time.”

The Robbies especially enjoy their getaway because the have full, busy lives. The house in the mountains gives the family a place to spread out, relax and spend time together. Dan, Rhonda and Mark’s shared goal was to build the finest custom home possible. They are satisfied they have done exactly that, creating the perfect place for a young, active family. The home is every bit as comfortable to live in as it is magnificent to look at. And such a delight that the Robbies agree, nothing could be finer that to be in Carolina.

Story and Photos by Franklin and Esther Schmidt

Reprinted from Timber Homes Illustrated

How Are Log Homes Built Today?

If your vision of a log home is the usual depiction of Abraham Lincoln's boyhood home, or the label illustration on a famous pancake syrup bottle, then wait until you see what today's log home builders are up to. With technological advances in craftsmanship and building materials, and meeting the needs and demands of the marketplace, log homes today look nothing like their great ancestors. The log home industry has grown rapidly as consumers discover their advantages and flexibility, plus every creature comfort they desire can be incorporated into a magnificent luxury log home.

In addition log homes are among the most energy efficient housing styles on the market. A log home is more than 30% more efficient than any other form of home construction, according to a U.S Government agency report. Today's log homes are airtight and weather resistant, and with the log's ability to absorb and slowly release heat, the weather does not enter the home, keeping it comfortable and using less energy to maintain temperature control than wood frame homes.

The new log home is not necessarily just a log home anymore. There are many ways today's builders are constructing their log homes. Many builders are calling them "Hybrids".

A new gated community in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, The Ridges at Tellico Lake will be an exclusive log and timber home community. The homes are hybrids, a combination of materials that allow for much more design flexibilty and beauty for the homeowner. Utilizing customized timber frame trusses with milled log walls, and stone for architectural accents these homes can range in size up to 5,000 square feet of luxury living space. After the buyer selects his Smoky Mountain homesite, they will select their builder, which will be approved by the design board, The home will be customized to meet every need of the homebuyer, just as they would if it were of wood frame construction.

For more information about The Ridges at Tellico Lake visit www.theridgesattellicolake.com
or call 239-253-2332.

Log Home Living

Dreaming of a log or timber home? The Log and Timber Home Show is coming to Tampa, FL on November 16 – 18 at the Tampa Convention Center. You don't have to trek across the country to speak one-on-one with leading log and timber providers because they're all under one roof! And if you’re looking for a leading mountain builder and realtor of log homes, look no further. Cedar Log Homes of Kingsport, Tennessee has been building dream homes for over 30 years! With over 50 stock plans available, you are sure to find the perfect log home.

DIY Network’s Blog Cabin

Blog Cabin is DIY Network’s newest hit series, featuring popular expert hosts who pitch in to bring the Kinzel Springs retreat to life. Watch them build the cabin one blog at a time.

From February until early April, 2007, DIY Network.com invited visitors to vote each day on 13 design areas for a future cabin to be built in the Great Smoky Mountains. Thousands decided on such areas as the floor plan, roof, countertops, even the front door. Don’t miss a minute of the entire Blog Cabin television series, airing Thursdays at 9 pm on DIY.