For their first Christmas in their new log home, Tom and Lynda Clement decided to do something different. "I thought that the traditional Christmas red and green would work in the decorating scheme of the house," says Lynda. "But the usual Christmas red is too orange. This house needs more of an earthy brown-red, which is tough to find during the holidays. So, for our first Christmas, silver, gold, and white seemed the best choices. I especially like the juxtaposition of the silver and gold with the roughness of the wood."

That the Clements are in a log home at all is something of a story in itself. After summering for a number of seasons on Lake Michigan near the town of Holland, the couple, with their two daughters, decided to live full-time in their vacation cottage. But the 200-mile commute to Tom's business in Ohio became burdensome, and he decided to search for a business nearer home.

At the same time, he and Lynda determined they would do something about their living accommodations. For a family of four, life in a 1,200-square-foot cottage was just too close for comfort. They already had drawings in hand for a cedar Shingle-style house when Tom purchased Holland Log Homes. Rather than give up on those plans, the Clements hired Grand Rapids architect Chuck Postumus to adapt them for a log home while maintaining their original vision. This meant incorporating such elements as eyebrow and round windows, a flared skirting for the second-floor dormers, transoms, a stone foundation, and a cupola over the garage.

"We didn't want to wander too far from the architectural elements that are so indicative of the Shingle style," says Lynda. "Also, we have plenty of dark November days in Michigan, and we wanted a lighter house." Adds Tom: "We feel that one can depart from the more typical dark log home and move toward a more progressive and innovative use of logs. You don't have to go all out and start all over. You can bring your antiques and traditional upholstered pieces and adapt a log home to your style."

While Tom's isn't the only company trying to redefine the log-home style, the Clements' house proves it can be done. The lodge-style home combines stone, logs, and cedar shakes on the exterior and logs, stone, and plaster inside, giving the impression first and foremost that it is a great house — one that happens to include logs in the mix of building materials.

The 3,950-square-foot house differs most from the typical log home on the inside, where the design is light and airy. Lynda and her friend Kelly Hutchinson, an interior designer, stuck to a pale, monochromatic scheme throughout the house. "With the open floor plan, we see and pass from one room to the next, so it was important that the color scheme also flow throughout the house," Lynda says. Unlike in many log homes, a number of the interior walls are plaster rather than wood. And to tone down the visual effect of the log walls that are exposed, Lynda used an opaque stain to cover the wood grain and knots. On the other hand, to get the look of an older house, the Clements chose a lesser grade of white oak for the floors because there they wanted the knots and imperfections to show.

With the exception of the master suite, the first floor is almost entirely open. The great-room, the dining room, the kitchen, and a small study are one flowing space. Anchoring the 2 1/2-story 322-square-foot great-room is a large-scale fireplace that's covered with manufactured "river rock." Perpendicular to the fireplace is a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows with a view to the woods. A drop in ceiling height to create a more intimate space without sacrificing openness defines the dining area. It, too, has large windows looking out to the woods and topped by transoms. The dining room also serves as a pass-through to the U-shaped kitchen and pantry. The study is on the other side of the kitchen.

The kitchen itself is a cheery, bright space, painted a creamy eggshell white and dotted with the warm wood tones of a few well-chosen antiques, including an English plate rack and an old flour bin that has been converted into a rolling island. Decorative beadboard salvaged from the original cottage is used under the honed black granite countertop. To get more of a hearth feeling around the cooktop, Lynda had it installed 4 inches lower than the counter, which also makes it a little more accessible. A slightly hidden butler's pantry is a perfect place from which to serve parties and hide dirty dishes from guests.

The master suite is at the opposite end of the house. This private retreat is entered through a door from the great-room. The suite includes a cozy aspen-paneled sitting room, a dressing room, a bath, a walk-in closet, the bedroom, and a private screened porch. Cathedral ceilings in the sitting room and bedroom lend a gracious proportion to the rooms — not at all what you'd expect to find in a log home. But then, that's the point.

Credits

Text: Eliot Nusbaum

Photography: Jenifer Jordan

Architect: Chuck Postumus

Regional Editor: Amy Muzzy Malin