When It Rains, It Pours: Utah Log Home

When Mark and Debra Jennings first built their log home in Park City, UT, they expected it to be a place where they would spend an occasional weekend, sometimes with guest in tow, away from their primary residence on the California coast.

Not content to limit their love of Native American culture to the interiors of the home, Mark and Debra Jennings erected multiple tepees on their land. Western-style fencing sets the boundaries around the perimeter, while a log gateway at the entrance hints at what is to come.

It wasn’t long, though, before they were at the cabin for month-long stretches and had visitors in abundance.

“I guess we liked it a little more than we expected,” chuckled Mark.

As a result, the couple decided to add a guest house just behind the main cabin.

Banisters along the stairway and loft in the guesthouse are formed from scrub oak cleared from the property during construction. "We wanted the interiors of the home to mimic the surrounding environment as much as possible," explains Debra.

To promote a sense of continuity between the structures, they designed it to be nearly identical to the main house—using 6-by-12-inch hand-hewn eastern white pine logs with half-dovetailed corners and a thick line of chinking—but on a smaller scale.

The Jennings’ visitors find all of the comforts of the main cabin, including two fireplaces, vaulted ceilings, a gourmet kitchen and a large deck, with the added benefit of privacy in the 838-square-foot, two-level guest space.

The couple’s plans to expand did not stop at the guest house, however. Adopting the philosophy “You can’t have too much of a good thing,” the Jennings are currently moving forward with plans to add a 1,200-square-foot master retreat onto the main house.

“It will just give us one more excuse to get away up there,” laughs Mark.

Home Plan Details:
Square Footage: 838
Bedrooms: 1
Bathrooms: 1.5
Log producer: Hearthstone Log Homes
Log species: Eastern White Pine