Love at First Sight: Planning a Classic Log Cabin

When the winter weather in Granger Township, Ohio, is frightful, Brandon and Marie Lipchek are inside enjoying the delight of their log home. There’s already a romantic mystique that goes with crafting a house from logs, and it was magnified for the Lipcheks and their two children when they moved in just before Christmas a few years ago. “Our first night in the home was December 22,” says Brandon. “It was great to be here with all the Christmas lights and to gaze around the place and say, ‘Wow, we did it. We’re in.’ Snow blanketed the ground outside, but it was very warm inside, and we built a fire on that first night.”

And since that special night, Brandon and Marie have created countless memories in a home that’s tailor made for their lifestyle and love of entertaining. The couple put a lot of thought into the position and style of their kitchen, creating an open design so Marie didn’t feel segregated from the family while she was prepping meals.

The kitchen is connected to the dining room and great room, so even when Marie is busy whipping up her culinary creations, she can still be a part of any gathering.

“Some people have a view of log homes, especially if they’re not familiar with them, as a dark, dingy one-room space,” says Brandon. But once those same people see a modern log home, everything changes. “Our friends and family can’t believe us how warm, inviting and cozy our house is.” For eight years, the couple researched log homes and collected magazine and book clippings in order to create a floorplan that was just right for them. Even the major furniture purchases they made were geared toward the classic log home they had in mind. Now, Brandon and Marie are so enamored with the log-home lifestyle that conventional stick-built houses have lost their appeal.

“I don’t think we’d go back to a traditional home,” says Marie. “There’s something unique about the warmth of a log home. Once you put so much thought and time into something, it becomes a part of your soul. We simply love this place.”

Home Details:

Square footage: 2,600

Builder: Capron Construction

Log Company: Real Log Homes