Planning a Winter Cabin | Long-Distance Affair | Log Home Living

Log Home Living | by: Kenya McCullum | photography: Heidi Long

Long-Distance Affair:

Long-distance relationships can be tricky. Sure, phone calls and e-mails are fine, but a certain amount of trust and faith is required to make it last. So when Dick and Dody Sheremeta decided to trade in the hustle and bustle of their South Florida lifestyle for a log home located 10 states away in the mountains of Montana, finding The One who could understand their vision was top priority. After all, you don’t just hand over a lifelong dream to anyone. “I guess it’s something we’ve always dreamed about doing,” Dick says. “When I was younger, I spent a lot of time in the Adirondacks—in log homes, of course.”

After a tireless selection process (interviewing builders, visiting log homes, chatting with homeowners – they settled on Centennial Log Homes), the couple found the perfect match for their yearlong labor of love: Covill and Basham Construction of Columbia Falls, Montana. While building a home thousands of miles away seemed daunting at first, the Sheremetas concede that it wasn’t nearly as difficult as it sounds. They relied on the old standbys—frequent phone calls and e-mails—to track their home’s progress. They also took a few trips out West for in-person visits to hammer out details like choosing light fixtures and cabinets and determining where furniture would go in each room.

Detailed planning was another reason the building process went so smoothly. Dick and Dody spent years researching log homes. In addition to poring over books and magazines, they also took an active role in the layout of their floorplan. “There’s a purpose for every room, and there’s no room we spend more or less time in—it all gets used,” says Dody.

The deft 4,500-square-foot design includes a loft attached to the foyer, two decks designed to accommodate a future hot tub, and a large master bedroom with a built-in bookcase and a fireplace. They also installed a whole-house sound system, smart lighting that can be programmed to control every fixture in the house, and windows that are strategically placed to take advantage of the area’s natural light. “It’s our dream home, and we love every feature in it,” Dick says. They also love their revamped lifestyle, which is a complete turnaround from the cacophony of their old existence. Instead of the buzzing city, they’ve sunk into their 10-acre mountain nest with their new puppy—and a new outlook on life.

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