 When you
think "log home" visions of quaint prairie buildings usually come to
mind. Those homes of yesteryear were certainly secure and substantial,
but they were dark and lumpy looking…definitely not welcoming. The log
homes of the 21st century are anything but dark and the streaming
sunlight that is one of the premier features of these homes helps to
showcase the creativity and ingenuity of the builders and planners.
Linda and Deane Guy's new log home in St. Mary's County is lovely and
elegant with clean open lines and rooms that offer beautiful views of
the property. This spacious home is a superb combination of a
comfortable and sophisticated design created for modern living.
From the moment you walk up to the wide front porch and catch sight of
the carved blue heron door with a cattail door handle, you're eager to
see what surprises lie beyond. When you see the Jack Daniels Bourbon
cask fashioned into a sink for a powder room off the kitchen, you
realize that the homeowner and the builder were looking to leave their
own mark on the design of this home. This is definitely a home that
reflects the owner's sense of style and art.
The first floor is an open plan with the kitchen situated directly next
to the dining area. The unusual hand-carved dining table makes the
dining area, which looks out to the living room, all the more intimate
and family-oriented. The living room has a two-story stone fireplace
facing equally tall windows looking out onto a pond. A master bedroom,
walk-in closets and huge master bath complete the other half of the
first floor. A 14-foot wide deck wraps around all of this.
On the landing going to the second floor is an intricate wooden inlay
done in various woods in a free form design by one of the men who built
the Guy's home. This is typical of the custom work done by Alpine
Builders along with carved window casements and carved window frames.
There are no window treatments in the home except for shutters in the
baths to provide privacy. It really would be a crime to cover up these
window casements with curtains.
The second floor serves as a home office for Deane Guy Masonry, and
includes a guest bath and guest room. There are lovely views of the
property and the pond from all the rooms on the second floor as well.
On the ground floor is Linda's office, a cozy family room with
fireplace, laundry room and trophy room. Yes, a trophy room. Deane Guy,
otherwise known as "44" has been racing stock cars for nearly 30 years
and has a substantial record of wins. He and his pit crew are
well-respected icons of the Potomac Speedway. In 1993, Walt Harrington
of the "Washington Post Magazine" wrote of Deane Guy, "Deane and the
boys offer a practical and moral primer for what everyone would claim to
value-excellence for the sake of excellence."
It makes perfect sense that Tonya and J.F. Williams, Deane and Linda's
daughter and son-in-law, also decided to have a log home built for
themselves. After looking at the plans for Linda and Deane's house and
talking to the builders, they, too, decided that this was the kind of
home they would like to have built. Designed to fit their lifestyle, the
log home of Tonya and J.F. is smaller and less elaborate, but still has
all of the custom window carvings and special touches such as black
walnut wainscoting in the dining area and glazed horseshoes in the front
porch cement.
Nestled in the back of the property, the front of the home welcomes you
with a screened-in front porch, which looks onto a pasture and
soon-to-be barn. Tonya and J.F. are animal lovers who take great
pleasure in their two horses, a pot bellied pig called "Arnold," a duck
named "Daffy," a Canadian goose, eight cats, three chickens, two dogs,
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree…just kidding.
Entering the front door you really feel as though you have come upon a
wonderful little cabin somewhere in the woods. A beautiful stone
fireplace reaches to the ceiling and provides an interesting
counterpoint to the loft sitting area.
Upstairs contains the master bedroom, master bathroom and closets. On
the main floor is the living room, custom kitchen and dining area. The
kitchen and dining area are separated by a bar behind the stove made of
cedar from an ancient log on J.F.'s grandmother's property.
Throughout the home are reminders of family. A closet on the first floor
is lined in knotty pine from J.F.'s grandmother's house, and the dining
room table was Tonya's parent's first dining table. Deane Guy did the
floors in the mudroom and basement with stamped concrete; A specialty of
Deane's, the floor looks like flagstone.
Sophisticated in its brisk simplicity, Tonya and J.F.'s home is all that
a home can be. It gives solace and comfort to its owners and guests. It
is beautifully built and will last many lifetimes. The Guys and Williams
families have a common interest in land and architecture…moreover they
have a mutual desire to have things well built and beautiful. |
