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3 Just above the Osage River in the Lake of the Ozarks area of Missouri, a soaring prow juts out from Sandy and Larry Hill s wooden deck. Look carefully and you can spot a blue heron, says Larry pointing to a thicket of oaks. It s not at all uncommon to see a variety of wildlife in the hills. That s part of the draw that the Hills have come to cherish about living deep in Missouri. The other part was construction of their log home. The Hills, who had lived in the area for several years, found six acres beneath a limestone bluff in the Ozarks. I think we both thought the same thing when we saw the property: This was the ideal spot for our future home, says Sandy. The Hills had already researched log home building through their previous experience with two resort cabins. That gave us somewhat of a reference point. We knew we wanted at least 3 bedrooms, 2½ baths, a loft for Larry s office, and few if any hallways, Sandy says. Though they considered other companies, Gastineau Log Homes was located about 70 miles RIGHT: The slope of the land presented Larry and his building crew with some issues. The team had to grade and bolster the incline for the garage and daylight basement. As a result, the basement has a 10-inch-thick foundation. BELOW: With a slight elevation, the Hills decided to add a wraparound deck after the home was finished. We decided to build in a bench, then later found this wooden table, Larry says. Eventually, we ll add a roof over the west side for more shade. 60 Country's Best Floor Plan & Design Guide 2007

4 from the Lake of the Ozarks, which made it an easy jaunt to study the company s model homes. I remember looking through their plans, thinking how much we liked the oak logs, and specifically the 2,700 square-foot Caroline model, Larry says. We sat down with their designers and modified the plans on this specific model by adding a flat ceiling in the kitchen and French doors in the great room and master bedroom, among other changes. Our redesign took six months but it was worth the time, as was the seminar we participated in since I would be the general contractor on the project. Working with Gastineau sales representative Phil Smith, the Hills modified the 2,700-square-foot Caroline model to accommodate three factors: a loft for Larry s office, a brighter interior by adding first-floor windows, and separation of the kitchen from the great room with an island. Since there was no loft in the original floor plan, the Hills extended the shed dormer on the second floor up to the peak of the roof. This provided room for the loft to be built over the kitchen, adding approximately 240 square feet to the second story, notes Gastineau designer Megan Haas. In the original plans, the prow was designed with two trapezoid windows above a pair of casement windows. The front door was adjacent on the east log wall. By replacing casement windows with two sets of French doors on the prow and relocating the door to the north kitchen wall, the Hills increased the view, got access to the deck, and allowed more light into the great room. The move also provided a solid wall from the stairway to the prow for the Hill s furnishings. Two double windows were built flanking the fireplace where none had previously existed. This brightened the great room considerably, says Sandy. The original plan had a sliding door in the kitchen with a countertop and no island. The Hills replaced the slider with the door that was removed from the great room wall and built an island between the kitchen and great room. loghomesnetwork.com 61

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6 WHAT S INVOLVED WHEN CHANGING A STANDARD PLAN? By Lynn Gastineau, Gastineau Log Homes Making modifi cations to standard fl oor plans is common. A lot of people fi nd a fl oor plan that they like, but it s not quite right and they want to make changes. Sometimes, those changes are quite signifi cant and you cannot even see the original design. Sometimes they re minor, like adding a dormer or reversing the plan or adding a garage. Some folks even take the fl oor plan of one home and the exterior of another, and we meld the two together. Over the 30 years that we have been in business, one of the problems we have seen is that people rush the design stage they don t allow themselves enough time to study the plans. This leads to changes made during the construction phase, which is much more expensive. If the modifi cations to a standard plan are signifi cant, or if someone is building a custom plan, we typically use a Preliminary Design agreement to make the changes or draw the plans for the customer prior to them signing a purchase agreement for their log home. This allows them to see the home (exterior and fl oor plans) and to get a fi rm price quotation for their modifi cations before having to make a down payment on the package. For typically about $1,200, we will redraw the plan to their specifi cations. For this price, they are allowed the original design plus two subsequent sets of revisions to the plans. Each time, they will receive full-size blueprint elevations (a perspective and one additional view) and fl oor plans of the living space. The fl oor plans are to scale so they can determine furniture placement, cabinet layouts, window sizes, etc. With each revision, they receive a fi rm price quotation for the log home package. This price is effective for up to six months. These preliminaries should allow them to obtain fi nancing and building costs. The next step is to purchase the package and have the complete working blueprints completed. If they decide to build, the $1,200 preliminary plan fee is deducted from the cost of their package. They are not obligated any further if they choose not to build but the cost is not refundable. Should someone have only minor changes to their plan or if they re on a shorter building schedule, we recommend that they go directly to a purchase agreement. They still have the option of making changes, but the process can be shortened. loghomesnetwork.com 63

7 In the kitchen the Hills decided on hickory cabinets instead of oak because we liked the contrast between the two wood species, Sandy says. The Hills enjoy sitting by the wood-burning fireplace that heats the main level and most of the upstairs, which is at least 18 feet from hearth to the secondfloor landing. The south-facing bank of windows in the great room provides a great deal of insulation and radiate quite a bit of passive solar heat. There s still work to be done on the walkout basement that will add additional space. Finishing the porch took priority not too long after construction on the home wrapped. We love sitting out watching the hummingbirds, Sandy says. It s always a treat to see all of the wildlife that flits in and out of the woods. The Hills provide a great example of adjusting a floor plan to fit their surroundings and needs. RESOURCES SQUARE FOOTAGE: 2,086 (3,158 with decks, porches, and balconies) BEDROOMS: 3 BATHROOMS: 2.5 PRODUCER: Gastineau Log Homes, New Bloomfi eld, MO (circle 49 on the reader service card between pages for free information) PLAN NAME: Caroline OPPOSITE ABOVE: The original Caroline model did not include a loft. With addition of a second-story dormer, a 240-squarefoot loft was built above the kitchen. OPPOSITE BELOW: Adjoining the master bedroom is the bath with a whirlpool tub. BELOW: The Hills spent six months modifying an existing plan, the Caroline, to meet their specifications. 64 Country's Best Floor Plan & Design Guide 2007

8 PORCH KITCHEN LAUNDRY BATH CLOSET BATH DECK MASTER BEDROOM GREAT ROOM PORCH DECK DECK Main Level LOFT BATH BEDROOM CLOSET CLOSET BEDROOM See more pictures of this home in our online Home Tours section! OPEN TO BELOW BALCONY Upper Level loghomesnetwork.com 65