This home is part of our "Best of the Best" contest for 2019.
Home and Photos Courtesy of Modern Rustic Homes
Sometimes, in order to understand the reasons behind a successful home, you have to start from the bottom rather than the top. Such is the case with this charming hybrid house, located an hour outside of Atlanta.
The owners are Georgia transplants from Chicago, and their continued passion for the Windy City’s sports teams, along with a love of family game night, was the driving force behind one of the most important spaces in the home — the expansive (and totally tricked out) game room. Originally intended to be nothing more than mechanical space, the couple seized the opportunity to finish the lower level as a rec room that holds everything from their collection of memorabilia to billiards and shuffleboard tables.
Converting the basement, or “terrace level” as they refer to it, into livable space increased the home’s square footage substantially, but despite the fact that it’s 5,456 square feet, with more than 2,000 square feet of porches and decks, the house retains a cozy feel that belies its generous size.
“This is a perfect example of how a site can drive the footprint of a house,” explains Michael Grant, whose company, Modern Rustic Homes was behind the design and construction. “We took advantage of the slope of the lot to create terraced spaces that gave us great daylighting abilities.”
The central core of the hybrid is comprised of 12-inch-square, hand-hewn white pine logs. The exterior stain is Sikkens “Butternut,” a golden-brown shade that plays well off the soft moss greens of the board-and-batt and shake-shingle siding. Inside, the logs are finished with Sherwin Williams’ Woodscapes stain in “Chestnut,” which has a light pigment that enhances the grain in a very natural way.
Design-wise, the log portion of the house contains the living room and kitchen, which, aside from the all-important game room, serve as the heart of this home. The main level also contains the master suite and a guest bedroom and bath, while two more guest quarters are located in the terrace level. With four bedrooms and baths, there’s plenty of space to accommodate short- or long-term company.
The couple was keen to create a space that their grown sons would ache to visit, so in addition to the game room, four wonderful porches (two with wood-burning fireplaces) were added to both the terrace and main levels of the home, creating a full-time home that truly feels like a retreat. Mission accomplished.
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