When most people think about building with logs or timbers, they envision a full house with several bedrooms, adjoining baths and the standard living/kitchen/dining great room. But logs and timber frames have many other applications than primary residences or even vacation cabins. Sometimes, all you need is a private sanctuary right in your own back yard.
The projects we examine here are exactly that — escapes from everyday life. Call them outbuildings, accessory dwelling units, man caves, she-sheds or any of the other monikers these structures have taken on over the years, these buildings are at once unique and united: They all showcase the creativity of log and timber frame design and construction.
The Paschke Pool House
Designed as a backyard playground where a busy couple and their family can escape the stress of daily life, the recreation compound consists of an in-ground pool, a hot tub, a tennis court and the centerpiece: the timber framed pool/guesthouse.
The owners had an architect friend design the building and came with plans in hand to Johnny Miller, owner of Ohio-based OakBridge Timber Framing to craft the impressive wood frame. “It’s only 200 feet from their residence, which is conventional construction,” says Johnny. “So, for the pool house, they wanted something special — a place where they could feel they were ‘away’ without leaving home.”
The frame consists of striking Douglas fir timbers, with a massive 12-by-24-inch ridge beam, which, according to Johnny, does all the heavy lifting in terms of carrying the structure’s load. The interior truss work is king-post style, but it’s very widely set to allow for a more spacious, open interior. “The rafters of the ‘truss’ actually act as braces for the ridge beam more than as a traditional truss that would distribute the load,” Johnny says.
Outside, a king-post truss was, again, customized. This time, the bottom chord is angled downward. “This was an aesthetic feature the clients wanted,” Johnny explains. “There was a massive amount of beams coming across, and they were looking for a little more height in the center, so we angled it.” The modification called for the use of an exposed metal plate (an element not found in traditional timber framing) to structurally support the truss, but fortunately, the clients requested a slight industrial vibe to the structure, so the plate fulfills two purposes: it supports the design while it gives a bit of an edge to a time-honored way to build.
The Latsko Man Cave
“The building is only about 150 feet from the owner’s house, but it was way up on a hill!” exclaims Bruce Bode, owner of Heavy Timber Truss and Frame — the timber crafter behind the project. “We built everything down on flatter ground and used a monstrous crane to get the timber bents up to the site.” Once up there, the ground was terraced using mammoth boulders.
Inside boasts a wide-open space. The centerpiece is a professional-grade bar topped by a prismatic-black granite slab with a chiseled edge. Seated at the bar is the man cave’s own permanent barfly — a carved-wood guest who greets everyone who joins him with a raised pint in hand. Even the half-bath continues the tavern theme — the sink is crafted from an old whiskey barrel and the urinal is a converted keg.
The owner loves sports and is an avid golfer, so in addition to the bar, the hangout boasts a full-scale golf simulator inside as well as a putting green outside. The extensive use of glass in the structure blurs the lines between interior and exterior.
Beautiful building materials aside, it’s clear that this place was built to have a good time all the time. “It’s totally designed for recreation,” Bruce says. “It’s a place to kick back and have a really great party.”
The Manly Woodshop
The 3,108-square-foot barn-style building is framed with white oak timbers crafted into a unique hammerbeam/king-post-with-struts combination truss system. At the end of each vertical truss member is an embellishment called an “acorn pendant,” a detail that was repeated on the staircase’s newel posts. “The acorns were my dad’s idea,” OakBridge owner Johnny Miller says of his 83-years-young father who still comes into work every day. “Altogether, he hand-carved 13 acorns in the house — it’s the most acorn pendants I think we’ve ever had,” Johnny says with a laugh.
The ceiling is covered in warm Douglas fir tongue-and-groove and perched in the center is a working cupola that allows natural light to filter through the building’s core.
The Hilliard Tea House
The main structure of the tea house is built from a white oak center ridge beam, 5-by-5 vertical ash beams, and 1-by-3-inch ash stringers which were bent to achieve the curved roofline. The floors and railings are made from black locust. Sikkens/PPG ProLuxe oil-based stain in natural cedar was used to protect the timbers and decking. The roof is covered with hunter-green metal and the exposed sides of the concrete slab were finished with cut rocks sourced from a stone house which had been torn down.
In the end, Joe and his wife, Jacquie, have a perfect waterside perch to enjoy a morning cup of coffee together or an adult beverage with friends at dusk. In fact, according to Joe, “Not much tea is actually consumed here; unless you count Long Island Iced Tea.”
Love this idea? Check out this floor plan: Japanese Tea House Pavilion Floor Plan by Davis Frame Co.
The Karchner She-Shed
Located just a stone’s throw from the owner Melinda Karchner’s log cabin, the shed’s original siding and windows were in such bad condition they had to be replaced, but the interior timbers and metal roof were salvaged and restored to their former glory.
“The place was overgrown with vines and there were critters in there,” Melinda says with a laugh. “It was pretty nasty, but I wanted to preserve it.” Where the original timbers couldn’t be saved, Timberhaven Log & Timber Homes provided circle-sawn timbers to replace them. Melinda stained those timbers with ZAR walnut stain and the aged effect the combination created makes the new wood nearly indistinguishable from the old.
For contrast and freshness, the interior walls were painted a crisp white. The new Weathershield windows (which match the main log house) provide the uninsulated building with some energy-efficiency, and to keep the space warm during Pennsylvania winters, an antique cast-iron stove (that Melinda also salvaged and cleaned up) was converted into a charming electric space heater. The floor is a concrete slab covered in durable vinyl plank flooring that mimics barnwood. Above, the rafters are open to the underside of the standing-seam metal roof — a feature which makes the most soothing sounds during a summer rain shower.
Now the roughly 400-square-foot mini-barn is her pastoral retreat, filled with antiques and treasured heirlooms. “I’ve had so much fun decorating it and making it ‘my place,’ especially at Christmas,” says Melinda. “Every piece in here is personal and meaningful.”
P.s., This space was a winner in our Best Log & Timber Homes of the Year contest! See more here!
The Smaller Stuff
The Johnson Chapel
Situated on the edge of a forest and overlooking a tranquil pond, this 902-square-foot private chapel in central Ohio is a serene spot to meditate. The beauty of this building lies in its simplicity and ties to nature. White oak timber posts join together in an elegant king-post truss at the peak of the vaulted roof, from which a graceful twig chandelier is suspended. Outside, cedar shakes and a stone apron blend the building into its woodland surroundings.
Photo: Roger Wade, Courtesy of OakBridge Timber Framing
See also: Is an ADU Right for You?
The Art of Hybrid Timber Framing
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