Lakeside Getaway: An Idaho Timber Home

Growing up in eastern Washington state, Mike Kern spent a lot of time on northern Idaho's Lake Coeur d'Alene. With its spectacular shorelines, beautiful hiking trails and endless activities on the water, happy memories of lazy days on the lake stayed with him to adulthood. With a permanent timber-home residence in Alaska, Mike and his wife, Laura, knew they wanted to build a similar vacation getaway on the lake.

After two and a half unsuccessful weeks spent searching for the perfect site, Mike and his daughter were out on a WaveRunner on the lake when a knocked-over "For Sale" sign caught her eye. Some local friends advised the Kerns to snap up the prime real estate, and then put them in touch with builder Dave White, who helped them modify a plan the couple got from friends in Alaska. They used glue-laminated fir timbers for the beams and designed the home to showcase the lake as much as possible. And, says Mike, "Being from Alaska where it's dark much of the year, we wanted to bring in a lot of light." With large windows overlooking the lake from every rear-facing room, the home offers both light and awe-inspiring lake views in abundance.

The final result was well worth the trouble of custom-building a retreat 2,000 miles away from home, according to the homeowners, who plan to retire there. "We go at least four times a year for a few weeks at a time," says Mike. "It's the perfect family getaway."