SATTERWHITE LOG HOMES
design for special needs

Goals: Weekend log home entertaining center on a lake in the Ozarks for three generations of family, including two handicapped nieces.

Challenges: Must be large enough to accommodate up to 20 people for the whole weekend. Wheelchair access inside and out a must. Site includes steep limestone bluffs.

 

Solutions: Building up the site meant utilizing 1, 100 tons of fill rock and working on top of a giant slab of limestone to stabilize the house. “We essentially built this house right on top of solid rock. We had to chip out parts so we could sink the pylons, then pour the concrete for the basement,” says Satterwhite builder John Stimson. The home itself was a merger of two floor plans: “We watched as John sketched, modifying the structure here

 

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BEDROOM

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and there as he interpreted our vision,” says homeowner Ray Pearce. “Basically, we told John we wanted full logs on the outside and knotty pine on the inside with lots of open space for our big family.”

At that point the log material had arrived. Since the gravel road was too narrow for the semi-trailers to squeeze down to the job site, it was unloaded and John fork-lifted everything bundle by bundle. “I always try to buy the log material purposely for each house. For the Pearces, I bought enough material minus the windows and doors then cut all the wood on site for each task,” says John.

The 60-foot ramps, extra-wide doorways, and handicap shower stall were integral to the design. The home also includes seven bedrooms, five bathrooms, and plenty of space to handle family and friends. Stimson and the Pearces designed the rear exterior of the house with unobstructed views. On the lower level, Ray says, “You’ll notice the recreation room is exactly the same footprint as the great room, giving us three bedrooms downstairs, a handicapped bathroom, a bunk room for the grandkids, and another bedroom.”

Square footage: 6,800

Plan name: Pearce

Producer: Satterwhite Log Homes. For more information, circle 009 on the Reader Service card.

The kitchen and dining areas are positioned right off the great room.

TOP: The front of the home boasts accessibility, functionality, low-mainte-nance upkeep, and smart looks. ABOVE: A winding ramp off the main rear deck of the Pearce residence allows two disabled family members easy access to the inside and outside of the home. LEFT: Twin skylights and a view of the lake create a bright area jut outside both upper-level bedrooms.

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LIVING ROOM

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MASTER BEDROOM

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KITCHEN

BATH

BATH FOYER

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